The next coach of the Nets won’t be Doc Rivers.

ESPNBoston.com reported Thursday night that the Nets reached out to Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge about potentially sitting down with Rivers to discuss the team’s head coaching opening, but that Ainge refused to grant them permission.

That Ainge would deny the Nets a chance to sit down with Rivers isn’t at all surprising, given that he still has three years and over $20 million remaining on the extension he signed with Boston back in 2011 – one that made him one of the game’s highest-paid coaches – and is widely to be considered among the league’s best coaches.

Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post (Blog)

Prosecutors in Kent, Wash., said Wednesday that they need more time to investigate allegations against Celtics guard Terrence Williams before filing charges.

Williams, a Seattle native, is being investigated for second-degree domestic assault.

He was arrested Sunday after a parking lot confrontation in which the mother of his 10-year-old son told police that Williams threatened her with a gun.

Williams spent Sunday night in jail and posted a $25,000 bail Monday. He was scheduled to attend a court hearing Wednesday, the deadline for prosecutors to file charges.

– Reported by Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe

Ainge seemed a bit surprised yesterday that the Boston future of his coach, who has three years remaining on his contract, is in question.

“From all I know, Doc will be back,” Ainge said.

He added that he’s yet to speak with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett about their plans and desires.

Rivers may have been speaking at a raw time several minutes after the Game  6 elimination to the Knicks, but he invited the questions about next year with his straightforward answer about coming back.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I mean, I don’t know that right now. I can’t make that decision now. I’m under contract, and we’ll see. I mean, honestly, I just can’t even think about that right now, so I don’t know.”

Asked if he would think about it, Rivers replied, “Yeah. I do every year. I do every year. You know, it’s not anything. I’m not leaning that way of not coming back, I can tell you that. But like I just said, I immerse myself and I need to just detox, and we’ll find that out.”

– Reported by Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald

Carmelo Anthony scored 21 points and the New York Knicks held on after blowing most of a 26-point lead to beat the Boston Celtics 88-80 in Game 6 on Friday night and advance in the postseason for the first time since 2000.

Iman Shumpert scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half, when the Celtics cut a 75-49 deficit to four points. But Anthony made a jumper to give New York an 81-75 lead and then sank a 3-pointer, then J.R. Smith converted a three-point play to restore the double-digit lead the Knicks had nursed most of the game.

Jeff Green scored 21 points for the Celtics, who had rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the series and had a chance, at home, to force a decisive seventh game.

No NBA team has advanced in the playoffs after losing the first three games.

Paul Pierce scored 14 points on 4-for-18 shooting, making one of nine 3-point attempts. Anthony also struggled from in- and outside the arc, going 7 for 23 from the floor and missing his first five 3-point attempts — that was 20 in a row in the series — before sinking the key basket with 1:43 to go.

The Knicks had not won a playoff series since Patrick Ewing and Latrell Sprewell (and current backup center Marcus Camby) helped them reach the 2000 Eastern Conference finals.

Kevin Garnett had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who now face another offseason of talk whether to break up the aging core that won the franchise’s record 17th NBA title in 2008 and returned to the finals two years later. Reserve Jason Terry scored 14 points — the only points the Celtics got from their bench.

– Reported by the Associated Press

It might be the last Celtics stand for the tandem of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett but they showed their class and determination as Boston humbled the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.

Age, a lack of depth on the roster and the strains of the National Basketball Association salary cap have put the Boston future of Garnett and Pierce in doubt but the gritty veterans refuse to go out quietly this postseason.

Teetering on the brink of elimination down 3-0 in their best-of-seven series, the Celtics won an overtime thriller in Boston to stay alive and followed with a 92-86 win on Wednesday to send the series back to Boston for Game Six on Friday.

The 36-year-old Garnett, in his 18th season after entering the NBA out of high school, scored 16 points and hauled down 18 rebounds in nearly 39 minutes on the floor.

Pierce, 35, who has played all 15 years of his NBA career in Boston, matched his running mate with 16 points and logged more than 44 minutes on court as the Celtics outbattled the Knicks using just seven players.

