Celtics vs. Heat: Five things we learned from the season opener

LeBron James and the Miami Heat picked up where they left off last summer, beating the Boston Celtics on banner night in the season opener in South Beach.

Ray Allen didn't feel wanted, and that's why he left Celtics for Heat

Ray Allen opened up to Jackie MacMullan of ESPN Boston, saying that he didn't feel wanted in Boston and was fed up with the constant trade rumors surrounding him during his tenure with the Celtics.

Ray Allen's curious, choice words for Celtics aren't helping himself, Heat

Ray Allen has had some pretty choice words about the Boston Celtics since defecting to the Miami Heat this offseason, and that could backfire on him and his new team.

Boston Celtics will cut roster down to 15; Kris Joseph makes team

BOSTON - With the preseason now complete, the Boston Celtics will make their final roster cuts as they prepare for the regular season opener against the Miami Heat on October 30. Boston will trim its roster (which currently sits at 17) down to 15, according to head coach Doc Rivers, and the cuts could come within the next few days.

One of the players who won't be getting cut is Kris Joseph, the Celtics' second round draft pick out of Syracuse. Joseph played well in "terrible positions," Rivers said, and proved to Rivers and company that he deserves a spot on the team. Joseph played in all eight preseason games and averaged 4.6 points and 1.9 rebounds in 10.8 minutes per game.

With Joseph winning the final roster spot, the signs point to Micah Downs and Rob Kurz being the odd men out. Kurz (1.7 PPG, 1.8 RPG) played in six preseason games while Downs (3.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG) appeared in seven contests for Boston.

The Celtics concluded their preseason with an 88-79 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night. Boston wrapped up the preseason with a 3-5 record and a 2-4 record against NBA opponents.

For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team blog, CelticsBlog.

Celtics vs. 76ers final score: Boston defeated by Philadelphia, 88-79

BOSTON - Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green each recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists and 12 points and 10 rebounds, respectively, but the Boston Celtics were defeated by the Philadelphia 76ers, 88-79, in their final game of the preseason on Sunday evening inside TD Garden.

The Celtics finished the preseason at 3-5 while Philly has one game remaining.

Boston pulled ahead, 12-3, in the early going, but Philadelphia would trim that lead to one point, 22-21, after one quarter. The Sixers' 30-point second quarter was enough to give them a 10-point halftime advantage, 51-41, and they would hold steady in the second half to come away with the victory.

Brandon Bass and Courtney Lee reached double digits in scoring, finishing with 10 points each. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce each had eight points and rookie big Jared Sullinger had 11 points off the bench for Boston, which shot 42.0 percent in the loss.

Dorrell Wright paced the 76ers with 20 points off the bench. Nick Young scored 15 points, Spencer Hawes totaled 12 points and four rebounds while Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner each had 10 points. Philadelphia shot 41.0 percent from the floor.

Boston opens the regular season against the defending NBA champion Miami Heat, and their former friend Ray Allen, at 8 p.m. ET on October 30 (TNT).

For more Boston Celtics coverage, check out our team blog, CelticsBlog.

Doc Rivers: Celtics haven't had 'true backup point guard' in years

BOSTON - Rajon Rondo has been the heart and soul of the Boston Celtics' offense for several years now, and it has reached the point where veterans like Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett have said that this is "Rondo's team." Beyond Rondo, however, the Celtics have a bit of a point guard problem, and that's nothing new.

"We haven't really had like a true backup point [guard] over the last four or five years," said Celtics head coach Doc Rivers. "We've had some guys in and out. Even Nate [Robinson] is not a pure point -- he has pure point size, he's just not a pure point."

Aside from Rondo, this year's version of the Celtics roster doesn't carry any other pure point guards. Avery Bradley (out until December/January recovering from shoulder surgery) and Jason Terry are the closest things to pure points that Boston has, but even they are used primarily for other purposes (Terry for his offense, Bradley for his defense and some offense). Other players that the Celtics could use to possible run the offense are the newly signed Leandro Barbosa and even Paul Pierce, who has earned the term point forward throughout his career in Boston.

Some might see this as a problem, but Rivers is not one of those people.

"I like it," Rivers said. "Instead of force and try to find a guy that's [a] point guard, just find two guys that can dribble."

For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team blog,CelticsBlog.

