Celtics

NBA Pistons @Celtics 7 p.m. [ESPN] First-place Boston (Atlantic Division) vs. first-place Detroit (Central) is a possible NBA Eastern Conference finals preview. It's not even Christmas yet, but the 20-2 Celtics are on a record-setting pace and undefeated at home. The Pistons (17-7) have been hot, winning nine of their past 11 and playing superior defense.

BOSTON -- The explosive allegations that Reggie Lewis used cocaine could trigger an investigation by the insurance companies that made good on his multimillion-dollar contract with the Boston Celtics and his widow.Friday, William J. Dailey, the attorney for Dr. Gilbert H. Mudge Jr., Lewis' chief cardiologist, said "a significant portion" of the $13 million to $14 million Donna Harris-Lewis collected soon after her husband's death "could be contested" because Lewis denied he used cocaine on the insurance application.

WASHINGTON -- Juwan Howard would have preferred to forget the 49 points that Antoine Walker dropped in during a Boston Celtics loss to the Washington Wizards at the MCI Center a year ago. And maybe Howard might have forgotten, had he and Walker not shared the same hometown of Chicago."

With 36 wins last season, the Boston Celtics more than doubled their win total from the previous season (15). And while no one expected the team to be a contender this season, many felt that in a shortened season the Celtics -- with their young legs and pressing style -- could be a surprise.That has not happened. The Celtics have a 9-17 record and the third fewest wins in the Eastern Conference. And just as the New Jersey Nets tuned out John Calipari, there are signs the Celtics are doing the same with Rick Pitino.

From New York Knicks center Patrick Ewing, there was disappointment. Indiana Pacers guard Reggie Miller said the news left him with an empty feeling. And Miami Heat coach Pat Riley spoke of not having that one last chance to defeat his No. 1 rival.All three were responding to the retirement last month of Michael Jordan, and the disappointment they felt of not being able to beat him on the road to a championship.On the surface, those responses seemed rather noble. But, deep down, those three -- as well as others in the league who expressed similar sentiments -- probably were bubbling with joy.They all knew that Jordan's departure meant the end of the Chicago Bulls' dynasty.

1957: Celtics win first NBA title1960: Ted Williams homers in his last at-bat1960: Pete Rozelle named NFL commissioner

BOSTON -- At first, Larry Bird refused to look up. Not even a glance. Even as the FleetCenter faithful erupted when he was introduced, even as the fans chanted, "Larry, Larry, Larry," Bird's singular focus was on the parquet floor.The crowd just got louder. And louder. And, finally, Bird looked up to acknowledge the fans. He even raised his left arm and waved. By that time, even Bird knew that -- as much as he wanted to -- he couldn't treat this as just another day, just another game. This day was special, a time to celebrate a part of the fabled past of the Boston Celtics.

Tonight: Celtics at Bulls. The Celtics, who have already surpassed last season's victory total, beat the Bulls in the season opener.So close: The Wizards' Rod Strickland just missed a triple-double in Sunday's 109-99 victory over the Suns, finishing with 26 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds.Sizzling: The SuperSonics made their first 12 three-point attempts in Sunday night's 120-108 victory at Vancouver. The Sonics finished 13-for-16.Surprising: The 76ers beat the Los Angeles Lakers, 113-107, Sunday night, the Lakers' first loss in 10 games that Shaquille O'Neal has played this season.

WASHINGTON -- It was a game in which the Boston Celtics should never have had a shot at victory. And when a potential game-winning three-pointer by Boston guard Dana Barros bounced just long, Juwan Howard jumped high to snatch the rebound, handed the ball to Washington Wizards teammate Chris Whitney and walked off the court with a sheepish smile.Howard knew he had dodged a big bullet, having committed a blunder that had shades of Michigan all over it. With 10 seconds to go and a three-point lead, he called a timeout when the Wizards didn't have any. But, unlike the 1993 NCAA title game when Chris Webber's mistake cost Michigan a chance at a championship, the Wizards were able to escape a 49-point offensive explosion by Celtics forward Antoine Walker with a 110-108 win before a sellout crowd of 20,674 at the MCI Center.

In eight years at Kentucky, Rick Pitino transformed a team that was in shambles into one of the premier college basketball programs in the country. And that kind of challenge, Pitino said, is why he is heading back to the NBA to coach the Boston Celtics.After weeks of speculation, Pitino officially said "yes" to the Celtics yesterday, accepting a contract that's worth a reported $70 million over the next 10 years.In signing the NBA's most lucrative coaching contract, he also will become the team's director of basketball operations and reportedly will receive 3 percent ownership interest in the team.

