Greg Oden met with Celtics

There was talk around the league that Greg Oden had narrowed his search to two teams--his hometown Cavaliers and the star-studded Miami Heat--for his comeback next season. However, there were Twitter sightings today that he was in Waltham.

BREAKING: Jared Sullinger to miss rest of season with back injury

According to Adrian Wojnarowksi of Yahoo! Sports, Sullinger will need surgery and is out for the rest of the year.

Fab Melo in, Jared Sullinger possibly out

Last season's first rounders trade spots as Sullinger will probably be in street clothes tonight with Melo suiting up for the C's.

Sullinger day-to-day with back spasms

Jared Sullinger limped out of last night's game after playing only four minutes as a starter. He's been dealing with back issues for the last couple of weeks, but this is the first time it's affected him on the court.

Keyon Dooling confirms that he's not coming back

Yesterday, Doc Rivers suggested that Keyon Dooling could make a return to the team, but later, Danny Ainge denied that report. Via Twitter, KD confirms that a comeback isn't in the cards.

Ubuntu is back: Courtney Lee disputes Zach Lowe

Via Twitter, Courtney Lee denies Zach Lowe's claim that he's unhappy in Boston.

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Avery Bradley out, Luol Deng in, Leandro Barbosa to start

Avery Bradley is dealing with a rib injury and Luol Deng tweaked a hammy on Wednesday, but it looks like only Deng will suit up in tonight's Bulls/Celtics game at the Garden.

The other side of Leandro Barbosa

Another great piece from CSNNE's Jessica Camerato. In a revealing interview, Leandro Barbosa talks about his absence from the team in December and being away from his family in Brazil.

Barbosa denies ESPN Brazil story

Per Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, Leandro Barbosa wants to stay with the Celtics.

Celtics monitoring, interested in Greg Oden

After the departure of Darko Milicic earlier this year and Fab Melo still developing in the D-League, the Celtics have yet to fill the hole at back up big man. Could the former #1 pick from Ohio State be the answer?

NBA Trade Rumors: Leandro Barbosa has requested trade, expects one soon

In an interview with ESPN Brazil, the Celtics guard says that he's asked Danny Ainge for a trade, but the Celtics see value in the instant offense that The Brazilian Blur provides off the bench.

Rajon Rondo's lengthy pregame ritual

This is nothing, you should see my pre-blogging routine.

Playbook: Terry dishes on teammates - Boston Celtics Blog - ESPN Boston

His routine is long-winded and it lasts all the way through tip-off. It starts in the back hallway. He runs down a corridor and he throws the ball to our team chaplain, who throws it back. Then [Rondo] runs out into a circle, high-fives the whole team and then he does the layup lines for five minutes. "Then he will stand under the goal and Paul Pierce will shoot every ball on the rack from half court. Rondo will catch four balls at one time and then after that, it's just amazing -- one pass off the backboard to KG, one bounce pass to Paul Pierce and then he throws it all the way up to the scoreboard and Jeff Green finishes with an alley-oop.

He does this, every game, even road games.

Avery Bradley starting to feel it on offense too

We expect Avery Bradley to play lock down defense, but his offense has always kind of been a bonus if it shows up. He's been a little off on his shot since returning (he's excused since he's getting back from injury) but he found his range last night.

Bradley also a pest on offensive end - Boston Celtics Blog - ESPN Boston

While much of Bradley's impact has manifested itself on the defensive end, he put forth a steady reminder on Monday that he can be a viable option in Boston's offense as well. Bradley produced a season-high 16 points against Charlotte, knocking down six of his 10 shots and finishing 4-of-7 shooting from 3-point nation.

As I mentioned in the recap, if his shot is falling he's going to make a lot of opposing guards have very long nights.

Jason Terry's recent struggles

While the Celtics have been winning, the last few games haven't been too kind to Jason Terry.

