SB Nation Boston - Thunder 97, Celtics 88: Kevin Durant Hands Boston Fifth Straight Losshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48863/boston-fave.png2012-01-17T14:27:07-05:00http://boston.sbnation.com/rss/stream/24744002012-01-17T14:27:07-05:002012-01-17T14:27:07-05:00Celtics Vs. Thunder: Paul Pierce, Doc Rivers Comment On Boston's Struggles
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.celticsblog.com/">Boston Celtics</a> have lost five straight, but players and coaches remain convinced that success is closer than it looks.</p>
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<p>"Boy, I thought we did a lot of good things again," <a href="http://www.csnne.com/pages/video?PID=94XkLbleR8BSTJk9xHRCya8IIfbyVl6b#">Doc Rivers said Monday night</a> after bowing to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Oklahoma City Thunder</a>, 97-88. </p>
<p>He added, "The way you win is with execution. And you can just see it -- every quarter I thought we had a two-minute stretch where we went on a turnover binge, and that's frustrating."</p>
<p>"I like our spirit," he said. "It's crazy. I didn't like us the first couple games because we didn't play well. The last couple, you can just see it coming. But you've gotta break through at some point." (<a href="http://www.csnne.com/pages/video?PID=94XkLbleR8BSTJk9xHRCya8IIfbyVl6b#">via CSNNE</a>)</p>
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<p><span>Paul Pierce</span> <a href="http://www.csnne.com/pages/video?PID=94XkLbleR8BSTJk9xHRCya8IIfbyVl6b#">agreed with his coach's assessment</a> that the Celtics are beginning to show signs of competitiveness.</p>
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<p>"I think I like where we're headed. You know, it's just little things that are really killing us. The turnovers, obviously, if we can keep cleaning that up we can keep teams out of transition and control that a little bit better, I think we'll be great. But we have to go do it," he said.</p>
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https://boston.sbnation.com/boston-celtics/2012/1/17/2713963/thunder-celtics-paul-pierce-doc-riversJay_King2012-01-17T12:58:28-05:002012-01-17T12:58:28-05:00Celtics Vs. Thunder: Kendrick Perkins Says It Was 'Hard' To Return To Boston
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<p><span>Kendrick Perkins</span> returned to the TD Garden Monday night for the first time since being traded to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Oklahoma City Thunder</a>, saying that his homecoming was "hard" despite love for his former teammates and the city of Boston.</p>
<p>"It was hard. Coming here and playing against your family that you've grown with. You know, the love, the brotherhood and everything, just the whole city of Boston. I grew up here, coming here as a young boy at 18," Perkins said.</p>
<p>"During the first quarter I was just full of emotions, mixed emotions. I didn't know what to do. I just kept playing, and it was a difficult situation."</p>
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<b>Related</b>: <a href="http://www.csnne.com/pages/video?PID=94XkLbleR8BSTJk9xHRCya8IIfbyVl6b#">Kendrick Perkins interview after TD Garden return</a>
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<p>Perkins wasted little time showing that even his best friend would receive no easy layups, knocking <span>Rajon Rondo</span> to the floor during a fast break in the first quarter. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.celticsblog.com/">Boston Celtics</a> later provided Perkins with a video montage to thank him for his Boston career. Afterward the crowd was loving in its Perkins praise, calling him out onto the floor to wave his hands in appreciation.</p>
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https://boston.sbnation.com/boston-celtics/2012/1/17/2713729/celtics-thunder-kendrick-perkins-return-videoJay_King2012-01-16T22:30:56-05:002012-01-16T22:30:56-05:00Celtics Vs. Thunder Final Score: Boston Drops Fifth Straight, 97-88
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<p><b>BOSTON - </b>The <span>Kevin Durant</span> show rolled through town on Monday, and as expected, it didn't leave much of a chance for the <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Boston Celtics</a>. Durant scored 28 points and <span>Russell Westbrook</span> added 26 points as the <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Oklahoma City Thunder</a> handed the C's a 97-88 defeat at TD Garden.</p>
<p>Boston (4-8) has now dropped five straight games and continues to fall further and further in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the good times continue for the Thunder, which improved to 12-2 on the relatively young season.</p>
