Jeff Green gave Boston a sensational performance in his first start in nearly two years.

Green scored a season-high 31 points on 11-of-14 shooting and the short-handed Celtics routed the Phoenix Suns 113-88 on Friday night.

”I didn’t have a different mindset,” said Green, who missed last season following heart surgery to correct an aortic aneurysm. ”It was the same as me coming off the bench. I just tried to make a statement early and that’s what I did by attacking the rim and getting to the free throw line.”

Green started in place of 36-year-old Kevin Garnett, given a rest with Boston playing its third game in four nights…

Chris Wilcox had 13 points off the bench, and Avery Bradley and Jason Terry scored 13 each for the Celtics, who moved two games ahead of Milwaukee for seventh place in the Eastern Conference…

Paul Pierce scored only eight on 3-of-5 shooting for his fourth single-digit game of the season. But that mattered little to the Celtics, who were dominant from the opening tip in snapping a two-game skid.

Jordan Crawford, acquired from Washington on Thursday, made his Celtics debut and scored 10 points off the bench as Boston improved to 9-3 without injured guard Rajon Rondo…

Goran Dragic had 18 points and 10 assists, Markieff Morris scored 11 and Marcin Gortat added 10 points and six rebounds for the Suns, who have lost two straight and six of seven.

– Reported by the Associated Press

Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the Wizards have acquired guard Leandro Barbosa and center Jason Collins from the Boston Celtics in exchange for guard Jordan Crawford.

“Our team has started to come together and play well over the last 20 games,” said Grunfeld.  “This trade allows us to keep moving in that direction with the solid rotation and defensive commitment we have established on the court, helps us continue to build on the culture we are establishing in the locker room and gives us additional financial flexibility.”

“Jordan’s a scorer and he will provide versatility that will add great depth to our roster,” said Danny Ainge, Celtics President of Basketball Operations.

Crawford, a 6’4” guard, has appeared in 43 games for the Wizards this season and is averaging 13.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 26.2 minutes per game. Crawford has recorded 12 games this season with 20 or more points including a season-high 27 points twice (December 28 against Orlando and December 18 against Atlanta). In the game against Atlanta on December 18, he also recorded a triple-double adding 11 assists and 11 rebounds to his season-high-tying 27 points. The third year pro out of Xavier University in Ohio has career averages of 13.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 149 games split between Atlanta and Washington.

Collins, the 18th overall pick of the 2001 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets, has appeared in 707 career games with five teams (New Jersey, Memphis, Minnesota, Atlanta, Boston) while averaging 3.7 points and 3.8 rebounds in 20.9 minutes per contest.  This season with Boston, Collins has averaged 1.2 points and 1.6 rebounds in 32 games.

Crawford was originally traded to Washington along with Mike Bibby, Maurice Evans and a 2011 First Round pick (Chris Singleton) for Hilton Armstrong and Kirk Hinrich on February 23, 2011.  In parts of three seasons with the Wizards, Crawford averaged 14.5 points while appearing in 133 games.  He averaged 13.2 points and 3.7 assists while appearing in 43 games for the Wizards this season.

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have signed free agent guard/forward Terrence Williams to a 10-day contract.

Williams, a 6’6” guard/forward, joins the Celtics after competing in the Chinese Basketball Association with the Guangdong Southern Tigers. While with Guangdong, he averaged 17.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.2 steals in 29 games. Originally drafted by the New Jersey Nets with the 11th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, Williams has posted career averages of 7.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 129 games split between New Jersey, Houston and Sacramento.

Williams is expected to be available to play tonight against the Los Angeles Lakers and he will wear #55 for the Celtics.

According to ESPN Boston, “Celtics coach Doc Rivers had hinted last week that the Celtics would target the best available body instead of a position-specific target. While Boston has needs for a ball-handler and frontcourt help after losing All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo, rookie forward Jared Sullinger, and reserve guard Leandro Barbosa, they appear to be giving first crack to one of the most skilled players available. Williams can handle the ball well for his size and is a solid distributor and he’s solid on the glass, utilizing his athleticism to be a competitive rebounder.”