Celtics vs. 76ers pregame notes: Leandro Barbosa, Darko Milicic, Chris Wilcox out

BOSTON - A relatively healthy Boston Celtics team will take the court in Sunday night's preseason finale against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden. Boston will only be missing three players -- Leandro Barbosa, Darko Milicic and Chris Wilcox.

Barbosa signed with the Celtics for the veteran minimum this last week and is healthy, but is having visa issues that are stopping him from officially suiting up for the team. Celtics head coach Doc Rivers said that he did not known much more about the issue.

Milicic, meanwhile, injured his wrist against the Philadelphia 76ers earlier this preseason and has not played in a game since. He will sit out the Celtics preseason finale, but Rivers expects that he will be available for the season opener on October 30 against the Miami Heat, saying that he was healthy enough to play Sunday, but they won't risk it.

Wilcox is still dealing with back issues and has not played in a preseason game.

Check out Rivers' entire pregame address by clicking on the audio link below.

AUDIO: Doc Rivers - Boston Celtics (Pregame Media Interview)

For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team blog, CelticsBlog.

Celtics vs. 76ers: Boston hosts Philadelphia in preseason finale Sunday

Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics will have one more opportunity to tune up for the regular season opener against the Miami Heat when they face the Philadelphia 76ers at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sunday night at TD Garden in Boston, MA (CSNNE/WEEI).

Boston enters Sunday's finale with a 3-4 record in the preseason and is riding a two-game winning streak. The Celtics split their first two preseason games overseas in Istanbul (a 97-91 loss) and Milan (a 105-75) win and lost their first three exhibition games stateside, dropping contests to the New York Knicks (98-95), Sixers (107-75) and Brooklyn Nets (97-96). The Celtics won their last two games against the Nets (115-85) and Knicks (109-98), both in New York.

In the first preseason meeting between the Celtics and 76ers, Spencer Hawes had 17 points and eight rebounds and five Sixers players reached double-digit scoring en route to the big 107-75 win in Philly. Thaddeus Young had 15 points, Nick Young scored 14, Lavoy Allen had 11 points and Evan Turner finished with 10 points. Philadelphia shot 48.9 percent from the field and out-rebounded Boston, 48-42.

The Celtics, meanwhile, had just two double-digit scorers, Paul Pierce (16 points) and Brandon Bass (11 points), and posted a shooting percentage of 38.0. Jared Sullinger had nine points and five boards, Jeff Green scored eight and Darko Milicic chipped in with six points. Rajon Rondo had four points and six assists and Kevin Garnett was held out of the game, as it was the first game of a back-to-back.

Boston opens up the regular season against the Heat on October 30 in Miami.

For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team blog, CelticsBlog.

Celtics vs. Knicks final score: Boston wins 109-98

Riding the hot shooting hands of Jeff Green and Jason Terry, the Boston Celtics beat the New York Knicks 109-98 on Saturday night in NBA preseason action. It's worth noting that the Knicks were without essentially their entire usual roster, including Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler and J.R. Smith.

Without Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Brandon Bass, the Celtics needed other players to shoulder the scoring load, and the veterans came through. Green knocked down 10-of-16 from the field to lead the Celtics with 25 points, plus Terry shot 7-of-13 from the field (4-of-6 from long range) to add 22 points.

Rajon Rondo played 31 minutes against New York, recording 13 points, 11 assists and six rebounds against the depleted Knicks roster. Chris Copeland played the starring role for the Knicks all night, leading all scorers with 34 points on 11-of-18 shooting in addition to grabbing six rebounds.

With the win, the Celtics improve to 3-4 during the 2012 preseason, while the Knicks drop to 2-2.

Celtics vs. Nets recap: Boston blows out Brooklyn, 115-85

On the second leg of a preseason home-and-home series, the Boston Celtics traveled south to Brooklyn and blew out the Nets, 115-85. It was just the second game at the glistening new Barclays Center, and the Celtics had seven players in double figures en route to the 30-point win. Unlike Tuesday, however, Nets coach Avery Johnson put his best players on the floor as both first teams got some early work on the floor with less than two weeks to go until the start of the season.

Courtney Lee and Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 18 points each as Pierce continues his hot preseason. The future Hall of Famer poured in 20 points in the first half alone on Tuesday and was a perfect four-for-four from behind the arc on Thursday. In addition to Pierce, key offseason acquisition Jason Terry was also unconscious from three-point range, hitting all five of his attempts from downtown.

