HoopsHype.com Rumors

The two players expected to lead the Celtics Saturday night in their revenge match are Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, who have been the talk of the town this week after both reached scoring milestones on Wednesday and Garnett explained afterward how close the two were growing up. Why is this story so special? “That’s only because they’re old as hell,” Rivers answered with hearty laugh. “The only way you can reach those milestones together is you have to hang around a lonnnnng time. It is cool. I was joking but it does seem like every night one of those two does pass some kind of record. I think now we create some sort of new record to pass but it is awesome. They have that picture together, it’s a neat picture when they were 15.” WEEI.com

Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce, Doc Rivers, Kevin Garnett 

An NBA advance scout looks at the race for the Defensive Player of the Year award: "If you're asking me, no single player can be called the Defensive Player of the Year," he said. "It's really a defensive team effort. "Memphis has a very good team defense, and Tony Allen is a hell of a defender. Chicago has a great team effort defensively -- Luol Deng is very good, and so is Joakim Noah. "You could say Kevin Garnett is the spearhead of Boston's defense. But then you also have to take into account that any defensive scheme relies on ball pressure. Without ball pressure, your scheme doesn't get in play. Without Avery Bradley, their team defense doesn't go anywhere. SI.com

Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Memphis Grizzlies, Luol Deng, Avery Bradley, Tony Allen, Joakim Noah, Kevin Garnett 

Ben Rohrbach: Doc: "I honestly think if KG concentrated on being a scorer, we would be talking about him challenging for the record right now." Twitter @brohrbach

Boston Celtics, Kevin Garnett 

After passing Jerry West for 15th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list and watching Paul Pierce eschew Charles Barkley in 20th, Kevin Garnett offered a rare glimpse inside the personal relationship of the latest Celtics greats. “Paul and I have history, and it’s only right that we come in here and we make history together,” said Garnett. “At 13, 14, we were tearing up his mom’s living room, breaking vases, almost getting our asses whooped. I was with Paul the first time I ever experienced Crenshaw on a Sunday. For y’all who don’t know about Crenshaw on a Sunday, Crenshaw on a Sunday is a big deal. He was taking me out, and we were being 15, 16 years old.” WEEI.com

Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce, Jerry West, Charles Barkley, Kevin Garnett 

“I’m flattered, to be honest,” said Garnett. “When they told me that I passed Wes Unseld on the rebounding, I was at a loss for words. You guys have no idea what I was like as a kid. I didn’t have all the magazines, but for some reason I had all the pictures that were in the magazines. I don’t know how I was able to acquire that, but that’s another story. I just fantasized, mimicked, appreciated — all the things that a young kid does when he’s creating heroes, when he’s creating stories in his head. Anything to generate any type of motivation, and I guess at times to generate a distraction. I used it for inspiration, getting through a hard day. WEEI.com

Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce, Jerry West, Charles Barkley, Kevin Garnett, Wes Unseld 

“So, when you guys are telling me that I’m surpassing these people that I used for these different reasons, it’s another form of feeling, it’s another form of emotion. I know someday I’ll probably sit back and actually think about it, and it will probably mean something, but the one word I just keep thinking about: I’m just flattered, because without those people, those players who have created our history, made our league what it is for young guys or younger guys like myself, to follow in their path, there wouldn’t be no Kevin Garnetts, there wouldn’t be any other yesteryear, so I’m flattered more than honored.” WEEI.com

Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett 

“I always tell people that I’ve got the greatest seat in the house to watch one of the best players in NBA history put the ball in the basket every night, and it’s special to be able to do it with him.” Let’s just say the feeling is mutual. “Kevin could accomplish anything that he wanted to do, because he has that will, that determination,” said Pierce. “For him to be where he is at, it’s pretty remarkable, because he’s more than just scoring. He’s at the top in so many other categories that it’s just unbelievable. He’s a once-in-a-generation type of player. Not a lot of people get a chance to play with those type of players, and I’m fortunate that I’ve been able to play with him these last five, six years. It’s been an honor to watch him each and every day, how he prepares, how he comes to work every day, his approach is something we can all learn from.” WEEI.com

Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett 

Midway through the disaster that was a 100-74 no-show loss to the Bobcats in North Carolina, Rivers was thinking he didn’t go far enough. Kevin Garnett played 20 minutes, but struggled badly again, going 2-for-10 from the field. “Yeah, definitely, otherwise he’d been part of that,” Rivers said when asked if he thought he did the right thing in giving Pierce the night off. “What I was thinking was I wish I had given Kevin the night off, too, in the middle of the game. That would’ve been terrific because then we could’ve had two guys that got some rest.” As for Garnett, who is 8-for-29 in losses to the Thunder and Bobcats, Rivers says it’s a matter of getting him better looks. “We’ve got to get him a better rhythm,” said Rivers, who refuted speculation that Garnett was tired or injured. “He’s been in a [bad] way now for a while now and that’s more on us. We have to get him the right shots and we’re not do a very good job of that.” WEEI.com