<p><span>Paul Pierce</span> played his best game this season, scoring 24 points and grabbing five rebounds for Boston, which shot 39.1 percent. <span>Rajon Rondo</span>, <span>Kevin Garnett</span> and Jermaine O'Neal all finished with 12 points for the Celtics and <span>Mickael Pietrus</span> scored a season-high 14 points off the bench in defeat.</p>
<p><span>Thabo Sefolosha</span> was effective with 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting for the Thunder, which shot 45 percent from the field. In his long awaited return to Boston, <span>Kendrick Perkins</span> had seven points and five rebounds and rookie guard and former Boston College standout <span>Reggie Jackson</span> finished with two assists in eight minutes for Oklahoma City.</p>
<p>The Celtics hung around early, but much like their past five or so games, fell behind midway through the first half thanks to poor shot selection. Trailing 25-17 after the first, the Celtics would outscore the Thunder, 22-21, in the second to cut the halftime deficit to 46-39. Oklahoma City rebuilt its lead to ten, 72-62, after the third quarter.</p>
<p>Despite a much better performance in the fourth, the Thunder continued to have an answer for almost every Celtics run. Pietrus pulled the game within three points after a late three, 83-80, but Oklahoma City would respond with two game-clinching three pointers from Sefolosha and Westbrook. Once again, Pietrus hit a three with less than a minute and a half to go, cutting the Thunder lead to 89-85. But again, Westbrook nailed a clutch three, and that was it.</p>
<p>Boston returns to the court on Wednesday night when it hosts the <a href="https://www.raptorshq.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Toronto Raptors</a>.</p>
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<th class="td-left"> <span>Final - 1.16.2012 </span> </th> <th>1</th> <th>2</th> <th>3</th> <th>4</th> <th>Total</th>
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<td class="td-name"><span class="win"> <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Oklahoma City Thunder</a> </span></td>
<td>25</td>
<td>21</td>
<td>26</td>
<td>25</td>
<td class="highlight">97</td>
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<td class="td-name"><span class="loss"> <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/">Boston Celtics</a> </span></td>
<td>17</td>
<td>22</td>
<td>23</td>
<td>26</td>
<td class="highlight">88</td>
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<p class="foot clearfix"><span class="link-more"><span>Complete Coverage ></span></span></p>
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<p><i>For more Celtics an Thunder coverage, visit our team blogs, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.celticsblog.com/">CelticsBlog</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">WTLC</a>.</i></p>
https://boston.sbnation.com/boston-celtics/2012/1/16/2712590/celtics-vs-thunder-final-score-kevin-durant-russell-westbrook-paul-pierce-nba-newsGethin Coolbaugh2012-01-16T21:11:04-05:002012-01-16T21:11:04-05:00Celtics Vs. Thunder Score Update: Boston Trails, 46-39, At Halftime
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<p><span>Russell Westbrook</span> and <span>Kevin Durant</span> each scored 16 points, but a late push from the Boston Celtics trimmed the Oklahoma City Thunder lead to 46-39 at halftime on Monday night at TD Garden.</p>
<p>In typical fashion, the Celtics hung around in the early minutes but fell behind quickly midway through the half thanks to poor shot selection. Boston shot 34.1 percent in the opening half while Oklahoma City shot at a 45.9 percent clip.</p>
<p><span>Paul Pierce</span> led the Celtics with 11 points and both <span>Rajon Rondo</span> and <span>Ray Allen</span> scored six points in the half. Jermaine O'Neal finished with six points and five rebounds in the half and <span>Marquis Daniels</span> scored four off the bench for Boston.</p>
<p><span>Serge Ibaka</span> and <span>Nick Collison</span> both scored four points for Oklahoma City. <span>Kendrick Perkins</span>, in his return to Boston, had zero points, four rebounds and three fouls in 13 minutes. <span>Reggie Jackson</span>, a Boston College graduate, did not register any stats in three minutes off the bench for Oklahoma City.</p>
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<th class="td-left"> <span>Intermission</span> </th> <th>1</th> <th>2</th> <th>3</th> <th>4</th> <th>Total</th>
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<td class="td-name"><span class="undecided"> <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Oklahoma City Thunder</a> </span></td>
<td>25</td>
<td>21</td>
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<td class="highlight">46</td>
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<td class="td-name"><span class="undecided"> <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/">Boston Celtics</a> </span></td>
<td>17</td>
<td>22</td>