– Reported by Larry Fine of Reuters

Pierce said he has no plans of retiring after this season.

“Right now it’s year-by-year,” he said. “I expect to play another year next year and then evaluate after that. I always said I wanted to end my career as a Celtic. But they are the ones (with the decision). I have a year contract for next year but it’s not guaranteed so the decision’s in their hands. But whatever decision they make, maybe, if they trade me somewhere or I end up somewhere else maybe it could be a situation where I come back for a one-day deal and retire a Celtic.”

– Reported by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (Blog)

Celtics players and coach Doc Rivers spoke in support of Jason Collins Tuesday after Collins revealed in Sports Illustrated on Monday that he was gay. Rivers said Collins called him a few days ago to share the news with his former coach.

“We had talked about it recently,” said Rivers. “When he called me to tell me, you could tell he wanted to tell me. I told him before he said it, ‘Jason I could care less about what you’re about to tell me.’ And that’s how I feel. I honestly feel that way.

“It’s a non-factor to me, and I know it is a factor to a lot of people. I’ve never understood why anyone cares what someone else does. And I told Jason that it will be a non-issue eventually, but it will not be right now.”

– Reported by Gary Dzen of Boston.com

It started with a 3-pointer by Avery Bradley 16 seconds into the game. It ended with a layup by Jason Terry with 6.5 seconds left.

Yes, the Boston Celtics finally got their offense going.

”It’s coming,” Terry said. ”You can feel it.”

It was there on Sunday - for much of the game, anyway - when the Celtics beat the New York Knicks 97-90 in overtime to avoid being swept in the opening round of the playoffs.

But if it’s not there on Wednesday night in New York, the Celtics will have a very tough time forcing a sixth game Friday night in Boston.

The Celtics scored fewer than 20 points in six of the first 10 quarters in the series. They managed a meager eight points in the fourth quarter of the opener - one less than Terry scored by himself in the last 1:32 of overtime on Sunday. They scored 78, 71 and 76 points in the first three games after scoring fewer than 80 just five times during the regular season.

”We’ve got a lot of basketball in us,” Terry said, ”but there’s always something like one quarter that holds us back. So if we can put together four quarters of great Celtics basketball, ball movement, getting out in transition, then this series is going to be a long one.”

– Reported by Howard Ulman of the Associated Press

While they were being blown out at home Friday, the Celtics felt the Knicks were showboating, rubbing Boston’s collective nose into the same floor they wiped with the Celtics team.

“Yeah, we did. We all did. That’s what made us so mad, so angry,” guard Avery Bradley said before the Celtics’ film session yesterday. “We just got to go out there and play the right way. We’ve got to not let that happen again. After the game, that was definitely something [discussed]. Somebody said it right after we got in the locker room: ‘Oh, they’re showboating on us, they’re dunking.’

“And everybody kind of looked like, ‘Yeah you’re right,’ ” Bradley added. “But all we can do is go out there and play the right way and play hard and don’t give them a chance to showboat.”

Easier said than done. Entering Game 4 at TD Garden today, the Celtics have been an offensive mess. They have averaged 75.0 points in the series, not once reaching 80. They’ve shot 39.5 percent and averaged 17.0 turnovers to negate the good of their defense.

– Reported by Fred Kerber of the New York Post

The Celtics fully expected to have a size edge when they kept Kevin Garnett and Brandon Bass up front and started both Paul Pierce and Jeff Green, but that hasn’t translated well enough to the scoreboard.

“We’ve been tempted to try to exploit matchups that might not even be advantages,” said Ainge. “I mean, Jason Kidd can still play. I coached Jason Kidd when he was a three-time All-NBA player, and I don’t ever think it’s a mismatch when Jason Kidd’s guarding someone (Pierce, for example). I think at this stage of his career, he probably defends bigger guys much better than he defends quicker guys. I don’t think that’s a huge matchup advantage for us.

“It would help if we could space the floor better, or get Jeff Green posting up Jason Kidd. But I just don’t think those are major advantages that we have, and we’re spending a lot of time in these last three games trying to exploit those. And it’s not through any fault of anybody. I just think the Knicks have played really good defense, and they’ve exposed our weaknesses.