Rajon Rondo missed out on a double-double by one assist, finishing with 14 points and nine dimes. Rondo did, however, force it a bit as he continues to work through the preseason. The Celtics point guard committed five turnovers in just under 34 minutes on the floor. Rookie Jared Sullinger, who was outplayed in the post by Andray Blatche on Tuesday, chipped in with 12 points and six boards. All in all, it was an efficient game on the offensive end of the floor, with both teams playing their best five for much of the night.

Boston will now return home for a Saturday night preseason tilt against the New York Knicks.

Celtics vs. Nets: Boston looks for revenge in Brooklyn

Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics are looking for some revenge when they face the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night at the Barclays Center, marking the first ever meeting between the Celtics and new-look Nets in Brooklyn. Boston hosted Brooklyn on Tuesday night, but couldn't hold on to a late lead and lost, 97-96.

Pierce was red-hot from the floor in the Celtics' first meeting with the Nets, making 10-of-17 baskets and 6-of-8 three-pointers to tally a preseason-high 29 points to lead all scorers. Jeff Green scored 14 and Courtney Lee added 13 points for Boston, which made 33-of-71 shots to shoot 46.5 percent for the game.

Andray Blatche paced Brooklyn with a 23-point, nine-rebound performance. Mirza Teletovic scored 18 off the bench and Tornike Shengelia chipped in with 11 points. Brooklyn shot 48.7 percent and out-rebounded Boston, 41-35.

Thursday night's game tips off at 8 p.m. ET and can be seen on CSNNE and TNT.

For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team blog, CelticsBlog.

Boston Celtics agree to deal with Leandro Barbosa, according to report

The Boston Celtics have signed Leandro Barbosa to a one-year contract, according to Yahoo Sports.

Celtics overtime: Paul Pierce can still score, Jeff Green is ready to go

Celtics Overtime is a postgame feature providing analysis. Boston was defeated by the Brooklyn Nets, 97-96, in preseason play on Tuesday evening inside TD Garden.

Avery Johnson and his Brooklyn Nets visited Beantown on Tuesday night for the first ever meeting between the new look Nets and the host Boston Celtics. It was only a preseason game, but at times, you couldn't tell. The game was very physical and the fans got into it. At the end of the day, the Nets came out on top.

Wins and losses don't matter in the preseason, obviously. Sure, players still wan't to win, but at this point of the season, development is more important.

In a game like Tuesday night's, it's important to look beyond the scoreboard.

News flash: Paul Pierce can still score (very effectively)

Worried that Paul Pierce had lost his offensive touch? Perhaps you thought he wouldn't be the same old Paul, the one who moved into second place on the Celtics' all-time scoring list last season? Well, you would be wrong.

Pierce torched the Nets for a preseason-high 29 points while making an impressive 6-of-8 three pointers and 10-of-17 total shots. The Truth did equal damage in all three quarters he played, scoring 10 in the first and second quarters and adding nine points on three treys.

True, Pierce was not going up against the best of the best, as Brooklyn sat its stars on Tuesday. Nevertheless, he was facing some NBA competition, and you have to be pretty talented to score nearly 30 points in any game. Pierce showed that, even though he's now 35 years old, he can still have night like he did when he was in his 20's, and that's very encouraging.

Jeff Green is ready to go

When Jeff Green checked into the game for the first time, he got a well deserved ovation. It had been a long time since Green had played an organized basketball game on the TD Garden parquet. He missed all of last season recovering from a heart disorder that came out of nowhere during camp.

Some wondered if Green would be hesitant when he first returned to the court, concerned about making contact because of what he went through. Well, after Tuesday's performance, you can put those thoughts to rest.

Green didn't shine as brightly as he did in the Celtics' first few preseason games, but he did show that he is healthy enough to be a force on the court. In 27 minutes, Green scored 14 and made 7-of-8 free throws. Green took several big hits during the game, falling hard to the ground early in the second quarter after driving to the basket and taking a charge on the very next play. When Green hit the deck on his way to the hoop, he looked like he was in pain and grabbed his midsection. Nevertheless, he got back up, walked it off and pressed on.

No one should expect Green to be 100 percent healthy, but it's great to see Green back out on the court, and once he finally gets back into game shape, his versatility can really help the Celtics.

It's nice to watch a fast break, isn't it?

We've been used to half court offense. Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen or Avery Bradley would bring the ball up, the Celtics would set up a play and execute. There's nothing wrong with that when it works, but deep down, we all like to see a little run-and-gun. It's just more exciting.