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<td class="highlight">39</td>
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<p class="foot clearfix"><span class="link-more"><span>Complete Coverage ></span></span></p>
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<p><i>For more Celtics an Thunder coverage, visit our team blogs, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.celticsblog.com/">CelticsBlog</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">WTLC</a>.</i></p>
https://boston.sbnation.com/boston-celtics/2012/1/16/2712464/celtics-vs-thunder-score-update-kevin-durant-russell-westbrook-paul-pierceGethin Coolbaugh2012-01-16T17:00:50-05:002012-01-16T17:00:50-05:00Celtics Vs. Thunder: TV/Radio Info, Time, Odds, History And More
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<p><i>Ray Allen and the struggling Boston Celtics welcome perennial MVP candidate <span>Kevin Durant</span> and the Oklahoma City Thunder to TD Garden for a nationally televised game on Monday.</i></p>
<p><b>Event:</b> Oklahoma City Thunder (11-2) vs. Boston Celtics (4-7) - NBA Regular Season, Game 12.</p>
<p><b>Date/Time:</b> Monday, January 16, 2012 - 8:00 p.m. EDT.</p>
<p><b>Location: </b>TD Garden (Capacity: 18,624), Boston, MA.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p>
<p><b>Broadcast Info: </b>Monday's game between the Celtics and Thunder will be televised nationally on <b>TNT</b>. In addition, the game will be aired on the WEEI Sports Radio Network, with Sean Grande and Cedric Maxwell calling all of the action.</p>
<p><b>Odds: </b>Oklahoma City is <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/odds" target="_blank">a three-point favorite</a> over Boston, and the over-under is set at 110.</p>
<p><b>Celtics Roster 2011-12: </b><span>Ray Allen</span>, <span>Brandon Bass</span>, <span>Avery Bradley</span>, <span>Marquis Daniels</span>,<span>Keyon Dooling</span>, <span>Kevin Garnett</span>, <span>JaJuan Johnson</span>, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CDUQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sbnation.com%2Fnba%2Fplayers%2F150192%2Fe-twaun-moore&ei=s_INT6_bAYLs0gGy6vDNBQ&usg=AFQjCNG5v5txchVXmViAG5JVUztGfzLxUg">E'Twaun Moore</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCEQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sbnation.com%2Fnba%2Fplayers%2F21713%2Fjermaine-o-neal&ei=0PINT7y4I-Th0QHhsJmDBg&usg=AFQjCNFoPDqPJMvE0qDwZyxoTL9qfbrJbw">Jermaine O'Neal</a>, <span>Sasha Pavlovic</span>, <span>Mickael Pietrus</span>, <span>Paul Pierce</span>, <span>Rajon Rondo</span>, <span>Greg Stiemsma</span>,<span>Chris Wilcox</span>. <b>Head Coach:</b> <span>Doc Rivers</span>.</p>
<p><b>Thunder Roster 2011-12: </b><span>Cole Aldrich</span>, <span>Nick Collison</span>, <span>Daequan Cook</span>, Kevin Durant, <span>James Harden</span>, Lazar Haywood, <span>Serge Ibaka</span>, <span>Royal Ivey</span>, <span>Reggie Jackson</span>, <span>Eric Maynor</span>, <span>Nazr Mohammed</span>, <span>Kendrick Perkins</span>, <span>Ryan Reid</span>, <span>Thabo Sefolosha</span>, <span>Russell Westbrook</span>. <b>Head Coach:</b> <span>Scott Brooks</span>.</p>
<p><b>Celtics And Thunder In 2011: </b>The Celtics and Thunder will play twice this season and met twice last season, with each team winning once. Kevin Durant scored 34 points to lead the Thunder to a 92-83 win in the first meeting last season on Nov. 7 but the Celtics overcame a 31-point performance from Russell Westbrook to win 89-84 on Nov. 19.</p>
<p><b>Last Time Out: </b>Boston is riding a four-game losing streak and is coming off a 97-83 loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.indycornrows.com/">Indiana Pacers</a> on Saturday. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce each scored 21 points and Jermaine O'Neal collected 12 rebounds for Boston in the loss. Rajon Rondo had nine assists in defeat for Boston, which was held to 38.6 percent shooting from the field.</p>
<p>Oklahoma City defeated the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com/">New York Knicks</a>, 104-92, in its last game on Saturday. Kevin Durant led his team with 28 points and Russell Westbrook had 21 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Thunder, which shot 47.9 percent in the win. James Harden also had a solid game, scoring 24 points off the bench.</p>
<p><b>Statistics Central: </b>Ray Allen is the Celtics' leading scorer, averaging 17.5 points. Rajon Rondo leads the team in assists per game (10.1) and steals (1.9). Kevin Garnett averages 7.1 rebounds and Greg Stiemsma averages 1.8 blocks. Boston ranks 26th in the NBA in points for (89.9 PPG) and is 29th in rebounding (37.7 RPG), ninth in assists (22.0 APG) and eighth in points allowed (92.1 PPG).</p>