“So far in this series,” he added, “New York has been the better offensive team and the better defensive team.”

– Reported by Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald

The New York Knicks are heading to Boston, then perhaps finally back to the second round.

The once-mighty Celtics don’t seem capable of stopping them.

Carmelo Anthony scored 34 points, Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith added 19, and New York opened a 2-0 lead over Boston with another dominant second half in an 87-71 victory on Tuesday night.

Raymond Felton added 16 points for the Knicks, who used a 27-4 run spanning halftime to blow it open and move halfway to their first series victory since the 2000 Eastern Conference semifinals. This is their first 2-0 lead since sweeping Toronto in the first round that year.

”For us, we know what type of team we are,” Anthony said. ”We know when we really buckle down on the defensive end, it’s been hard for teams.”

It’s been brutally difficult for Boston.

Paul Pierce scored 18 points for the Celtics, who will host Game 3 on Friday in their first home game since the Boston Marathon bombings.

They will have to be much sharper to avoid their first opening-round elimination since 2005, before they became one of the NBA’s power teams again.

”We have to figure out the offensive side of the ball and not be so stagnated,” Boston’s Kevin Garnett said. ”Figure out ways to score more often.”

Garnett had 12 points and 11 rebounds, but battled foul trouble and spent too much time walking back to the bench with a raucous Madison Square Garden crowd finally experiencing playoff success again hounding him every step of the way.

– Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

“Our sympathies and condolences go out to all of the families that were affected by this disaster in Boston,” Jason Terry said. “And the Boston people who are constricted to their homes right now while they try to find these people that have done this terrible thing. We’re thinking about it, but, again, fortunately we got out of there in time, so we’re not too distracted. But they are in our thoughts.”

“Well you can’t help but to see it,” echoed Paul Pierce. “You wake up, turn on the Internet, it’s cause for concern, especially with us having families in the areas that these situations are happening in. I got phone calls from home, the whole city’s locked down, especially in the area where I live at, so it’s definitely a concern. You worry. But, we’re here, there’s nothing we can really do about it. Hopefully everything takes care of itself back home with the law enforcement doing what they have to do to secure the situation.”

Added Kevin Garnett: “The city’s crazy, man. I think everybody’s kind of trying to at least focus in a little bit on, obviously, our game and the playoffs. But the obvious thing is everybody’s worried, also. I hope everybody back home, especially in the whole New England area, is OK, and safe.”

– Reported by Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston

Out of respect to all those who have been impacted by the tragic events in Boston, including members of the extended Celtics family, the Boston Celtics and the NBA on Monday night decided to cancel the game scheduled for Tuesday, April 16 between the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers.

The game will not be rescheduled.  Instructions for any fans holding tickets to the game are provided on Celtics.com.

Our sincere sympathies go out to all those affected by this senseless tragedy. The entire Celtics organization would like to acknowledge the heroic efforts of the brave civilian, police, fire and medical personnel responding today in the City of Boston.

In Davis’ four seasons in Boston, his role expanded but never enough for him. The Celtics traded him to the Magic and he agreed to a four-year contract extension and immediately became one of Orlando’s more experienced players, carrying a championship ring.

“I look at it and I was just so thankful,” he said. “I got a chance to talk to the guys and I told Paul, I told KG, ‘Thank you. Really, thank you, Doc, for putting that discipline and that tough love. When I see these young guys [in Orlando] and I walk around, I see the same exact things [as I did in Boston] and me listening and humbling myself got me to this point now.”

Magic coach Jacque Vaughn said he wanted to challenge Davis with more responsibility with the cocaptain assignment, joining point guard Jameer Nelson.

“You’re put in a role that you can’t say no to and if you’re a competitor, you want that role,” Davis said. “And you have to do what they say, no procrastination. I do have a desire to get in there and go through the journey with these guys. I got a chance to experience a championship, but here I’m a main part of the team, working to be successful.”

– Reported by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe

Courtney Lee scored 20 points and Jeff Green added 17 as the Boston Celtics cruised to a 120-88 victory over the Orlando Magic on Saturday night.