Green Street " Courtney Lee, Jason Terry swap Celtics fortunes

In November and December, Terry didn’t entirely meet the expectations set by his three-year, $15 million deal, but at least he averaged double-digit scoring on near 40 percent 3-point shooting in 30 minutes a night. That was only supposed to improve once Avery Bradley returned and allowed Terry to find his comfort zone off the bench. Instead, he’s played 16 or fewer minutes in three of the C’s seven games this month, including a combined 31 minutes over the past two games. In the seven games since Bradley’s return from shoulder surgeries, Terry’s averaging only 4.6 points on 34.9 percent shooting from the field (23.8 3P%).

Last night Doc even elected to play Barbosa in the fourth quarter over Terry.

Kris Joseph looking at overseas options

Hoping for nothing but good things for Kris Joseph. I think the team liked him but just didn't think he would help them soon enough to keep him on the roster.

HoopsHype - Kris Joseph considering overseas offers

Free agent forward Kris Joseph, recently waived by the Boston Celtics, is looking at options from several overseas teams right now, agent Chris Grier-Luchey told HoopsHype. Grier-Luchey said Joseph has offers from Italy, France and China, but may also consider playing in the D-League and wait for a 10-day contract.

Maybe we'll see him next year or at least in summer league.

Boston's "Gangster Squad" coming up big

The Celtics bench looked like a strength on paper this summer but has been a weakness all year. Recently, however, they've shown real signs of improvement. Jason Terry has dubbed them the "gangster squad" after the new movie that is out now.

Bench brigade playing with swagger - Boston Celtics Blog - ESPN Boston

In Boston's latest three victories -- all part of a larger five-game winning streak -- the bench has come through with an average of 42 points per game, providing the potent scoring output and support Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett had been seeking the first two months of the season. "I think they have a certain swagger about themselves right now that we're just following -- this kind of pattern right now, this beautiful pattern," Garnett said before practice on Sunday. "So, right now, I'm telling you, our bench is coming in and giving us unbelievable spark, so it's a good balance right now."

A bench by any name that produces this way is sure to be a hit at the box office.

Practice makes perfect for Doc and Celtics

Pretty straightforward stuff. More practice helps a team get more familiar with the system and each other.

Celtics making most of rare practice time - Boston Celtics Blog - ESPN Boston

"It’s been really good," Rivers said. "We’ve had a bunch [of practices] in a row. We took yesterday off, got back at it today. You can see it in the results. I think guys are getting rhythm on both ends, guys are able to put in a lot of individual work as well, which I think is important in the middle of the season."

"Chemistry doesn't happen overnight," Jeff Green said. "You've heard KG say that all season long. Chemistry is something you've got to work on and we're using this practice time that we have, and this homestand that we have, to get closer and build chemistry. That's what we need to continue to do in order to get closer and continue to have a positive outcome on the floor."

So.... can we finally put the "new guys getting used to the system" excuse to rest?

Fab Melo hits game winner in Maine

The legend of Fab grows in Maine.

CELTICS GREEN BLOG by and for boston celtics fans: Melo Hits Game Winner as Red Claws Get Past Armor 102-100

In the fourth quarter, the Armor evened the score at 85-85 with 7:54 to go. The Red Claws then went on a 10-3 run to put them up 98-88 with 3:52 remaining. After exchanging baskets for a while, the Armor went on an 8-0 run to tie the game at 100-100 with 35.1 seconds to go. After a pair of missed shot attempts by the Armor, Maine regained possession. With 3.9 seconds left, Shelvin Mack's jumper rimmed out but Fab Melo corralled the ball and finished the go-ahead layup with just 1.2 seconds remaining. A desperation jumper fell short for Springfield at the buzzer.

Melo back to the D-League

Melo was in Waltham yesterday with the team and it sounds like he's healthy. He'll rack up mileage this month between Maine and Boston as the Celtics enjoy a home-heavy schedule this month.

Melo/Garnett: TMZ has round 2

TMZ.com has video of Carmelo Anthony confronting Kevin Garnett at the team bus.