<p>Kevin Durant leads Oklahoma City in scoring, averaging 25.8 points, and also leads the team in rebounding with 6.8 rebounds. Russell Westbrook averages 5.5 assists and 1.7 steals and Serge Ibaka averages 2.2 blocks. The Thunder rank fifth in the league in scoring (100.3 PPG), 15th in rebounding (42.0 RPG), 22nd in assists (19.0 APG) and is 20th in the league in points allowed (95.6 PPG).</p>
<p><b>Storyline: </b>Plenty of stories in this game on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including the return of Kendrick Perkins to TD Garden. Perkins played the first seven and a half seasons of his career with the Celtics before team president Danny Ainge traded Perkins, the starting center on the 2008 championship team, and <span>Nate Robinson</span> to the Thunder for <span>Jeff Green</span> and <span>Nenad Krstic</span>. At the time, Perkins was distraught and is anxious about his return home on Monday.</p>
<p>Of course, you can't forget about Kevin Durant in this game. Any time Durant comes to town, it's a story in itself. Durant is an NBA scoring champion and is well on his way to a Hall of Fame career, meaning tough times for opposing teams. Durant is aided by his sidekick, Russell Westbrook, who is an All-Star in his own right and a difficult guard to handle.</p>
<p>Reggie Jackson also return to the area, as the former Boston College standout was the first-round pick of the Thunder in the 2011 NBA Draft. Jackson won't start and may not see a lot of playing time, but it will be good to see him in an NBA uniform after all of his hard work and dedication in Chestnut Hill.</p>
<p>As for the Celtics, they are in desperate need of a win. Losers of their last four games, fans are wondering if this is the end of the Big Four era. However, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo think otherwise. The C's will do everything they can to get back on track, but the reality is that their time may have passed.</p>
<p><b>Players To Watch:</b> Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are the two best players on the floor for the Thunder, and everything points to both having big games against a weak Celtics team. Also, Kendrick Perkins will be determined to put on a show in his return to Boston. For the Celtics, watch for the Big Four to have a big game if the Celtics play well.</p>
<p><b>Prediction: </b>One can't run from reality forever. In truth, it looks like the Celtics' time is up, at least with this current group of future Hall of Famers. The league now belongs to the young teams, like the Thunder. Oklahoma City is simply too talented for Boston to handle, and they should prove it on Monday night. <b>Final Score: Thunder 104, Celtics 86.</b></p>
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<p class="game-info"><span>Monday, Jan 16, 2012, 8:00 PM EST</span><br> TD Garden</p>
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<p><i>For more Celtics an Thunder coverage, visit our team blogs, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.celticsblog.com/">CelticsBlog</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">WTLC</a>.</i></p>
https://boston.sbnation.com/boston-celtics/2012/1/16/2711664/celtics-vs-thunder-2012-game-time-tv-radio-schedule-location-odds-history-announcers-nba-scores-newsGethin Coolbaugh2012-01-16T12:43:00-05:002012-01-16T12:43:00-05:00PHOTO: Kendrick Perkins Returns To TD Garden
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<p>After being the center piece in what most Boston fans call "The Trade", Thunder center <span>Kendrick Perkins</span> will be playing against his former team tonight as his <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Oklahoma City Thunder</a> battle the <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Boston Celtics</a> at the TD Garden this evening.</p>
<p>We all were not ready for Perkins, a notorious fan favorite, to leave town. It may seem a little weird, but here is a picture of the man we all love, in a different uniform at the Garden this morning. (<a href="http://yfrog.com/obp6kmfj">per Gary Washburn</a>)</p>
<p><i>Check out the semi-depressing photo after the jump</i></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: "> <a target="_blank" href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/882033/Perk.jpg"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/882033/Perk_medium.jpg" class="photo" alt="Perk_medium"></a> <br id="1326735643615"></span></p>
<p>We miss you, Perk.</p>
<p><i>For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/">our team page </a>and blog, </i><a href="http://www.celticsblog.com/"><i>Celtics Blog</i></a></p>
https://boston.sbnation.com/boston-celtics/2012/1/16/2711120/photo-kendrick-perkins-returns-to-td-gardenbostonsportsguy172012-01-16T09:01:36-05:002012-01-16T09:01:36-05:00Evaluating Kendrick Perkins Trade For Celtics, One Season Later