An NBA source told the Globe that the Celtics have signed swingman Terrence Williams to a 10-day contract — and there’s a chance that Williams, who is heading here from China, could be in uniform when the Celtics face the Nuggets Tuesday.

Williams wasn’t with the team during its practice Monday. He is awaiting a clearance letter from the team he was playing for in China before he flies here, the source said.

Rivers said he wasn’t sure if Williams, who has played for three NBA teams, would be with the Celtics for their shootaround Tuesday morning. He did say that Williams worked out with the Celtics during the summer and that he “did a pretty good job.”

What impressed Rivers from that workout?

“He’s been in the league; that’s what impressed me,” said Rivers, who downplayed his comments on Williams because the signing isn’t official.

– Reported by Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe

The Boston Celtics can discuss a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers or any other NBA team all they want, but Kevin Garnett says it won’t matter. Asked Saturday if there was any circumstance or team that could entice him to give up his no-trade clause and leave Boston, Garnett said, “No.”

Even so, the Clippers still believe they can get Garnett to accept a trade if the Celtics tell him they want to make a deal, a source told Yahoo! Sports.

“If Boston came to him with the trade and he knew they wanted to do it, he would change his mind,” the source said.

Publicly, at least, Garnett was pretty clear about his desire to stay in Boston.

“If it’s up to me,” Garnett said, “I will live and die green all day.”

– Reported by Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports

Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak denied a CBSSports.com report that the Lakers and Celtics were in preliminary talks to trade Dwight Howard for Rajon Rondo.

“I haven’t talked to Danny Ainge in weeks,” Kupchak told ESPN The Magazine’s Chris Broussard. “I made the statement a week or two ago that we’re not going to trade Dwight Howard and that hasn’t changed.”

When asked if a possible Howard-for-Rondo trade was discussed when he spoke to the Celtics weeks ago, Kupchak again said no. He said at no point this season has a Howard-for-Rondo trade been discussed.

– Reported by ESPN.com

Boston Celtics center Kevin Garnett downplayed any talk that he’s pondering retirement after the season, suggesting comments earlier this week about this being his last All-Star Game were simply his nod to young talent in the league.

In an interview with ESPN Radio on Friday from All-Star festivities in Houston, the 36-year-old Garnett said some are reading too much into his words after declaring with certainty on Wednesday that this would be his final All-Star appearance.

“I did say that, didn’t I?” joked Garnett. “I’m just being honest. To think that, first off, not to take this for granted and I’m more than honored and flattered. But to think that two years left, who knows what the future’s going to hold for me. I can’t say that I’m going to be an All-Star next year at 37-38 years old. That’s ludicrous.

“I’m learning this new journalism these days, they don’t really put out the whole question, they just ask the parts at which they want. So I’ll explain it. The question kinda came off as whether next year and [Garnett] making the All-Star [game], I was like, ‘Woah, woah, woah. This is probably my last,’ then went into that way and spoke on it. But yeah, I don’t anticipate — I never said that I wasn’t going to anticipate playing like an All-Star next year, I didn’t say that. But to sit up here with all those young guys and up-and-coming talent, I can’t just that. I’m not that brash, that egotistical of a guy say nothing like that. I’m more than honored to be here, it’s not by coincidence, I’m working hard like the next man. But to sit up there and say that next year [he’d be an All-Star], I would never disrespect the game like that.”

– Reported by Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston

Boston Celtics center Kevin Garnett says this weekend “is definitely my last All-Star game.”

Garnett would not elaborate on why he wouldn’t be back after playing in the midseason exhibition for the 15th time in his 18-year career. Garnett says he’s bringing along friends and family so he can enjoy this weekend’s game in Houston.

Is it possible that the 37-year-old Garnett is planning to retire?

– Reported by the Associated Press

Celtics coach Doc Rivers offered Kevin Garnett the night off to get him the rest he’s losing by playing in this weekend’s All-Star game.

Good thing for the Celtics that Garnett turned it down.

The All-Star center scored eight of his 12 points in the fourth quarter and added 11 rebounds to help the Celtics overcome historically poor shooting and beat the Chicago Bulls 71-69 on Wednesday night.

