Ray Allen

The fourth quarter was playoff basketball at it best as stars from both teams made a host of critical plays. Boston pulled even on a Delonte West jumper and went ahead, 66-64, when Jeff Green nailed a 16-footer. The Knicks counter-punched and went back up on two Stoudemire hoops but Paul Pierce hit three free throws after getting fouled by Anthony to help the Celts to a 73-72 lead.....

Bulls whip Celtics

CHICAGO - Derrick Rose envisioned this for the Bulls when training camp started. Now Chicago is close to wrapping up the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Rose scored 30 points and the Chicago Bulls closed in on the top seed in the Eastern Conference by beating the Boston Celtics 97-81 on Thursday.

The Bulls' 17th win in 19 games put them four games up on Boston and Miami with four to play and eliminated the Heat from getting the No. 1 seed. It also gave them a four-game split with the Celtics.

Oklahoma City Thunder Trade Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic to the Boston Celtics for Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson

January 28th, 2009. That's the last time the Thunder had a different starting lineup, not including injuries. On that date in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Desmond Mason suffered a season-ending knee injury, and Thabo Sefolosha took his place in the rotation, setting in stone a lineup that would survive for 756 days, or over two years. But today, things have finally changed.

We have traded away Jeff Green. We acquired Jeff Green back in the Supersonics days in a trade involving Ray Allen. Green has been a fixture in our rotation, and he had moments where one would think he had the same scoring ability as Kevin Durant. But, as the years went by, the gap between Jeff Green and Kevin Durant widened. Green's games became more and more statistically inefficient, and it was painfully obvious he couldn't guard most NBA power forwards. He couldn't be put on the bench, as there are few minutes to be had behind Durant, and he's too big to be a shooting guard. Thus, Green was always in a state of flux. Thunder fans appreciated him, but always wanted someone else at PF, and he was always mentioned in deals for other big men. His fate was sealed when the Thunder were unable to sign him to an extension, meaning the Thunder would likely lose him in Free Agency if they weren't willing to pony up the cash. Thus, he was traded for someone more suitable in the paint.

Nenad Krstic is also a goner. He was a no risk, high reward signing out of the Russian Superleague two years ago, and he proved to be a very serviceable center. But, to be honest, he was everyone's favourite player to hate. He wasn't a very physical center, and he didn't defend well. He scored very efficiently in bursts, but whenever he missed a couple of jumpers or got dunked on, everyone was quick to point the finger at him. Alas, for that is the nature of basketball. But in all honesty, there's a reason he started at center over Ibaka. He was always available as an offensive option when Durant and Westbrook got tied up, and the plays that were drawn for him worked remarkably well. He didn't commit stupid mistakes, and always knew where to be on the floor. His mid-range jumper was like butter, and he could always overpower those who were smaller than him. Yes, he was a below average defender, and yes, he would never go in the paint and score. But he was what he was, and he helped us to Oklahoma City's first playoff run. And that fact cannot be forgotten.

Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic Traded to the Celtics for Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson

In the last seconds of NBA trade deadline, Boston Celtics acquired the Thunder’s Nenad Krstic and Jeff Green, in exchange for their two fan favorites Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson.

Both Krstic and Green had been two expendable players of Oklahoma City Thunder, being regular starters for the team that made the playoffs last season and currently sits fourth in the Western Conference. According to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe, the Celtics will also get the Clippers’ first-round pick in 2012.

The Celtics had two main reasons to trade Perkins. The first is Perkins’ contract which expires when this season is over, and the second is Perkins’ history injury. Perkins had a bad history injury as a basketball player. He had recently encountered trouble with both knees, tearing his right ACL during the NBA Finals last June and straining his left MCL this week. Perkins was almost finishing his eighth season in the Celtics.

And for Robinson, his role in the Celtics had begun to become obsolete as Delonte West and Von Wafer have returned to the Celtics. Nate Robinson is probably better known for his dunk contest exploits than anything else. But, he’s a solid player as well. He used to be the star of a mediocre Knicks team, and then accepted a bench role on a championship-caliber Celtics team last year.

Celtics Trade Brings Nenad Krstic to Boston for NBA Playoffs 2011

A recent Celtics NBA trade has brought center Nenad Krstic from Oklahoma City to Boston. The move arrives just before the NBA’s trade deadline has ended, making for a very exciting potential playoff situation .