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Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley underwent another set of X-rays Saturday on his injured rib, coach Doc Rivers said.
Bradley was injured Wednesday against the New Orleans Hornets and missed Friday’s game against the Chicago Bulls.
A team spokesman later noted the X-rays came back negative. Rivers previously stressed that Bradley’s condition hasn’t worsened at all, but that the lack of improvement prompted another test.
— Reported by Greg Payne, special to ESPN Boston
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New Orleans Hornets rookie Austin Rivers sank a layup and ran past the Boston Celtics’ bench on his way back down the floor.
Doc Rivers had to fight his fatherly instinct and ignore him.
”I was about to say something and I didn’t; I caught myself. I forgot he was on the other team,” the Celtics coach said after facing his son for the first time. ”It’s just a strange dynamic. I didn’t enjoy it, honestly. I know it’s neat for everyone else, but as a father, I don’t know if I enjoyed that.”
Greivis Vasquez had 15 points and 11 rebounds and Austin Rivers won his first NBA game against his father on Wednesday night as the Hornets beat Boston 90-78. New Orleans has won six of its last seven games to escape the Western Conference cellar.
”I knew it was a different game and I didn’t try to pretend like it wasn’t, and I think that helped me,” the younger Rivers said. ”Now that this is out of the way, it will be a lot easier. I can just go out there and not worry about, ‘Oh man, this is weird.”’
Paul Pierce scored 12 points with 10 rebounds before fouling out in the final minutes as the Celtics’ six-game winning streak came to an end. Kevin Garnett scored 15 and Rajon Rondo had 11 assists.
Pierce shot 5 for 16 from the floor and made one of seven 3-point attempts as Boston went 4 for 18 from beyond the arc.
The Hornets were worse, going 2 of 17 from 3-point range. But they have won eight of 12 since an 11-game losing streak that stretched through much of December…
Al-Farouq Aminu had 18 points and nine rebounds and Anthony Davis had 10 of each for New Orleans. Rivers scored eight points, going 3 for 6 from the field and 2 for 4 from the line while adding two fouls and an assist in 23 minutes.
— Reported by Jimmy Golen of the Associated Press
After being selected out of Duke by the New Orleans Hornets with the 10th overall pick in last year’s draft, Austin Rivers has yet to play an NBA game in front of his father.
But Wednesday night, when the Celtics host the Hornets, Doc will finally see his son in action.
Asked if he were looking forward to it, Doc said, “I’m actually not. I don’t even know what I’m looking forward to. It’s not like he’s playing a ton anyway. You never know. But as far as him and being on the floor, that’s a different feeling I still don’t know how to feel about it.”
In 36 games this season, Austin, a guard, has averaged 6.3 points, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 turnovers in about 25 minutes of playing time. But he has played less than five minutes in each of the last two games. He hasn’t scored a point in four straight.
“He’s just up and down,” Doc said.
— Reported by the Boston Globe Blog
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It wasn’t too long ago that Rajon Rondo was one of the NBA’s up-and-coming ball-handlers, trying to show he belonged with veterans like Chris Paul, Jason Kidd and Steve Nash.
Now the Celtics point guard is trying to prove to the youngsters that he can still play. ”I’m getting a little bit older and the younger guys are coming in, and I may have a mark on my back being an older guy, having made a couple of All-Star (games),” Rondo said after recording his third triple-double of the season on Monday night in a 100-89 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats. ”I have a target on my back every night so I just want to go out and do what I do best: run the show and make some shots.”
Rondo scored 17 points with 12 assists and 10 rebounds – his 26th career triple-double, including playoffs. Motivated by facing 22-year-old Charlotte point guard Kemba Walker, Rondo had a hand in the Celtics’ first 19 points as they opened a double-digit lead early in the first quarter and coasted to their sixth consecutive victory…
Paul Pierce scored 19 and Avery Bradley added 16 for Boston. Kevin Garnett, who needed 13 points to tie Patrick Ewing for 16th on the NBA’s career scoring list, was 2 for 11 from the field and scored just seven points to go with his 10 rebounds.
Hakim Warrick and Ramon Sessions had 16 points apiece and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored 10 with eight rebounds for the Bobcats, who lost their third straight and their 23rd in the last 25 games since opening the season 7-5.
— Reported by Jimmy Golen of the Associated Press
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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 102nd of the 2012-13 NBA and NBA D-League seasons, and is the third for Melo this year. He is one of a record 49 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 12 games, averaging 10.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.8 blocks in 26.8 minutes per game. He was originally selected in the first round (22nd overall) by Boston in the 2012 NBA Draft.
Melo is expected to join the Red Claws today and be available tonight when the team visits the Springfield Armor.
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The ”Big Three” leading Boston to its latest win was an unlikely bunch.
Jeff Green, Jason Terry and rookie Jared Sullinger carried the Celtics through a game of streaks, each outscoring their starting teammates as Boston recovered from a dreadful third quarter and held off the slumping Phoenix Suns 87-79 on Wednesday night.
Green had 14 points, Terry scored 13 and Sullinger finished with 12 points and pulled down a career-best 16 rebounds as Boston’s reserves outscored their Phoenix counterparts 47-16.
”They won the game for us basically. The bench played well. The starters didn’t play good at all tonight,” said Rajon Rondo, who had eight points and eight assists.