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<p>It hasn't quite been a year, but there's plenty of evidence in already to evaluate what is widely regarded as one of the worst trades of Danny Ainge's tenure with the Boston Celtics -- the deal that sent center Kendrick Perkins away.</p> <p>It hasn't quite been a year, but there's plenty of evidence in already to evaluate what is widely regarded as one of the worst trades of Danny Ainge's tenure with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.celticsblog.com/">Boston Celtics</a> -- the deal that sent center <span>Kendrick Perkins</span> away.</p>
<p>Last February, Ainge traded away the C's scowling big man to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Oklahoma City Thunder</a> along with <span>Nate Robinson</span> (who fans frankly don't care about anyways) in exchange for forward <span>Jeff Green</span> and center <span>Nenad Krstic</span>.</p>
<p>Perkins, who returns to TD Garden for the first time since being traded away on Monday night, went on to average 5.1 points and 7.9 rebounds in 17 games with the Thunder, who advanced to the Western Conference Finals before losing. This season, Perkins' numbers have dipped a little bit, as Perk is averaging 5.7 points and 6.0 rebounds in 13 games.</p>
<p>Meanwhile in Boston, Green would average 9.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in 26 games with the Celtics after the trade. In the postseason, he went on to average 7.3 points and 2.7 rebounds in nine games for Boston, which lost in the semifinals. Green is currently an unrestricted free agent, but is recovering from heart surgery that ended his season.</p>
<p>At first glance, it seems like a no-brainer. Oklahoma City won the trade, hands down. It just wasn't a smart move by Ainge, and the Celtics are hurting because of it. Yet it isn't that simple. There are other factors to consider.</p>
<p><b>JEFF GREEN'S ABSENCE PUTS DAMPER ON EVALUATION</b></p>
<p>As apparent as it may seem that the Thunder got the better deal, there are other factors to consider in the trade. One of which is the health of Jeff Green, who recently had surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm that will sideline him for the whole year. There was nothing Green could have done, or the Celtics for that matter, could have done to change that.</p>
<p>Still, it's not like Green didn't have time to establish himself. Green played 26 regular season games with the C's and played in nine postseason games. It's not a lot of time, true, but it's time nonetheless. In those games, Green didn't live up to the billing, at least for the most part. That much is true, but one can't judge his entire body of work on 35 games.</p>
<p>Green, who re-signed with the C's for one year prior to his season-ending heart ailment, was poised to be Boston's top option off the bench and would back up <span>Paul Pierce</span> and maybe even give <span>Kevin Garnett</span> some rest at the power forward position. He was going to play an important role on this team. Due to his heart problem, he was robbed of that chance.</p>
<p>So how can we possibly know how Green would have done? If he provided the kind of punch that <span>Brandon Bass</span> had in the first few games of the season, fans would be right back on the Green bandwagon. Alas, through no fault of his own, Green can't prove his worth with the Celtics now that he's an entire summer to work with his Boston teammates.</p>
<p>With this in mind, we have to hold judgement on the Green experiment in Boston. Aine withdrew the qualifying offer from Green that had him pegged to return this season, making him a full free agent. If Green doesn't return next offseason, then we can close the book on the judgement of this trade. But if he does, it's only fair to give him the length of that next deal to determine whether or not the Perkins-for-Green trade was a success or not in Boston. Patience, everyone.</p>
<p><b>FACE THE FACTS: PERKINS PROBABLY WASN'T COMING BACK ANYWAYS</b></p>
<p>The argument at the time of the trade from Ainge and the Celtics was that, because Perkins had rejected the Celtics contract offer in recent weeks, he likely wasn't going to return to the team in the next season. Perkins was in the last year of his contract with the Celtics and was scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent. Translation? Big, big payday.</p>
<p>Perkins was and is one of a handful of quality centers in the NBA right now. Quality centers just don't grow on trees anymore. It's clear that Perkins was going to seek a big payday upon reaching free agency, and deservedly so. Perkins got his money with the Thunder, putting the pen to the paper on a four-year, $34.8 million deal -- that's about $12 million more than the Celtics could have offered him. Loyalty was important to Perkins, definitely, but so was making money.</p>
