By: Gabe Souza, YawkeyTalkies Correspondent
It started off so promising.
A clutch opening day win over Cleveland had analysts abuzz on whether they had misjudged the Celtics’ power in the East.
A few easy wins here mixed with very few loses there had C’s fans flaunting their bragging rights up and down Mass. Ave. They could even throw it back in the face of Lakers’ fanatics – World Champion Laker fanatics. And it was all merited.
The green demolished the likes of Philadelphia, Utah, Chicago, Golden State and even Oklahoma City. With only four losses up to Christmas Day, things looked good in the Garden.
But as the yuletide spirit began to grow, so did the anxiety that the Celtics would get coal in their stocking like the had the year before against the Los Angeles Lakers, a loss that ended up derailing their postseason hopes.
Turns out the knots in fans’ stomachs were for not.
By the time Santa finished his rounds on December 25, five Celtic players had scored in double figures – including a near triple-double from Rajon Rondo – and the C’s defeated Superman’s Magic, 86-77.
A solid win. Things looked good. Championship run: still intact.
Then they lost to the perennial cellar-dweller, the Clippers. [...]

By Ian Tasso, and contributions made by Jess Lander, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writers
Endings are supposed to be climactic.
Raised with movies such as “Scarface” and books like the “Lord of the Rings,” we were taught that an ending is supposed to be glorious. Guns blazing, horns blaring — a finale is supposed to be this.
Same thing goes for the closing of a sports career. By right, it should be a culmination of a years of work, complete with standing ovations, confetti, horns — the works.
But the truth is, it rarely works out like that.
Just ask Allen Iverson, who on Tuesday was released by the 76ers, a move that figured by most to be a long time coming. Iverson was in the midst of attempting to revitalize his 13-year career, 10 seasons of which were spent annihilating defenses in Philadelphia. But after a failed stint in Denver, a mishap in Detroit and a misstep with the Grizzlies, Iverson appears to be done — finally.
Even Michael Jordan, Mr. Basketball himself, ended one of the greatest careers in NBA history with a finale that was far from epic. Jordan left Chicago with every intention of leaving the game, only to return with the Washington Wizards, a sequel that [...]

By: Jess Lander, Yawkey Talkies Editor
Could Boston fans be any more ready for Red Sox season?
The Patriots were the most disappointing they’ve been since before winning their first Super Bowl. I know, they didn’t make playoffs in ‘08 but that was without our Golden Boy.
The Bruins, after an embarrassing 10 game losing streak, finally steered back onto the ice, winning four in a row. They had TWO weeks to rest up during the Olympics and prepare to turn their season around, starting with tonight’s game against Montreal. And then, they were the old Bruins, giving up a 1 goal lead, scoring four unanswered goals in the third period. Hello, ten game losing streak at home.
Does blowing a lead sound familiar? Well, that’s because the Celtics have perfected it. It’s been a problem all season, but more recently it’s been getting worse. The Celts were up on the Cavs by double digits before blowing the lead in the fourth so bad that they lost by 20 points. Then, our Celtics did the unthinkable. They lost to the worst team in the NBA, a team that is almost the worst team in the history of the NBA: the New Jersey Nets, giving [...]

By: Dan Massar, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
Was Saturday’s loss to the Nets the worst in franchise history for the Celtics?  Channel 5 sports anchor Bob Halloran said on the air following the loss that an argument could be made that it was.  There’s no argument that it was one of the worst losses of the Pierce-Garnett-Allen era.  (I refuse to call them the Big Three anymore, that title belongs to the Bird-McHale-Parish trio that won 3 titles in the 80’s).  The Nets came into the game with a 5-52 record, by far the worst record in the league and it puts them in position to potentially become the worst team ever, the 1972-73’ 76ers hold the mark at 9-73.
But just how bad was it?  Pierce didn’t play, but the Celts still had two All Stars on the floor in Rondo and Garnett and a former All Star in Allen.  This was an embarrassing loss.  The Celtics had just been beaten by 20 by the Cavaliers on Thursday in a game they led by double digits.  Danny Ainge called the team out before the Nets game.  He especially went after the starters saying to reporters, “I think the onus is on the [...]

By: Jess Lander, YawkeyTalkies Editor
Tonight’s game had an interesting twist. Nate Robinson made his debut with the Celtics against none other than his former team the NY Knicks. Before the game Robinson said, “It’s overwhelming being part of a franchise that’s accustomed to winning.” Yeah Nate, guess you’re not used to that in New York (20-36) huh?
The Celtics also had to face a player who was their teammate and friend,
just a week ago: Eddie House, who they made a tribute to before the game, thanking him for the memories.
So, based on tonight’s game, who got the better trade? Who’s a better asset: the one who dunks or the one who drains three’s?
Neither of these players are going to elevate their new teams to the next level, or Championship team status. They’ll deepen the bench, and hopefully put some points on the board the minutes they’re in. This is especially important for the Celtics, who have endless injury problems (Pierce was out tonight and indefinitely), and who may always need one of their bench to step into bigger shoes for the time being.
Statistically in tonights game, Robinson, who hasn’t even has a full practice with the team yet, looked to be [...]

By: Phil Shore, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
Last night the Celtics won their second straight since the All-Star break, edging the LA Lakers last night 87-86. But, realistically, this was a Kobe-less LA, and doesn’t mean the Celts problems are fixed.
In an effort to fix them, the Celtics gained a jolt of energy before yesterdays trade deadline. But how big of a jolt exactly?
Boston received three-time Slam Dunk champion Nate Robinson and Marcus Landry from the New York Knicks in exchange for Eddie House, J.R. Giddens, and Bill Walker.
Landry, Giddens, and Walker are throw-ins essentially. The centerpieces are House and Robinson.
The extremely athletic Robinson gives the Celtics six more points a game, one more rebound (even though he’s only 5’9” and four inches shorter than House), almost three more assists, and shoots better from the field.
There’s also the chance Robinson can really go wild like the time he put up 41 against the Miami Heat this season.
Yet, even with those improvements, the Robinson trade is questionable.
For starters, House is a much better three-point shooter both this season and in his career than Robinson and has hit a number of clutch shots for the Celts in both the regular season and the playoffs.
Robinson’s [...]

By: Phil Shore, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
Boston fans thought the Patriots were the only team that couldn’t close out games.
The Celtics have lost five of their previous eight games dating back to January 28. Twice they lost to the Orlando Magic, who sit two games ahead of them in the Eastern Conference standings. They lost to the Atlanta Hawks (one and a half games ahead of Boston in the East), Los Angeles Lakers (Western Conference’s number one team), and a Chris Paul-less New Orleans Hornets.
Not only have they not beaten good competition, but in four of those losses they blew double digit leads in the second half.
They blew leads of 16 and 11 points against Orlando (the latter just one day after Orlando blew a 21-point lead to Washington), 11 points against the Lakers, and 12 points against the Hornets.
If you cannot close out games, then you cannot win. Period.
“One of the guys said, ‘We’re better than Orlando,’ and I said, ‘No, you’re not,’” Celtics Head Coach Doc Rivers said. “They knocked you out of the playoffs last year. Orlando’s better than us right now. Atlanta’s better than us right now. L.A. [Lakers are] better than us right now.”
What has happened [...]