”I’m seeing everybody in here playing through everything. I’m no different from that,” said Garnett, who played 26 minutes. ”Everybody’s tired. I felt like that was unfair. If he wasn’t going to give everybody the night off, then that wasn’t an option. I just came out and gave what I could.”

Paul Pierce went only 2 for 12 from the floor, but he hit a 3-pointer that bounced around the rim and in to give Boston a five-point lead with 3 minutes to play. The Celtics shot just 36.8 percent but still had the advantage over the Bulls, who made just 36.5 percent of their shots.

”I told them before the game I wasn’t going to play Kevin much and there was a chance I may not play him,” said Rivers, who had wanted to leave Garnett home for Monday’s game in Charlotte but got talked into playing him there. ”I told them it’s going to be an ugly game. … And this is before the game.

Joakim Noah had 10 points and 16 rebounds, and Carlos Boozer had 11 and 11 for Chicago. Reserve Marco Belinelli added 12 points in under 20 minutes for the Bulls.

– Reported by Jimmy Golen of the Associated Press

The Boston Celtics announced today that guard Leandro Barbosa underwent an MRI this morning at New England Baptist Hospital after his left knee injury last night against the Charlotte Bobcats. The MRI revealed that Barbosa suffered a torn ACL in his left knee. No surgery date has been scheduled and he will be out for the remainder of the season.

Barbosa has appeared in 41 games for the Celtics this season and has averaged 5.2 points, 1.1 rebound, 1.4 assists in 12.5 minutes per game. He has shot 38.3% from three-point range which leads the Celtics. Barbosa posted a season-high of 17 points against Brooklyn on November 15 and has recorded 10 or more points in seven games this season.

According to the Boston Globe, “Barbosa was hurt, like Rondo, in non-contact fashion, twisting the knee awkwardly as he drove to the basket late in the third quarter of the Celtics’ 94-91 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats. Barbosa immediately passed the ball to Jeff Green and then crumbled to the floor near the photographer’s area. He was carried off the floor by head trainer Ed Lacerte and rookie center Fab Melo without placing any pressure on any leg. He was able to walk out of the arena under his own power but a post-game examination indicated that it was a ligament tear.”  

The son of basketball legend Larry Bird was arrested Sunday at Indiana University, said Chief Keith Cash of the Indiana University Police Department.

Connor Bird, 21, allegedly tried to hit his ex-girlfriend with a car. Bird faces multiple charges, Cash said, including battery with injury, criminal mischief, intimidation with a deadly weapon and possession of marijuana.

Trouble began, police said, after Bird and the ex-girlfriend got into a dispute Sunday at Bird’s Bloomington apartment. Bird threw a cell phone at the female, police said.

– Reported by Bill McCleery of the Indianapolis Star

All in all, Monday proved to be a painful night for the Boston Celtics.

Not only did the Celtics have their seven-game losing streak snapped at the hands of the NBA’s worst team, but they might have suffered yet another costly injury in their 94-91 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats.

Backup guard Leandro Barbosa, who has seen increased playing time since the season-ending injury to Rajon Rondo, injured his left knee late in the third quarter and had to be carried to the locker room by a trainer and teammate.

Coach Doc Rivers said Barbosa will have an MRI on Tuesday.

”It doesn’t look great but we’ll see,” Rivers said…

This night belonged to Charlotte’s unheralded big man, Byron Mullens…

The 7-foot Mullens hit 10 of 16 shots from the field, including 4 of 5 from 3-point range. Ramon Sessions had 19 points for the Bobcats, including the go-ahead jumper from 18 feet with 25.7 seconds left. Kemba Walker had 18 points, six assists and six rebounds, and Gerald Henderson chipped in with 16 points…

Kevin Garnett had 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Celtics, but missed a key 18-footer that would have given Boston the lead late in the game. Paul Pierce and Avery Bradley had chances to send the game into overtime in the final seconds, but missed open 3-pointers.

Jeff Green had 18 points for the Celtics and Pierce finished with 13 points, eight assists and eight rebounds…

Bobcats center Bismack Biyombo was a force inside on the defensive end blocking four shots and grabbing seven defensive rebounds.