NBA Magic beats Celtics, forces Game 7 The pressure is back on the defending champions. Dwight Howard had 23 points and 22 rebounds, and the Orlando Magic beat the Boston Celtics, 83-75, on Thursday night to force a decisive Game 7. Rashard Lewis had 20 points, and Hedo Turkoglu made a three-pointer to highlight an 11-2 run to close the game for the Magic, who haven't made it to the conference finals since 1996. Rajon Rondo finished with 19 points, 16 rebounds and six assists, and Paul Pierce scored 17 for the Celtics, who led by 10 points in the second half before falling apart.

Celtics' Garnett could miss playoffs nba Kevin Garnett, the centerpiece of the Boston Celtics' 2008 championship and a key to its hopes of a repeat, could miss the playoffs because of a knee injury that has limited him to four games over the final two months of the season. Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Thursday that Garnett will not be ready for Game 1 against the Chicago Bulls and might not be back at all. "It's not official that he's out for the entire playoffs, but it's official as far as I'm concerned," Rivers said.

Dwight Howard had 20 points and 11 rebounds, and the Orlando Magic rode a hot second-half start to go ahead by 41 points and hand the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers their most lopsided loss of the season with a 116-87 blowout Friday night. Rashard Lewis had 22 points, and Hedo Turkoglu scored 13 for the Magic, which remained percentage points behind the Boston Celtics - but tied in the loss column - for the Eastern Conference's second seed. LeBron James finished with 26 points and nine rebounds but never found his rhythm, shooting 7-for-20 from the field.

Washington Wizards star Gilbert Arenas signaled through various sources Monday that a return to the court is possible this weekend against the Detroit Pistons. The three-time All-Star, who hasn't played all season as he recovers from knee surgery, first sent a text message to Comcast SportsNet saying: "I'm playing Saturday against Detroit" and that he would subsequently play only in home games except for an April 8 trip to Cleveland. After the team's morning shoot-around, Arenas was asked by a Washington Post reporter whether the news were true.

Celtics@Magic 8 p.m. [TNT] Since Boston's little skid, the Celtics have dropped back so that they, Orlando and the Cleveland Cavaliers are within talking - not shouting - distance of one another for Eastern Conference supremacy.

Ray Allen was on a roll, so the Boston Celtics kept going to him. Allen scored a season-high 36 points, including eight three-pointers, and the visiting Celtics (30-9) withstood a late rally to beat the Toronto Raptors (16-22), 94-88, yesterday, ending a four-game losing streak. "When Ray gets it going, that's our focus," Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "Feed the pig, that's what we always say. He was the hot guy, so we want to keep feeding him." Allen wasn't sure what to make of Rivers' barnyard metaphor.

1 p.m. [Comcast SportsNet] These teams met Christmas evening in Cleveland, and the lowly Wizards nearly upset the Cavs. Washington held a seven-point lead before Cleveland ran off the last 11 points in the final 1:33 for a 93-89 victory. The Wizards are coming off a 108-83 road loss to the Boston Celtics on Friday night.

Perhaps now the Los Angeles Lakers can put the anguish of losing the NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics and the embarrassment over the way it ended behind them. Kobe Bryant had 27 points and seven assists, Pau Gasol scored seven of his 20 in the final three minutes, and the host Lakers beat Boston, 92-83, yesterday to end the Celtics' franchise-record 19-game winning streak. The game was the first between the teams since the Celtics romped to a 131-92 victory in Game 6 of the Finals last June to win their first championship in 22 years and league-high 17th title.

Angels drop out of bidding for Teixeira baseball The Los Angeles Angels have dropped out of the bidding for free agent Mark Teixeira, according to Angels spokesman Tim Mead, who yesterday confirmed a report by FoxSports that the Angels are moving in a new direction. The Angels were believed to be offering an eight-year deal worth between $160 million and $165 million. The decision was characterized as final, so it differs slightly from the announcement by the Boston Red Sox last week that they are not "a factor" in the negotiations.

Ray Allen scored a season-high 35 points, and the Boston Celtics defeated the Indiana Pacers, 122-117, in overtime last night to increase their winning streak to 12 games. Kevin Garnett had 17 points, 20 rebounds and five steals, Paul Pierce had 17 points and eight rebounds, and Eddie House had 15 points for Boston (20-2). The visiting Celtics are on their longest winning streak since 1986, when they won 14 straight on their way to the NBA title. Marquis Daniels led Indiana with a season-high 26 points.