We saw some glimpses of that on Tuesday. Boston had 17 fast break points in the loss to Brooklyn and could have had more than 20 if it weren't for a few miscues.

With the old Big Three era, Rondo -- the leader of the run-and-gun (and all other) offenses -- didn't have a lot of toys to play with in that category. That's what made Chris Wilcox such an exciting signing, as he was one of the few players that could run with Rondo.

Now, Rondo has a lot of toys. Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, Green, Wilcox and more. Now that the Celtics are a little younger, we might see a more productive fast break. Rondo's surely happy about that, and the fans should be, too.

Next up: Boston has a rematch with the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night.

For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team blog, CelticsBlog.

Celtics vs. Nets final score: Paul Pierce catches fire, Boston loses, 97-96

BOSTON - Paul Pierce scored 20 of the Boston Celtics' first 42 points and finished with 29 points ,but the C's were defeated the Brooklyn Nets, 97-96, in their home preseason opener on Tuesday evening at an energized TD Garden.

Pierce made 7-of-12 shots in the first half and 3-of-4 threes to help Boston take a two-point lead, 49-47, at halftime. With Doc Rivers watching from the locker room, the third quarter featured an offensive barrage for the Celtics, who outscored the Nets, 36-24, behind a nine-point quarter from Pierce.

Courtney Lee had 13 points and Jeff Green, who played a very physical game, totaled 14 points. Kevin Garnett finished with eight points and three boards and Rajon Rondo totaled five points and 11 assists. Boston shot 46.5 percent.

Andray Blatche paced Brooklyn with a team-high 23 points and nine rebounds. Reggie Evans had eight points and 10 rebounds and Mirza Teletovic scored 18. The Nets rested stars Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez.

Boston is off on Wednesday before playing Brooklyn again on Thursday night.

Nets vs. Celtics score update: Paul Pierce on fire, scores 20 in 1st half

The Boston Celtics lead the Brooklyn Nets, 49-47, after one half at TD Garden. The Celtics had an up-and-down first half, experimenting with new lineups during the exhibition season.

Paul Pierce led all scorers with 20 points. Pierce was on fire from the outside, hitting every kind of shot. He rained threes from well behind the arc, and also pulled up off the dribble on several occasions, toying with the Brooklyn defenders. It's been a strong start to the preseason for Pierce, who's continually hit double digits in limited time on the court.

Rookie Jared Sullinger struggled at times on the defensive side of the floor, with veteran Andray Blatche delivering an array of moves in the post. Blatche is in shape for the time being, and he's coming off an extremely disappointing career with the Wizards. He's looking to make a statement in the preseason for coach Avery Johnson. Sullinger has had a difficult time trying to keep up on the blocks. On the offensive end of the floor, the Ohio State product has been relatively quiet -- hitting two late free throws to get on the board.

Darko Milicic injury update: Celtics center has 'mild wrist injury,' will get cortisone shot

BOSTON - Darko Milicic suffered a mild right wrist sprain during Monday night's Boston Celtics preseason game against the Philadelphia 76ers, and will get a cortisone shot to ease the pain. Milicic will not play in Tuesday night's preseason home opener against the Brooklyn Nets and will be out for a few days.

"I'm not," said Celtics head coach Doc Rivers, when asked if he was concerned about Milicic's injury. "I just know that those things, if you keep falling on it or [if] someone keeps hitting it, those things never heal. We're probably going to give him this game off and the next one and probably play him [in four days]."

Milicic has played in four preseason games and has averaged 3.3 points and 5.0 rebounds in an average of 14.5 minutes per night. Milicic is the former No. 2 overall pick of the Detroit Pistons in the 2003 NBA Draft.

For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team blog, CelticsBlog.

Doc Rivers: Dionte Christmas, Jamar Smith cuts 'came down to numbers'

BOSTON - The Boston Celtics made their first roster cuts of the preseason on Tuesday afternoon, sending Dionte Christmas and Jamar Smith packing. Doc Rivers, head coach of the Boston Celtics, told reporters before Tuesday's preseason exhibition against the Brooklyn Nets that the cuts were mainly about numbers.

"Two good kids, both played hard. It just really came down to numbers," Rivers said.

Christmas and Smith were extended training camp invites after both played with the Celtics summer league team. Both played in four games with the team this preseason, with Christmas averaging 3.3 points and 1.8 rebounds in 12 minutes per game and Smith averaging 2.3 points and 1.0 rebound in 13.8 minutes.