<p>If you were in Ainge's shoes, what other choice would you have had? Keep Perkins, and he may help you in the playoffs, but then you'll lose him in the offseason. What would the Celtics have gotten in return? Nothing. Instead, Ainge did what any good executive in his position would have done -- cut his losses and get the best possible deal he could. Green may not be a top tier player, but he was and still is a talented player with upside. Heck, the Celtics even drafted him.</p>
<p>In response to this argument, people will insist that, had the Celtics had Perkins, they could have contended for the title last season. Wrong, sorry. Even with a healthy Perkins (remember, at the time of the trade, Perkins was still working his was back from the same injury that sidelined him or Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals), there's no guarantee the Celtics could have beat the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Miami Heat</a>. Hey, even if they had the roster from 2008, they still may not have. Miami was great.</p>
<p>The fact is, Ainge did the smart thing. Perkins wasn't coming back, so he had to do what any good business man should -- plan for the future. It may not have benefitted Boston in the short term, but if Green returns, there's still a chance it will help out in the long run.</p>
<p><b>BOTTOM LINE: </b>Right now, it looks like a bad trade for the Celtics. But again, there's more to it than that. Green may be back, and if he is, then the book still isn't closed on this trade. But for now, the Thunder got the best of this trade.</p>
<p>When Perkins returns on Monday night, there's no doubt he will be greeted with a roaring ovation. After all, he was the starting center on a championship team in 2008 and almost another two seasons later. It will be an interesting night (even if the Thunder win, which they probably will), one way or another.</p>
<p><i>For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/">our team page</a> and blog, <a href="http://www.celticsblog.com" target="_blank">CelticsBlog</a>.</i></p>
https://boston.sbnation.com/boston-celtics/2012/1/16/2709849/kendrick-perkins-jeff-green-celtics-thunder-2012-nba-news-rumorsGethin Coolbaugh2012-01-16T07:00:40-05:002012-01-16T07:00:40-05:00Celtics Vs. Thunder: C's Looks To End Skid Against Oklahoma City
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<p>Ray Allen and the struggling Boston Celtics (4-7) attempt to turn the page against Kevin Durant and the powerful Oklahoma City Thunder (11-2) in a nationally televised affair at 8 p.m. EDT on Monday night in Boston (TNT/WEEI).</p> <p>Times haven't been ideal for the once great <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.celticsblog.com/">Boston Celtics</a>, whose season can be described as streaky at best. Opening up with three straight losses certainly hurt, but the four straight Celtics wins had fans believing they had recovered.</p>
<p>Well, not quite. Boston is back to is losing ways, having dropped four straight games to fall right back into the middle of the Atlantic Division. Sure, the streak will eventually come to an end, but it will in all likelihood survive another night on Monday at the Celtics welcome <span>Kevin Durant</span> and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Oklahoma City Thunder</a> into TD Garden (8 p.m. EDT; TNT/WEEI).</p>
<p>There certainly won't be a lack of storylines in this one. For starters, anytime you have a player like Durant come to town, it's a story in itself. Durant is up to his usual tricks, averaging 25.8 points and 6.8 rebounds to lead Oklahoma City.</p>
<p>Of Course, Monday's game also marks the return of ex-Celtics center and scowler Kendrick Perkins, who will return to TD Garden for the first time since being traded to the Thunder at the trade deadline last season for Jeff Green.</p>
<p>Reggie Jackson also makes his return to the Boston area, as the former Boston College Eagles star was drafted by Oklahoma City in the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft last summer. He may not play a lot, but he's certainly notable.</p>
<p>To top it all off, it's Martin Luther King Jr. Day, where we as a nation honor one of the greatest freedom fighters who ever lived and is of course credited with leading the movement for black equality. You can bet the NBA will pay tribute.</p>
<p>Oklahoma City is at a different place than Boston from a talent perspective, so it wouldn't be entirely shocking to see the Thunder cut through the Celtics like a knife through butter. Still, even to this day, it's a foolish act to count out the Celtics.</p>
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<p><i>For more Celtics an Thunder coverage, visit our team blogs, <a href="http://www.celticsblog.com" target="_blank">CelticsBlog</a> and <a href="http://www.welcometoloudcity.com/" target="_blank">WTLC</a>.</i></p>
https://boston.sbnation.com/boston-celtics/2012/1/16/2709797/celtics-vs-thunder-2012-kevin-durant-kendrick-perkins-rajon-rondo-paul-pierce-nba-scores-newsGethin Coolbaugh