Boston Celtics, Doc Rivers, Kevin Garnett 

Baxter Holmes: KG: "The first 2 minutes we came out and we acted like we haven’t played together. We were out of sync, and I take responsibility for that." Twitter @BaxterHolmes

Boston Celtics, Kevin Garnett 

The need to declare that the Celtics were Rondo's team was a curious phenomenon from the start. It was hard to imagine that future Hall of Famers Pierce and Garnett ever completely bought into that, although they were happy to play along for public consumption. "I don't know if they did or not," said Rivers, "but all I know is those two guys are talking more. When Rondo comes back, Paul and Kevin need to continue to lead the way they are now. Because, honestly, I don't buy into the 'Whose team is it?' I think that's the silliest damn stuff. I don't care whose team it is. Just go play together." ESPN.com

Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce, Doc Rivers, Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett 

Sean Grande: Kevin Garnett (47,620) just passed Reggie Miller for 7th on the @NBA all-time minutes played list. He’s on pace to end the year top five. Twitter @SeanGrandePBP

Boston Celtics, Kevin Garnett, Reggie Miller 

It's believed that the Hawks, like many teams over the past few years, had internal questions about how serious Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge really was when it came to surrendering Pierce or Kevin Garnett at the deadline. Although Pierce, Garnett and Rajon Rondo have all been openly mentioned in trade speculation since the Celtics' crushing defeat to the Lakers in Los Angeles in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals, with Ainge known to aggressively call around the league to see what's available in potential deals, there remains considerable skepticism about his willingness to actually go through with dealing with Pierce or KG after those 30-somethings helped end Boston's two- decade championship drought. ESPN.com

Boston Celtics, Trade, Rajon Rondo, Danny Ainge, Kevin Garnett 

After the Celtics improved to 14-4 since the season-ending injury to his friend and Celtics teammate Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett faced questions about whether the season has taken on a special feel in recent weeks. “Special?” he asked. The question — a legitimate one given the circumstances — was asked again. “We haven’t given in to the [expletive] critics,” said Garnett, who finished with 17 points and seven boards in the 107-102 overtime win over the Hawks. “We’re working hard. We’re grinding. We’re showing our character. Our coach is a grinder himself, and his team is just that. We’re not looking for any handouts or sympathies or anything like that. We don’t expect anybody to give us nothing. We’re going out, working hard and gaining everything we’re getting. We’re giving ourselves a chance every night. We’re leaning on each other. We’re playing together. “I could probably better answer your question later on in the postseason to see where were at. It’s still early. Everybody’s fighting for positioning. Everybody pretty much has the same road at this point, so it’s kind of early.” WEEI.com

Boston Celtics, Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett 

Ben Rohrbach: Crawford on KG scuffle during NBA lockout: "You say, 'What up?' after it's over." Called KG the most bizarre player he's every played with. Twitter @brohrbach

Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Jamal Crawford, Kevin Garnett 

Ben Rohrbach: Crawford on KG (1/2): "The zone he gets in before the game, where he goes from breakfast on … Twitter @brohrbach

Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Jamal Crawford, Kevin Garnett 

Ben Rohrbach: Crawford on KG (2/2): "You don't talk to him, you know not to talk to him. You've gotta see it. It's amazing." Twitter @brohrbach

Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Jamal Crawford, Kevin Garnett 

Roy Hibbert joined 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis with Grady and Big Joe to discuss being motivated to play Kevin Garnett, the improvements in his offensive game, his confidence never wavering despite his struggles offensively, his contract situation not impacting his play and the Indiana Pacers’ biggest goal right now. Are you extra juiced when Kevin Garnett comes to town? “I mean, you get to the point where I see them [Boston Celtics] as any other team, but I see him as someone in my way and I just want to go out there and play extremely hard and get this win.” Sports Radio Interviews

Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Roy Hibbert, Kevin Garnett 

Peter Stringer: Kevin Garnett was asked what his personal goals are for the rest of his career. His answer? "Win tomorrow." Twitter @celtics

Boston Celtics, Kevin Garnett 

An NBA source said a possible trade sending Kevin Garnett to Los Angeles from the Boston Celtics for guard Eric Bledsoe and center DeAndre Jordan was “closer to happening than people think.” Yahoo! Sports

Boston Celtics, Trade, Eric Bledsoe, Kevin Garnett, DeAndre Jordan 

Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck told WEEI's Mut and Merloni Tuesday that his team was very active at last week's NBA trade deadline despite failing to get a blockbuster deal done. Grousbeck said the names of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett came up the most in trade talks. "For the last two or three days before the deadline, their names came up more than anybody else," Grousbeck said. "They were the topic of conversation with the calls coming into us, because people thought maybe we weren't going to keep it together this spring." On why the Celtics didn't pull the trigger, Grousbeck said, "I know what the offers were. You wouldn't have taken them." Boston Globe

Boston Celtics, Trade, Kevin Garnett