Rajon Rondo

Paul Pierce scored 23 points, and the visiting Boston Celtics beat the New York Knicks, 102-96, on Monday night in the heated first meeting of the season between the Atlantic Division rivals. Kevin Garnett added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who were without the suspended Rajon Rondo. He was suspended Monday for making contact with a referee in a game against Atlanta on Saturday and failure to cooperate with an NBA investigation. Carmelo Anthony scored 20 points for the Knicks but shot 6 for 26. Pierce put it away with a jumper with 45 seconds to go, blowing a kiss toward the crowd.

THE CELTICS keep rolling without Rajon Rondo. Not even a late comeback by one of the NBA's best teams could keep host 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.

A DOUBLE-OVERTIME victory against LeBron James and the defending NBA champions was difficult to celebrate for Paul Pierce and the Celtics. News of Rajon Rondo's season-ending knee injury spoiled the party. "Everyone was really happy for the win," Pierce said after Boston beat the visiting Miami Heat on Sunday, 100-98. "It brought a dark cloud in this room when you heard the news. " When coach Doc Rivers told his players after the game, the joy of ending their six-game losing streak stopped, even if they had just outlasted the team with the best record in the Eastern Conference and which came in with a four-game winning streak.

Rajon Rondo scored 17 points with 12 assists and 10 rebounds on Monday night to lead the Boston Celtics to a 100-89 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats. It was Rondo's third triple-double of the season and the 26th of his career, including playoffs. Paul Pierce scored 19 and Avery Bradley added 16 for Boston, which won for a season-high sixth consecutive game. Hakim Warrick and Ramon Sessions had 16 points apiece for the Bobcats, who lost their third straight and their 23d in the last 25 games since opening the season 7-5. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored 10 with eight rebounds.

Boston's Paul Pierce sank the big basket in the second overtime Sunday as the Celtics posted a 100-98 home victory over the Miami Heat. The win was tempered by the news that all-star guard Rajon Rondo would miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. "Everyone was really happy for the win," Pierce said after the win over the Heat. "It brought a dark cloud in this room when you heard the news. " When coach Doc Rivers told his players after the game, the joy of ending their six-game losing streak stopped.

Charlotte Bobcats rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist suffered a concussion in Saturday's fourth-quarter collision with teammate Jeff Taylor in Houston. The Camden native, the second overall pick in last year's draft, went up to defend Toney Douglas' layup attempt early in the fourth quarter on Saturday night. Taylor swooped in and his right hip connected with the back of Kidd-Gilchrist's head. Kidd-Gilchrist lay motionless for several minutes. The athletic training staffs from both teams came out to check on him, and the entire Charlotte bench eventually surrounded him. Medical personnel fit Kidd-Gilchrist with a neck brace.

BOSTON - LeBron James scored 35 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead Miami to a 98-90 overtime victory over the Boston Celtics on Monday night and give the Heat a three-games-to-one lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Dwyane Wade scored 28 with nine rebounds, and Chris Bosh had 20 points and 12 rebounds for Miami, which could eliminate the defending conference champions and advance to the East finals with a victory in Game 5 in Miami on Wednesday night. James, Wade, and Bosh scored 83 of Miami's 98 points and had 35 of its 45 rebounds.

Brown thanks Cavs Former Cleveland coach Mike Brown, fired Monday by the Cavaliers after a second-round playoff loss, was gracious in the statement he issued Wednesday about his dismissal. Brown, 40, called his five years with the Cavs an "exceptional experience" and thanked the team for the opportunity to coach in Cleveland. He led the Cavs to 127 regular-season wins the last two seasons. Of course, it's in his best interests to be gracious. Brown is a likely candidate for five other coaching vacancies in the NBA. Lewis ailing A viral infection may be the reason Orlando Magic forward Rashard Lewis has struggled in the Eastern Conference finals.