Rivers said that, while he's happy with his team as currently constructed, he's always looking to add another player, specifically a point guard. Rajon Rondo, Jason Terry and Avery Bradley are the only three traditional point guards on the team, but Terry and Bradley have morphed into two guards over the course of their careers.

Boston's preseason game against Brooklyn tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET at TD Garden.

For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team blog, CelticsBlog.

Celtics waive Dionte Christmas, Jamar Smith

The Boston Celtics waived two roster hopefuls at the guard spot Tuesday, cutting Dionte Christmas and Jamar Smith to bring the team's roster to 16.

Christmas had impressed on the team's summer league roster and seemed likely to make the roster after signing a half-guaranteed two-year contract for the league minimum with the team. However, the Temple product didn't impress in four preseason games, averaging 3.3 points and one rebound while missing eight of nine threes. Waiving him will cost the team $236,000 in guaranteed money, a tough pill to swallow for a team already up against the salary cap.

Smith was guaranteed less money, but also had a guaranteed deal. He also had been on the summer league teams but played poorly in the preseason, going 4-for-22 from the field and 1-for-8 from downtown.

Both players have bounced around Europe and were looking to stick to an NBA roster for the first time in their careers. Each had played in all four of the Celtics' preseason games.

This is great news for Kris Joseph, the team's second-round pick, who now seems more or less a lock to make the final roster. The team also has a pair of non-guaranteed training camp invitees in Rob Kurz and Micah Downs, but both have played sparingly in the preseason, and neither particularly well. Unlike with Christmas and Smith, Boston will have nothing to lose from cutting either player, and still needs to waive at least one more body to get to the maximum of 15 players by the regular season.

Celtics vs. Nets: Boston welcomes Brooklyn to town

The Boston Celtics host the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday in the Celtics preseason home opener.

Darko Milicic injury: Celtics center injures right wrist against Philadelphia 76ers

Preseason is a time to work out the kinks and get back into game shape, but injuries don't know the difference, and that's unfortunate for Darko Milicic, who suffered a right wrist injury during the Boston Celtics' exhibition game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night.

READ MORE: Celtics fall to Sixers in preseason action Monday

Milicic sprained ligaments in his right wrist, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of Comcast SportsNet New England. Milicic will reportedly consider getting a shot to help with the pain and is questionable for Tuesday night's preseason game between the Celtics and Brooklyn Nets at TD Garden.

Milicic played 16 minutes on Monday, scoring six and grabbing three rebounds.

For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team blog, CelticsBlog.

Celtics vs. 76ers final score: Boston routed in Philadelphia, 107-75

Paul Pierce played his best game of the preseason, scoring 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting and grabbing six rebounds, but the Boston Celtics could not get the job done against the host Philadelphia 76ers, being blown out 107-75 in preseason action at the Wells Fargo Center on Monday night.

Boston, which fell to 1-3 in the preseason, struggled from the field, shooting 38 percent, and turned the ball over 20 times. Aside from Pierce, Brandon Bass was the only other Celtics player to top 10 points, finishing with 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Jeff Green and Jared Sullinger, who had been the team's standout performers in the preseason, were held to eight and nine points, respectively.

Spencer Hawes made 6-of-10 shots and led all scorers with 17 points and also totaled eight rebounds and four assists for Philadelphia. Thaddeus Young had 15 points, Nick Young scored 14 on 5-of-7 shooting, Lavoy Allen had 11 points and Evan Turner chipped in with 10 points in the Sixers' victory.

Boston will host the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night at TD Garden, marking their first preseason home game. Kevin Garnett will return to action Tuesday after sitting out against the 76ers.

Celtics vs. Knicks final score: Boston falls to New York, 98-95, in overtime

Carmelo Anthony scored 23 points and Chris Copeland added 21 off the bench as the New York Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics, 98-95, in overtime in Boston's first preseason game against an NBA opponent on Saturday night at the XL Center in Hartford, CT.

Boston, which has shot around 50 percent in its first two preseason games, was held to 40.8 percent shooting (31-for-76). Jared Sullinger (14 points, seven rebounds) and Jeff Green (12 points, four rebounds) were impressive once again and Courtney Lee scored 11 off the bench for Boston. Paul Pierce scored 12, Rajon Rondo had nine points, seven rebounds and four assists, Jason Terry had nine points and Kevin Garnett totaled four points and five rebounds.

New York was held to 36.7 percent shooting and out-rebounded Boston 52-50.