Rondo suspended vs. Knicks for ref bump in Atlanta

The league has suspended Rajon Rondo "for making contact with a game official and failure to cooperate with a league investigation." Is this a sign of immaturity on RR's part or is the NBA getting too soft?

Life and times in the NBA: the journey of Avery Bradley and Kris Joseph

Jessica Camerato of CSNNE.com has two good pieces on Avery Bradley and the recently waived Kris Joseph and Jarvis Varnado and what it takes to make it in the NBA.

Defense is getting better since Avery returned

It is getting better on the side of the ball where the Celtics make their living as a team.

C's defensive improvement in focus - Boston Celtics Blog - ESPN Boston

In case you are wondering, the Celtics lead the league in opponent points, opponent field goal percentage, and forced turnovers during this three-game stretch. Hang around the top five in those categories for a while and a team will enjoy a tremendous amount of success.

The least surprising thing ever is the fact that the Celtics defense improved when Avery Bradley returned. But it is impressive that it has gotten THAT much better.

Bulpett: DeMarcus Cousins deal unlikely

Steve Bulpett goes over some of the reasons why DeMarcus Cousins probably won't be dealt anywhere, never mind Boston this year. Here's some of his article.

A line of DeMarc-ation | Boston Herald

Said one prominent league executive: “That is a seriously troubled kid. There are problems there that go beyond basketball. That’s not something a coach can fix. He can play when he wants to, but how could you ever count on that? And what would you have to give up to get him?” The bottom line is that DeMarcus Cousins may certainly be worth a shot if he can be had in a low-risk transaction, which is why clubs will throw offers at the Kings that reflect his baggage. But until Sacramento alters its asking price — or an opposing club gets desperate (or as unstable as Cousins) — there may not be anything to see here for some time.

Paul Pierce is (still) a leader

Once again, we were given proof that no game is out of reach as long as Paul Pierce is on the court. He led with his mouth and his actions last night.

Pierce's leadership gets Celtics on track

Trailing by 15 points at the half, the Celtics found themselves arguing with one another with some players frustrated with some of the words spoken by head coach Doc Rivers about what they needed to do. "We're kind of bickering with each other at halftime about what to do defensively, and I just reminded the guys that the fight isn't against us, it's against the other team," Pierce said. "Once we remembered that, we stepped up and played the kind of basketball that we're capable of playing."

Nice night for Brandon Bass

After being much maligned on here recently (ok, by me), it was nice to see Brandon Bass have a nice night.

Rapid Reaction: Celtics 89, Hawks 81 - Boston Celtics Blog - ESPN Boston

Brandon Bass was up and down in his return to the starting lineup on Friday, committing some careless turnovers. But he was far more good than bad on Saturday (even if he still missed a couple defensive rotations). Bass had maybe the defensive play of the night when he stepped up on a driving Smith and delivered an emphatic second-quarter swat. Bass scored 10 points on ultra-efficient 5-of-6 shooting with four rebounds, three steals and two assists over 35:41. Maybe the most noteworthy number on his stat line: Bass was a team-best plus-14 in plus/minus.

Courtney Lee likes his role off the bench

Sounds like Courtney Lee was not upset about losing his starting job to Avery Bradley.

Lee finding a comfort zone - Boston Celtics Blog - ESPN Boston

Though he has filled in as a starter at times this season, Lee said coming off the bench gives him the opportunity to observe the game first and better prepares him for how to play when he enters.

"Just being able to watch the game and see how the flow of the game's going and seeing what areas that we're lacking on, whether it be the defensive end or the offensive end if it's energy or pushing the tempo or getting out and running," Lee said of observing from the bench first. "You can see all those things. You're pretty much the coach's eyes over there. You can see it. As far as when you're playing, you don't notice a lot of things. So you can see it and then when you get in you can try to make those adjustments."

Good attitude.

Yup, Kevin Garnett is still awesome and quotable

I'm gonna miss Kevin Garnett when he retires. We might be talking real tears here.