Luol Deng scored 25 points and the visiting Chicago Bulls won their third straight game with a 96-83 victory over the Boston Celtics last night. The Celtics, whose only lead was 2-0, trailed 86-80 after Paul Pierce hit a three-pointer with 3:50 left. But the Bulls scored eight of the next nine points, six by Joakim Noah, to build the lead to 94-81. Pierce scored 20 points and Rajon Rondo added 15 for the Celtics, playing their fourth game in 5 nights. The loss dropped them to 11-6 at home after they went 35-6 there in each of the past two seasons.

ATLANTA - Former 76ers guard Lou Williams was lost for the season on Jan. 18 when he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. But Williams, who signed with the Atlanta Hawks last summer, is optimistic about returning to the NBA next season. A huge reason for Williams' optimism is his surgeon, James Andrews of Gulf Breeze, Fla. Andrews has become a surgical superstar when it comes to repairing knees. He was the surgeon for Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, the NFL's MVP last season.

THE MIAMI HEAT is the talk of the NBA, on a 15-game winning streak that has separated them from everyone in the Eastern Conference. But the 16-game stretch that the Boston Celtics have put together has to be just as impressive, maybe even more so. That's because Boston has done its damage in those games without Rajon Rondo, who is among the few elite point guards in the NBA. Credit it to coaching, or to veteran leadership or just the know-how of...

The Boston Celtics extended their winning streak to seven games with a 118-114 triple-overtime win Sunday night over the visiting Nuggets, ending Denver's winning streak at nine games. Paul Pierce led Boston with 27 points, 14 rebounds, and 14 assists - and hit a three-pointer in the second OT to make it 107-all and extend the game. Kevin Garnett had 20 points and 18 rebounds, while Jason Terry scored a season-high 26 points off the bench. Terry also hit a three-pointer with 1 minute, 33 seconds remaining in the third overtime to put the Celtics ahead for good.

THE 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 visiting Nuggets on Sunday. Boston's win also ended Denver's winning streak at nine games. Pierce made a tying three-pointer in the second OT 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.

The Celtics' Paul Pierce scored 24 points and led a third-quarter surge that paced host Boston over the Los Angeles Lakers, 116-95, Thursday night. The Celtics improved to 6-0 since losing point guard Rajon Rondo for the season with a knee injury. 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. Williams' knee surgery Atlanta Hawks guard Lou Williams had reconstructive knee surgery Thursday and will now begin a long rehabilitation period that could leave his status in question for the start of next season.

PAUL PIERCE scored 24 points and led a third-quarter surge as the Boston Celtics routed the visiting 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 three-pointer with 41 seconds left, giving him 12 points in the period.

THE CELTICS keep rolling without Rajon Rondo. Not even a late comeback by one of the NBA's best teams could keep host 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.

Charlotte Bobcats rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist suffered a concussion in Saturday's fourth-quarter collision with teammate Jeff Taylor in Houston. The Camden native, the second overall pick in last year's draft, went up to defend Toney Douglas' layup attempt early in the fourth quarter on Saturday night. Taylor swooped in and his right hip connected with the back of Kidd-Gilchrist's head. Kidd-Gilchrist lay motionless for several minutes. The athletic training staffs from both teams came out to check on him, and the entire Charlotte bench eventually surrounded him. Medical personnel fit Kidd-Gilchrist with a neck brace.

Tyson Chandler tied a franchise record with his third straight 20-rebound game, Carmelo Anthony scored 27 points, and the New York Knicks beat the visiting Detroit Pistons, 99-85, on Monday for their fifth consecutive victory. In a game that was decided early, Chandler played long enough to grab his 20th rebound midway through the fourth quarter. After grabbing 20 in victories on Friday and Saturday night, he became the first Knicks player since Hall of Famer Willis Reed in December 1969 to have 20 in three straight games.

AL HORFORD scored 22 points, including a go-ahead dunk with 21 seconds remaining, and the Hawks beat the shorthanded Toronto Raptors, 93-92, on Wednesday night in Atlanta. Longtime Raptors guard Jose Calderon and forward Ed Davis gave farewell hugs to their teammates about an hour before the game as word leaked of a trade that will send small forward Rudy Gay from Memphis to Toronto. DeMar DeRozan led Toronto with 23 points. John Lucas added a season-high 19 points, Alan Anderson had 15 points and Aaron Gray had eight points and 11 rebounds.