Boston continues preseason play on Monday night against the host 76ers.

For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

Celtics vs. Knicks: Boston faces New York in preseason action

Stateside again, the Boston Celtics will play their first NBA opponent of the preseason when they face the New York Knicks on Saturday night at the XL Center in Hartford, CT (7:30 p.m. ET; CSNNE).

Boston (1-1) played its first two preseason games overseas, losing to Fenerbache in the opener but rebounding to defeat Milano. Rajon Rondo, Jeff Green and Jared Sullinger all played well during the overseas trip, which the team used to bond during training camp.

New York is 1-0 in preseason play after defeating the Washington Wizards, 108-101, on Thursday. Carmelo Anthony scored 17 points on 4-of-9 shooting in 21 minutes and Tyson Chandler had 13 points and four boards for the Knicks, who shot 47.2 percent as a team. Steve Novak nailed 7-of-7 three pointers for 21 points and J.R. Smith added 20 points off the bench for New York.

The Celtics face the 76ers on Monday and the Nets at home Tuesday.

Rajon Rondo thinks Jared Sullinger is smartest rookie Celtics have had

Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo complimented rookie Jared Sullinger, calling him the smartest rookie the Celtics have had since he's been in Boston.

Celtics preseason 2012: Boston downs EA7 Emporio Armani Milano, 105-75

Rajon Rondo was perfect in the first half, making all seven shots he took, and finished the game with 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting and six assists to lead the Boston Celtics past EA7 Emporio Armani Milano, 105-75, in their second preseason game on Sunday in Milan, Italy.

"We established pace," said Celtics head coach Doc Rivers. "One of the things we really wanted to do was get out and run and space the floor."

For the second straight game, Boston shot 50.0 percent from the field (38-for-76) and drastically cut down its turnover total, giving the ball away only 14 times compared to 25 turnovers in the preseason opening loss in Turkey on Friday. The Celtics amassed 54 rebounds, 19 assists, seven steals and had six blocks.

Jeff Green played well in his second game back from a heart ailment that sidelined him for the entire 2011-12 season, scoring 17 points in over 24 minutes. Paul Pierce scored 14 and Jason Terry, Courtney Lee and Brandon Bass each had 11 points for the Celtics. Darko Milicic was impressive as well, totaling nine rebounds and four blocks.

"Darko has been phenomenal with his defense and his passing," Rivers said.

Boston returns to the United States next week and resumes preseason play against the New York Knicks at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut on Saturday, October 13.

Celtics preseason 2012: C's face EA7 Emporio Armani Milano on Sunday

The Boston Celtics continue their 2012 preseason schedule on Sunday afternoon when they take on EA7 Emporio Armani Milano in Milan, Italy. The game tips off at noon ET and will be televised on NBA TV and CSNNE.

Boston opened its preseason with a 97-91 loss to Fenerbahce Ukler on Friday. Rajon Rondo had 13 points and nine assists and both Jeff Green and Jared Sullinger had 16 points, but Boston committed 25 turnovers and could not make a comeback in the fourth quarter. The Celtics shot 50.0 as a team from the field.

EA7 Emporio Armani Milano, otherwise known as Olimpia Milano, is a storied Italian basketball team that was founded in 1936. The team has won 25 Italian Championships, with its most recent title coming in 1996. Olimpia Milano has won four Italian Cups, three Euroleague Championships, three Cup Winners' Cups, two Korac Cups, one International Cup and a Triple Crown.

Celtics defeated by Fenerbahce Ukler, 97-91, in preseason opener

Rajon Rondo scored 13 points and had nine assists, but the Boston Celtics fell short against Fenerbahce Ukler, 97-91, in their 2012 preseason opener on Friday afternoon in Istanbul, Turkey. Jeff Green and Jared Sullinger led the team in scoring with 16 points a apiece, but 25 turnovers for the Celtics did them in.

VIDEO: Highlights from the Celtics' preseason opener in Istanbul, Turkey

Jason Terry played well in his Celtics debut as well, scoring 12 points off the bench on 4-of-7 shooting in 20:15. Brandon Bass had nine points, Paul Pierce scored eight and Kevin Garnett finished with six points and four rebounds. Boston shot 50.0 percent from the field as a team (34-for-68) and had 37 rebounds, 17 assists, six blocks, five steals and committed 26 personal fouls.

Fenerbahce Ukler, was playing its fourth game in four nights. Bo McCalebb and Romain Sato powered Fenerbahce to victory, scoring 21 and 24 points, respectively.