– Reported by Steve Reed of the Associated Press

Chris Wright of the Maine Red Claws was today named NBA Development League Performer of the Week for games played Feb. 4-10.

Wright (6-8, 225, Dayton) averaged 26.3 points while shooting 66 percent from the field to go with 14.3 rebounds as the Red Claws went 2-1 on the week.  Wright notched a season-high 27 points in a 108-94 road win over the Springfield Armor before coming out the next night and matching his point total in a 104-94 loss to the Bakersfield Jam.  He finished the week with a 25-point outing in a 104-100 win over Springfield in Maine.

A 2013 NBA D-League All-Star, Wright is averaging 17.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and 35.4 minutes in 22 games, all starts, for the Red Claws this season.

Other top performers considered include Austin’s Cory Joseph, on assignment from the San Antonio Spurs, Bakersfield’s Jerel McNeal, Canton’s Kyle Gibson, Erie’s D.J. Kennedy, Fort Wayne’s Tony Mitchell, Idaho’s Carlon Brown, Iowa’s Paul Harris, Los Angeles’ Lazar Hayward, Reno’s Samardo Samuels, Rio Grande Valley’s Glen Rice, Jr., Santa Cruz’s Travis Leslie, Sioux Falls’ Donald Sloan, Springfield’s Carleton Scott, Texas’ Justin Dentmon and Texas’ Rasual Butler.

The Boston Celtics relied on their veterans to help them win the matchup of the NBA’s two hottest teams.

Paul Pierce had 27 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists and the Celtics extended their winning streak to seven games with a 118-114 triple overtime victory over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday.

Boston’s win also ended Denver’s winning streak at nine games.

Pierce made a tying 3-pointer in the second overtime to make it 107-107 and extend the game.

”I mean that’s what great players do. I would love to tell you I had something to do with it,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. ”I was sitting just like the fans saying, ”Please, Lord, Paul make a shot.”

Kevin Garnett had 20 points and grabbed 18 rebounds while Jason Terry scored a season-high 26 points off the bench.

”It seems like Garnett has a huge heart and wanted to win the game and he made some big time shots,” Nuggets coach George Karl said. ”His range has improved and it’s about time he get that respect.”

Pierce, Garnett and Terry are the only active Celtics with championship rings since point guard Rajon Rondo’s season-ending knee injury. The Celtics remain unbeaten in Rondo’s absence.

– Reported by the Associated Press

When the season began, Chris Wilcox was an everyday rotation player who entered games as a first-quarter sub for Kevin Garnett.

Injuries, inconsistent play and the emergence of Jared Sullinger (and to a lesser extent, Jason Collins) relocated Wilcox to near end-of-the-bench status even after he was cleared to play following his most recent ailment.

Sullinger’s season-ending back surgery has paved the way for Wilcox to garner more minutes, and the veteran is making the most of the opportunity.

Although the final score in Boston’s 116-95 win over the Los Angeles Lakers was decisively lopsided, Wilcox’s play off the bench was among the subtle but important contributions in the Celtics victory.

– Reported by A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE

The Boston Celtics today re-assigned rookie center Fab Melo to the Maine Red Claws, the Celtics’ NBA Development League affiliate. The assignment is the record 126th of the 2012-13 NBA and NBA D-League seasons, and is the sixth for Melo this year. He is one of a record 52 NBA players who’ve been assigned to the NBA D-League this season.

Melo (7-0, 215, Syracuse) returns to the Red Claws where he previously appeared in 19 games,  averaging 11.3points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.6 blocks in 27.7 minutes per game.

Originally selected in the first round (22nd overall) by Boston in the 2012 NBA Draft, he has played in two games for the Celtics this season, scoring two points in eight minutes.

Melo is expected to join the Red Claws today and be available tonight when the team hosts the Bakersfield Jam.

Paul Pierce scored 24 points and led a third-quarter surge as the Boston Celtics routed the Los Angeles Lakers 116-95 on Thursday night, improving to 6-0 since losing point guard Rajon Rondo for the season with a torn knee ligament.

