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Celtics outlast Nuggets in 3 OT with 118-114 win

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

Chris Wilcox stepping up for Celtics off bench

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

Celtics once again assign Fab Melo to D-League

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.

Celtics beat Lakers 116-95 for 6th straight win

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

Garnett scores 27, Celtics beat Raptors for 5th straight win

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

Celtics streaking without Rondo, top Clippers 106-104

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

Paul Pierce wants Billy Hunter gone from NBA Players Union

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)

Greg Oden meets with Boston Celtics

The Celtics are hoping to move up the list of teams that interests former No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden after the two parties met Saturday afternoon in Boston.

Oden, a former prodigy who was supposed to change the Portland Trail Blazers franchise, has had microfracture surgeries on both knees and decided to take this season off to get those knees healthy as he attempts another return.

Oden has played a total of 82 games since entering the NBA in 2007 and has not been completely healthy since missing his entire rookie season with his first microfracture surgery. He last played on Dec. 5, 2009 with Portland, sustaining another serious knee injury that cost him two seasons.

— Reported by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe

Celtics forward Jared Sullinger out for season after surgery

Big injury hits keep striking the Boston Celtics. First starting point guard Rajon Rondo, and now a prized rookie who was having a solid first season.

The Celtics announced forward Jared Sullinger underwent successful lumbar disc surgery today at the New England Baptist Hospital. Surgery was performed by the medical staff at the New England Baptist Hospital which is under the direction of Celtics Team Physician, Dr. Brian McKeon. Sullinger is expected to be ready in time for training camp for the 2013-14 season.

Sullinger, a 6’9” forward, appeared in 45 games for the Celtics this season averaging 6.0 points and 5.9 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game. He posted a season-high of 16 rebounds against Phoenix on January 9 and recorded a season-high of 16 points twice (November 18 against Detroit, December 25 against Brooklyn).

Luke Harangody named D-League Player of Month for January

Fort Wayne Mad Ants forward Luke Harangody has been named NBA Development League Player of the Month for games played in January. The honor is the first of Harangody’s career.

Harangody (6-8, 240, Notre Dame) led Fort Wayne (13-14) to an 8-4 record during January, averaging 18.5 points on 45 percent shooting from the floor, to go with 9.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists. He scored in double figures in 10 of the 11 games he played in, including five 20-plus point performances, and a season-high 31 points to go with 12 rebounds in a 113-106 loss to the Los Angeles D-Fenders on Jan. 19. He led the team in scoring six times in January and was the team’s leading rebounder in nine games.

Harangody has appeared in 13 games for Fort Wayne this season, ranking second in the East Division with 13.4 rebounds per game and fifth in the East with 21.4 points per game. He was named NBA D-League Performer of the Week on Jan. 14.

Fifteen other top NBA D-League prospects were considered for the honor, including Austin’s Cory Joseph, on assignment from the San Antonio Spurs, Bakersfield’s Jerel McNeal, Canton’s Kyle Gibson, Erie’s D.J. Kennedy, Idaho’s Coby Karl, Iowa’s Chris Wright, Los Angeles’ Courtney Fortson, Maine’s DaJuan Summers, Reno’s Walker Russell, Jr., Rio Grande Valley’s Andrew Goudelock, Santa Cruz’s Stefhon Hannah, Springfield’s James Mays, Sioux Falls’ Demetris Nichols, Texas’ Sean Singletary and Tulsa’s Jeremy Lamb, on assignment from the Oklahoma City Thunder.