Boston is back in action on Sunday against EA7 Emporio Armani Milano in Milan, Italy.

Celtics preseason 2012: Boston faces Fenerbache Ulker on Friday

The wait is over, basketball fans. Your beloved sport is back in action. The Boston Celtics open their 2012 preseason schedule with a game against Fenerbache Ulker at 2 p.m. ET on Friday afternoon in Istanbul, Turkey. Friday's game will be televised regionally on CSNNE and nationally on NBA TV.

Boston officially kicked off the 2012 campaign when it held Media Day on September 28, and the team held two days of practice before flying to Istanbul for training camp. While fans were given an initial glimpse of the newest members of the Celtics last week, this will be the first chance to see them in action together on the court.

The Celtics are coming off a successful season in which they went 39-27 and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals before being eliminated by the Miami Heat in seven games. Despite losing Big Three member Ray Allen to the aforementioned Heat, the Celtics had a nice offseason, adding bench scoring specialist Jason Terry and bringing back Kevin Garnett, Brandon Bass and Jeff Green.

Darko Milicic focused on the present with Boston Celtics

Darko Milicic's career numbers won't knock you out of your seat. Nine years into his career, Milicic has averaged just 6.0 points and 4.2 rebounds. Nevertheless, that didn't stop the Boston Celtics from taking a chance.

Avery Bradley 'months ahead' of schedule in rehab

WALTHAM - Avery Bradley participated in the Celtics' media day on Friday despite being ruled out for training camp and the opening of the regular season due to a shoulder injury suffered at the end of last season.

"I'm doing everything that they (doctors) told me to do," Bradley said. "I feel like that's why I'm such ahead of schedule because at first they said I was coming back in January but now they are saying I'm months ahead."

Bradley missed the end of the Celtics' second round series versus the Philadelphia 76ers and the Eastern Conference Finals versus the Miami Heat due to a shoulder injury.

"Shoulders are doing a lot better," Bradley said. "I can't say when I'm going to come back. there's no timetable. I'm just taking it day by day, not trying to rush, just trying to get stronger everyday."

Despite not having touched a basketball all summer and missing the Celtics' upcoming training camp, Bradley is optimistic about recovering fully and contributing to the team this season.

"I feel like everything happens for a reason," Bradley said. "All I can do is continue to have a good attitude and continue to want to get better and if i have that mindset, I think everything will be fine."

Kevin Garnett: 'I don't have Ray Allen's [phone] number anymore'

Kevin Garnett admitted that he no longer has the phone number of former friend and teammate Ray Allen in his phone after Allen's decision to join the Heat.

Celtics Media Day 2012: Boston kicked off new season on Friday

WALTHAM - The Boston Celtics held their annual media day on Friday afternoon at Healthpoint, offering a first glimpse at this year's team.

Below are a handful of interview gathered by SB Nation Boston from Friday.

Avery Bradley - Boston Celtics Media Day 2012

Brandon Bass - Boston Celtics Media Day 2012

Chris Wilcox - Boston Celtics Media Day 2012

Darko Milicic - Boston Celtics Media Day 2012

Dionte Christmas - Boston Celtics Media Day 2012

Doc Rivers - Boston Celtics Media Day 2012

Fab Melo - Boston Celtics Media Day 2012

Jason Terry - Boston Celtics Media Day 2012

Jeff Green - Boston Celtics Media Day 2012

Kevin Garnett - Boston Celtics Media Day 2012

Kris Joseph - Boston Celtics Media Day 2012

Rajon Rondo - Boston Celtics Media Day 2012

(Note: Paul Pierce, Danny Ainge interviews would not upload. We'll work to fix this)

We will have much more coverage from media day as the weekend progresses.

Boston Celtics Media Day: C's hold Media Day on Friday

With the new season nearly one month away, the Boston Celtics hold their annual media day at 1:00 p.m. ET on Friday at Healthpoint in Waltham, MA.

Players and coaches will speak to the team for the first time in an organized setting before opening training camp and the preseason. Boston will open its preseason slate with games in Istanbul, Turkey and Milan, Italy before returning to the States. Their first preseason game at TD Garden is Tuesday, October 16 against the Brooklyn Nets.

What should fans expect from media day? For starters, lots of quotes, videos and pictures. All of the Celtics media members will be busy Tweeting and Instagram-ing(?) with the latest from Waltham.

