Nearly perfect Pierce leads Celtics

Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics got over their disappointing West Coast swing in a hurry against the overmatched Washington Wizards. Pierce scored 26 points on nearly perfect shooting, and the NBA-leading Celtics beat Washington 108-83 on Friday night. "It always leaves a bad taste in your mouth,'' Pierce said. "Knowing that we're going to spend a large amount of this month on the road, it's good to get back home and finally get a taste of some winning.'' After an overnight flight Wednesday, coach Doc Rivers figured his players might be tired Friday. But...read full article

NBA: Celtics crush Wizards to improve to 18-1 at home

Paul Pierce scored 26 points on nearly perfect shooting and the Boston Celtics roared back from a rough road trip to beat the Washington Wizards 108-83 on Friday night. The Celtics went 1-3 on their West Coast swing after the best 29-game start in NBA history, 27-2. With the victory, they improved to 18-1 at home. Pierce made his first nine shots and all five 3-point attempts before missing his final shot, a 3-pointer, but Kendrick Perkins converted the offensive rebound with 1:20 remaining in the third quarter. Pierce left the game with 48 seconds...read full article

Wizards prove perfect houseguest for Celtics

Road-weary Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics couldn't miss on their comfortable homecourt. Especially against the lowly Washington Wizards. Behind Pierce's 26 points and nearly perfect shooting, the team with the best record in the NBA roared back from a rough road trip and beat the team with the worst record in the Eastern Conference 108-83 last night. The Celtics were determined to play well after going 1-3 on the West Coast. "It always leaves a bad taste in your mouth," Pierce said. "Knowing that we're going to spend a large amount of this...read full article

Wonderful Wizards

The Celtics' regular season is far from over. But a league-record start has launched them into a race for home-court advantage in the postseason. And the significance of their Causeway Street court and a supportive crowd was apparent last night, as the Celtics recovered from a difficult road trip for a 108-83 win over the Washington Wizards, their 13th successive victory at TD Banknorth Garden. After concluding 2008 with three losses in four games in California and Oregon, the Celtics (29-5) were back to their old selves in their first game of the new...read full article

Celtics try to get back on track in Beantown against Wizards

The Boston Celtics are probably glad to get back home where they will host the Washington Wizards tonight at TD Banknorth Garden. After winning a franchise record 19 straight games, the Celtics opened a four- game road trip out west with a loss against the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day. They dropped the next tilt in Golden State before ending the season-high skid with a victory over Sacramento on Sunday. Boston then fell back into the loss column after a 91-86 defeat to Portland on Tuesday, as Paul Pierce scored 28 points and Kevin Garnett...read full article