It was an emotional game for Green, who was playing exactly one year after having surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm.
”I can’t put it into words. I mean, it’s a wonderful day,” said Green, who missed all of last season with the heart condition. ”I reflect a lot on what I’ve been through and it’s just a blessing and I’m glad I’m here.”
Kevin Garnett was the only Boston starter to score in double figures, finishing with 10 points and five rebounds, and Paul Pierce had seven points and seven rebounds…
Marcin Gortat had 12 points and 14 rebounds, and Jared Dudley scored 14 while pulling down 10 boards for the Suns, who lost their fourth straight and fell to 2-16 on the road. Luis Scola scored 16 and Goran Dragic finished with 10 points for Phoenix, which gave the Celtics a scare in the third quarter with a 17-0 run…
Boston coach Doc Rivers was called for a technical late in the third period, then Rondo and Phoenix’s P.J. Tucker drew dual technicals early in the fourth.
— Reported by Doug Alden of the Associated Press
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New York Knicks’ forward Carmelo Anthony has been suspended for one game without pay for confronting Boston’s Kevin Garnett in the arena tunnel, near the players’ locker rooms, and in the parking garage following the Celtics at Knicks game on January 7, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations.
“There are no circumstances in which it is acceptable for a player to confront an opponent after a game,” Jackson said. “Carmelo Anthony attempted to engage with Kevin Garnett multiple times after Monday’s game and therefore a suspension was warranted.”
Anthony will serve his suspension on January 10 when the Knicks play the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
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Carmelo Anthony said Tuesday he lost his cool after Kevin Garnett said things to him that he feels shouldn’t be said to ”another man.”
Anthony said he sought out Garnett after the Knicks’ loss to Boston on Monday night so they could discuss it. He would not elaborate on what was said.
Anthony went toward the Celtics’ locker room and waited for Garnett outside the team bus. He said they have spoken and sorted out the matter.
”There’s certain things that you just don’t say to men, another man,” Anthony said. ”I felt like we crossed a line, but like I said, we both had an understanding right now, we handled it the way we handled it. Nobody needs to know what was said behind closed doors, so that situation was handled.”
The All-Star forwards exchanged words during the game and Anthony clearly was affected. He shot 6 of 26, seeming at times in the second half to be most concerned with pushing and shoving Garnett, and acknowledged Tuesday that he ”allowed some negativity to come into my circle.”
— Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press
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Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Garnett jawed from baseline to midcourt, and Anthony still had more to say.
So the Knicks forward went toward the Celtics locker room after the game to keep shouting, taking his frustrations from the court right along with him and perhaps risking an NBA suspension.
Paul Pierce scored 23 points, and Boston beat New York 102-96 on Monday night in a heated first meeting of the season between the Atlantic Division rivals.
Anthony left without talking to reporters and the Knicks wouldn’t comment on Anthony’s postgame trip in the wrong direction, but Celtics coach Doc Rivers didn’t deny it.
”I’m going to let you all figure that one out. I’m going to stay out of that,” Rivers said. ”If it was the playoffs I’d tell on him, but since it’s not I’m going to just be quiet.”
Rivers didn’t need to. MSG Network reported the incident, in which security had to step in and send Anthony back in the right direction, as it went to its postgame show, and the league likely will investigate and could penalize the Knicks’ leading scorer…
Garnett added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who even without the suspended Rajon Rondo won their third straight and finally are playing like the team that has ruled the division for the last half-decade…
Anthony had 20 points but shot 6 of 26 while battling his temper, Garnett and foul trouble…
J.R. Smith led the Knicks with 24 points. Tyson Chandler had 13 points and 17 rebounds.
— Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press
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The Boston Celtics had the last word on the court after some tough talk between Kevin Garnett and Knicks star Carmelo Anthony, but Anthony reportedly twice tried to continue the conversation after the game — going as far as waiting by the Celtics’ team bus.
The pair of stars had engaged in a tussle that resulted in a double technical foul in the intense fourth quarter of the Celtics’ 102-96 victory at Madison Square Garden on Monday night. Afterwards, MSG Network reported Anthony screamed as he headed toward the Celtics’ locker room after the game.
Anthony’s persistence in trying to meet up with Garnett after the game is likely to gain the NBA’s attention and could draw a suspension and fine…
Boston coach Doc Rivers declined to elaborate on the post-game incident by the Celtics’ locker room, but when asked about Anthony coming over there, the coach indicated there was something to talk about.
“I’m gonna stay out of that,” Rivers said. “If it was the playoffs, I’d tell on him, but since it’s not, I’ll just keep it quiet.”
He added that it’s fine for things to get heated during the game, but that they shouldn’t carry over.
But a video later posted by Comcast SportsNet New England later showed Anthony, dressed in street clothes, waiting by the Celtics’ team bus. The video shows several security members standing by him along with Knicks coach Mike Woodson. One of the security members gently put his hand on Anthony and the Knicks forward nudged it away.
The video cuts off as Woodson appears to be talking to Anthony, but the New York Daily News cited a source on the scene as saying Woodson ordered the player to leave peacefully.
— Reported by Dave Buscema of the Sports Xchange
Video of Melo waiting for Kevin Garnett near bus after the game