The Lakers had cut a 58-44 halftime deficit to 72-61 with 5:07 left in the third quarter. Then the Celtics went on a 23-8 run and led 95-69 going into the fourth. Pierce started the surge with a three-point play and ended it with a 3-pointer with 41 seconds left, giving him 12 points in the period.

Kobe Bryant scored 27 to lead the Lakers, who suffered their worst loss of the season despite the return of Dwight Howard after he missed three games with a sore right shoulder.

The win was Boston’s biggest of the season.

The Lakers had won six of their previous seven games, including all three without Howard, and had moved three games behind the Houston Rockets for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West…

Kevin Garnett had 15 points and became the 16th player in NBA history to score 25,000 when he hit an 11-foot turnaround jumper that gave him six for the game and put the Celtics ahead 39-29 with 8:08 left in the half. Jeff Green had 19 points and Jason Terry added 15.

– Reported by Howard Ulman of the Associated Press

Jason Terry scored only two points. Still, he made a big contribution to Boston’s latest win with a pep talk before the fourth quarter.

Kevin Garnett scored a season-high 27 points with 10 rebounds, Paul Pierce had 12 points and 11 rebounds, and the Celtics won their fifth straight game by beating the Toronto Raptors 99-95 on Wednesday night.

Courtney Lee added 15 points, Leandro Barbosa had 14, Avery Bradley 11 and Brandon Bass 10 as the Celtics remained unbeaten since losing guard Rajon Rondo to a season-ending knee injury.

Garnett scored 11 points in the fourth quarter as the Celtics rallied from a 10-point deficit to snap a two-game skid in Toronto. Boston had lost three of its last four in Canada.

”We’re fighters,” Garnett said. ”We’re a team that’s going to compete for 48 minutes. It’s not always pretty. We’re not perfect, we’re human beings. But we play hard, we do our best to go out and try to perfect the game plan.”

Boston’s turnaround came after Terry harangued his teammates for their sloppy play through three quarters.

– Reported by Ian Harrison of the Associated Press

The Celtics keep rolling without Rajon Rondo.

Not even a late comeback by one of the NBA’s best teams could keep Boston from beating the Los Angeles Clippers 106-104 on Sunday and improve to 4-0 since a knee injury ended their star point guard’s season.

”A lot of people say that we don’t have a chance to go to the playoffs, we can’t do this, we can’t do that,” starting guard Avery Bradley said. ”We know we have each other and we’re going to go out there and fight for each other, no matter what, every single night.”

The Clippers played without their own brilliant point guard. Chris Paul missed his seventh straight game with a bruised right knee cap.

But they cut a 98-83 deficit to 103-101 on a 3-pointer by Eric Bledsoe with 56 seconds remaining. Then Bradley drew an offensive foul on Los Angeles’ Jamal Crawford with 26 seconds to go.

Paul Pierce then held on to the ball - and was surprised that the Clippers didn’t foul him - before making a 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds left to clinch the win and finish with a team-high 22 points…

Jeff Green and Leandro Barbosa scored 14 points each for the Celtics and led a 52-point contribution from the bench. The Clippers were led by Bledsoe, replacing Paul, and Crawford, who made a 3-pointer at the buzzer, with 23 points each. Blake Griffin had 20 points and 11 rebounds…

Backup Celtics C Jason Collins, playing more because of Sullinger’s absence, had a season-high seven points. … Barnes returned for the Clippers after a one-game suspension for striking Minnesota’s Greg Stiemsma on Wednesday.

– Reported by Howard Ulman of the Associated Press

Celtics forward Paul Pierce, the team’s union representative, called for the removal of NBPA executive director Billy Hunter after Hunter was placed on a leave of absence Friday by the union and president Derek Fisher…

An independent investigation into union practices discovered several misdoings but nothing illegal. Hunter was found to have hired his family members, invested union money into a fledgling bank that employed his son, agreed to a contract extension without the vote of the entire union membership and purchased gifts for executive committee members using union money…

“I think with the way things been going with the association, with all the accusations, I think it’s finally time for some change,” he told the Globe after the Celtics’ 97-84 win over the Orlando Magic. “A lot of the players been unhappy with what’s going on and so I think it’s time.”

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