SB Nation Boston will be live on the scene in Waltham. What questions do you want us to ask the Celtics' players and coaches? Let us know in the comment section or Tweet questions to @GethinCoolbaugh and @SBNationBoston.

Rajon Rondo says feud with Ray Allen is overblown

Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo downplayed his feud with former Celtic, and current member of the Miami Heat, Ray Allen in an interview with Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Rondo indicated that he may not have gotten along with Allen, but it was not the feud the media made it out to be.

"It's just life ... People are blowing the Ray thing out of proportion. We had some words, but other than that it was no big deal."

Rondo also insisted that any differences he may have had with Allen never carried over to the court, and that he would have never looked Allen off due to personal differences.

Regardless of Rondo's opinion, Allen left the Celtics this offseason to join the Miami Heat. Some believe that the feud with Rondo played a part in Allen's decision, but Rondo's not buying it.

"I don't know why he made the decision, but he made the decision. I don't think it had anything to do with me."

The Celtics and the Heat open the season against one another in Miami on Oct. 30.

Rajon Rondo ready to lead Celtics this year

Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo is ready to take over the role of leader of the team this season. Rondo planned a five day players only mini-camp of sorts for the Celtics who have nine new faces this season. Rondo and the Celtics spent the week in Los Angeles, scrimmaging at UCLA and staying at the homes of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. Rondo, who talked to Marc Spears of Yahoo!, planned all the activities including trips to Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles and a game of flag football.

"I wanted the guys to have fun. When you're with me I want you to say, 'Man, I had a good time with Rondo.' And I think that's what they did."

Rondo hopes the week away from Boston will help the team get closer with one another, but says it's too early to know what effect it had. What is clear is that Rondo appears ready to be a leader for the Celtics.

"I've kind of taken that leadership and veteran role because I am a point guard and I have been in Doc's system," Rondo said. "Other than [Pierce], I have been here the longest. I know exactly what Doc wants, especially for me and this team. I'm trying to lead the team the best that I can."

Rondo has high hopes for this year as well, adding "There are only five teams right now that can say they can compete for a title realistically. And we're one of them."

Celtics preseason 2012: Kevin Garnett is staying at center

Although the team acquired center options, Kevin Garnett is still the team's go-to option at the center spot, tweeted Paul Flannery of WEEI:

Doc says KG is staying at the five.

— Paul Flannery (@Pflanns) September 25, 2012

Garnett hasn't always been a center, switching to the pivot spot about halfway through last season as the team moved to a smaller lineup with Brandon Bass at power forward rather than pairing Garnett with Jermaine O'Neal. The 6'11 Garnett isn't exactly tiny for a center, and he proved capable of guarding opposing fives, but it's not the position he's played for most of his time in the NBA.

The Celtics acquired options at the center spot in the offseason, signing Darko Milicic and Jason Collins, and also drafted Fab Melo out of Syracuse, but nobody ever assumed these players would see starting roles in Boston this season. Perhaps they'll see increased minutes if Boston opts to go bigger against teams with size -- Andrew Bynum, newly in the Atlantic Division, comes to mind -- but for the most part, they'll play backup roles with Garnett taking the lion's share of minutes at the five.

Check out CelticsBlog for the latest on the C's and continue to check out SB Nation Boston.

Celtics preseason 2012: Rajon Rondo has 'proved he's the best on the team'

Danny Ainge said that Rajon Rondo has established his status as the Boston Celtics' best player speaking at a charity golf tournament, as Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com reported:

Ainge on Rondo: "He proved he's the best player on the team."

— Ben Rohrbach (@brohrbach) September 25, 2012

Saying that Rondo is the team's best player is no surprise to anybody. The 6-foot-1 point guard recorded a career-high 11.7 assists last season to go alongside 11.9 points and 1.8 steals, and is a constant threat for triple-doubles. Rondo's star status wasn't as obvious a few years ago. Celtics fans probably remember when the team featured the Big Three, with Rondo an afterthought as the team won the 2008 NBA Championship. Then they were the Big Four, with Rondo acknowledged as an elite player league-wide. Now, Rondo is the one running the show: although his point totals haven't increased, its clear the 26-year-old is in charge with a still-effective, but aging pairing of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce in the background.

For more on the Celtics, head over to CelticsBlog and continue to check out SB Nation Boston.

Boston Celtics media day is Friday

Basketball is almost back, as the Boston Celtics host media day on Friday in Waltham, MA before starting training camp and kicking off the preseason.