The win locked up the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference for Boston, which never trailed in beating Orlando for the eighth straight time.

All five Celtics starters reached double figures, with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce scoring 14 and 12 points, respectively, after sitting out Friday against Miami.

Tobias Harris led the Magic with 22 points, and Nik Vucevic added 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Orlando hasn’t won back-to-back games since December. The Magic play their final home game of season on Monday against Chicago, and head to Miami for the season finale on Wednesday.

The Celtics conclude their regular-season schedule against Indiana on Tuesday and visit Toronto on Wednesday…

Boston G Jason Terry was given the night off by Rivers, marking his first missed game of the season.

– Reported by Kyle Hightower of the Associated Press

“Shav is playing unbelievable basketball,” said Garnett. “I think he’s finding his little niche in here.”

In his last six games, Randolph is averaging 7.2 points on 74 percent shooting (17 of 23) and 5.5 rebounds in 16 minutes per game.

In the six games he played before that, Randolph was averaging 2.8 points on 44 percent shooting (8 of 18) and 3.8 rebounds in 9.8 minutes.

“I think I’ve got a little rhythm with that second group and knowing just what my role is going to be when I go out there,” Randolph said. “It’s very simple. I know, especially with Kevin back, I’m not going to be playing extended minutes.

“So when I go out there, it’s going to be for short periods of time and I’ve got to go out there and play with energy, rebound, play off people.”

– Reported by Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe

Jordan Crawford will face his former team, the Wizards, for the first time since being traded in February.

“Who?” Crawford asked before practice Saturday when the issue was broached.

Washington, he was told. You’ll be playing Washington. Your old team.

“I don’t recall playing for Washington,” Crawford responded, and he repeated himself.

Crawford, who was acquired by the Celtics at the Feb. 21 trade deadline, didn’t enjoy his time in Washington, as one might infer from his comments.

– Reported by Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe

Celtics center Kevin Garnett took part in a full-contact practice on Saturday for the first time in nearly two weeks, and the 36-year-old could return to action Sunday against Washington after missing eight consecutive games.

Garnett has been sidelined with inflammation in his left ankle, which he first tweaked March 20 in New Orleans. He played the rest of that game, and then the next against Dallas, before sitting out. Boston has lost five games in his absence.

“Obviously, rest is always a good thing for me,” Garnett said. “I’ve been able to get multiple treatments a day on my foot. I’m getting better.

“I have some issues with my foot. More from like the motion, if you’re pushing the gas pedal. It’s an issue. If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be out.”

– Reported by Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe

Does he pay attention to the standings?

“I do but I don’t,” Rivers said in his best hedging language. “I really don’t. I know we’re in the seventh spot. I know we want to stay out of the eighth spot.

So, Rivers is actually admitting he wants avoid the Heat?

“Of course we would,” Rivers admitted when asked that very question. “But if we play them, we’ll be ready. But of course we would. Listen, I’m not that dumb. I’m not the brightest guy but come on. Really, you would love to avoid anyone [like Miami]. Listen, no matter who we play, we’re going to play a tough team. It’s going to be New York, Indiana or Miami. There’s no cakewalk for us. It’s going to be hard.”

To Rivers point, the Celtics are 1-3 this year against New York, 1-2 against Miami and 2-0 against Indiana. The Celtics play the Heat next weekend in Miami and the Pacers at the Garden on April 16.

– Reported by Mike Petraglia of WEEI

Ware is expected to play again and the injury, despite the goriness, is not career-threatening. Livingston suffered a more damaging fate. Doctors says ligament tears are much more difficult to overcome than bone breaks, and Livingston had to rehabilitate from multiple ligament tears. His quickness, at one time a strength, was gone.

He has walked the road Ware is about to embark, an arduous rehabilitation filled with self doubt, constant visions of that night, and questions about your durability and desire.

“I would say stay away from the public’s opinion,” Livingston said when asked what advice he would offer Ware. “Just stay strong with his faith and focus on the positives.

“Obviously everything is going to be about what he can’t do, his limitations and all that. He has to focus on the positives, moving forward. That’s the way he’s going to make progress.”

– Reported by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe