However, Philadelphia 76ers point guard Jrue Holiday doesn’t buy into the public perception of Bynum. Quite the contrary, Holiday says that Bynum was a model teammate during the 2012-13 NBA season, even if he couldn’t be out there on the court.

“He’s an awesome teammate even though he didn’t get the chance to play,” Holiday told USA Today. “I think during the year when he was with us, he was there for us. He was there every day, he was rehabbing, working on his knee, came in on time. … Every time I saw him he was working hard, it wasn’t like he didn’t want to play, he always wanted to play and you could see that.”

Holiday also indicated that Bynum’s presence around the team helped Holiday grow as a player. He says Bynum’s knowledge of playing the true center position helped Holiday understand how big men operate.

“He showed me a lot of perspective from the big men aspect of the game,” said Holiday. “I do think he’s one of the best big men in the league and having him on the bench and in the locker room helped me to improve my game.”

Holiday says he hasn’t spoken to the 76ers front office about Bynum’s future. However, Holiday, like everyone else, understands that health and Bynum’s balky knees will play a role in the decision whether to try and keep him in Philadelphia.

Holiday did not comment on Bynum’s bizarre hair styles.

Mike Zarren, who has been believed to be a serious candidate for the general manager’s job in Philadelphia since last summer, reportedly turned down that job this offseason. Two league sources told Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald that Zarren declined an offer from the Sixers.

Philadelphia eventually hired Sam Hinkie, formerly the executive vice president of basketball operations in Houston.

Zarren declined comment to the Herald, but this is not the first (or last) job the Celtics assistant G.M. and team counsel has been linked to. Zarren began his career in the NBA as an unpaid intern with the Celtics, and he is described in the team’s media guide as being a lifelong Celtics fan.

Ryan McDonough, the team’s other assistant G.M., was named last week as general manager of the Phoenix Suns.

Photo via Facebook/Philadelphia 76ers

Young has been accused of drugging and raping a woman in a lawsuit in 2011, according to TMZ. The woman, who filed her suit as Jane Doe, claims she woke up in Young’s bed bleeding, unable to remember the events of the previous night.

According to TMZ, Jane Doe says she met Young at the Crown Bar in West Hollywood. She says Young bought her and a friend a glass of champagne, and shortly after that point her memory cuts out.

The next morning, Young took the woman home, but from there she immediately went to the UCLA Santa Monica Rape Treatment Center, according to TMZ. There a rape kit confirmed that she had gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid (GBH) in her system, and that her injuries were consistent with rape. Jane Doe says she continues to undergo psychiatric evaluations.

Young, for his part, says he had consensual sex with the woman, but that he stopped when she passed out.

Jane Doe is suing Young for sexual battery, sexual assault and false imprisonment, among other charges. She is also suing Crown Bar for negligence. The amount she is seeking is unknown.

Bynum was recently seen dancing at a club in Madrid, Spain, showing off his surprisingly nimble moves. He’s also wearing a jacket with the Ferrari logo on the back, which is probably some sort of fashion misstep.

In any case, Bynum shows no ill effects of the knee injuries that kept him sidelined all year — which is sure to draw the ire of some Philly fans. Check out the image and video below to see the big center in action.

Hoy recibimos una visita de altura. Andrew Bynum, jugador de los @Sixers de la @NBA .A sus pies! (Nunca mejor dicho) http://t.co/5c5qRrznlr

—
Mesón Txistu (@MesonTxistu) May 01, 2013

Allen Iverson

Iverson, 37, is struggling to adjust to life after basketball, Kent Babb wrote Friday in a thorough yet depressing story in The Washington Post. Iverson’s generosity toward friends reportedly came with a price. Iverson is now mostly broke, Babb reports, and past associates like Larry Brown, Pat Croce, Aaron McKie and others are concerned about him as the four-time scoring champ increasingly retreats from the public spotlight.

“He never turned anybody down,” former teammate Roshown McLeod told Babb. “He was there to help everybody. He didn’t think about the future.”

Iverson reportedly spent $23,255.36 in one day, overdrawing his bank account in the process. Money was not all Iverson struggled with either, according to the Post. The story claims Iverson was not present for one of his children’s births, and “very intoxicated” during another. One weekend, Tawanna Iverson, his ex-wife, sent the kids to a water park with their father. She later picked them up at a hotel at 2 a.m., with their daughter still in her swimsuit and no sign of Iverson.

“I always thought that my kids needed their father,” she later testified. “And what I’ve learned is that they don’t need him if he’s going to be that destructive in their lives.”

A court later gave full legal custody to Tawanna, and another court later dismissed Iverson’s appeal. Meanwhile, Iverson has pushed a comeback no one seems interested in except himself. He declined a D-League offer from the Mavericks and an athletic trainer who briefly worked with Iverson reportedly pulled out earlier this year.

One piece of information stands out: As part of an earlier endorsement deal with Reebok, Iverson has a $30 million trust that he cannot open until he is 55 years old. If he has his life together by then, that could help him get back on track. If not, that money could be another sad chapter in Iverson’s post-playing life.

Doug Collins

Multiple reports indicate that Collins informed the Sixers on Sunday night that he will not return as coach next season, bringing to an end a run that was alternatively wildly successful and disastrous for the team and coach. As is often the case, Collins’ departure is sprinkled with some factors he could be blamed for and many he could not, but ultimately all that matters is that the number in the “losses” column is higher than the number in the “wins” column.

It was not Collins’ fault, for instance, that Andrew Bynum‘s knees fell apart and that the team’s big offseason acquisition may never play a single game in a Sixers uniform. Even so, Collins has to shoulder some responsibility, since he had to give his approval to the deal knowing full well that Bynum has had difficulty staying on the court. This is just the way it has gone for Collins, which is why the news that he may take a non-coaching position within the organization is heartening.

Collins has long been an excellent coach who does not necessarily enjoy the other things that come with coaching in the NBA. He seems uncomfortable with front office politics, trying to appeal to fickle fans or massaging players’ fragile egos. What he does, maybe better than any other active coach, is teach the game. He is a fountain of knowledge and a near-perfectionist, and that can reap huge benefits with young teams that need micromanaged direction. When those players become more independent, Collins’ intensity and attention to detail tend to grate.

Three years in Chicago, gone. Three years in Detroit, adios. Only two years in Washington, then Michael Jordan retired for good, and Collins went back to TV. Year three in Philadelphia is about to come to an ignominious end.

A look at the stars who blossomed under Collins, then outlasted him a few years later, is long and impressive. Jordan, Grant Hill and now possibly Jrue Holiday began their ascent on Collins’ watch but needed him to move on for them to continue to grow. Now the Sixers, for all their botched handling of their roster during the last offseason, may finally be the team that utilizes Collins in the perfect way for both himself and the team.

Collins knows everything about basketball. OK, not really, but just about. The man’s memory and understanding of basketball minutia is incredible. If you were to ask him, he could probably tell you precisely the best way to set your feet when cutting along the baseline for a jump shot because he once saw Andrew Toney do it in the third quarter of a game at the Spectrum in 1981. He could probably tell you what the score was and how many fouls Darryl Dawkins had at the time, too — and that is not an exaggeration.

That exactness can wear thin every day in practice, but it could be invaluable in an advisory role. Perhaps Collins just works with the rookies and non-guaranteed contract guys in summer league or assists in a few crash-course sessions during training camp. Maybe he takes charge of working out prospective draft picks, since nobody recognizes potential or identifies areas of possible improvement like Collins. Or maybe he does something as simple and grassroots as become the face of the Sixers’ youth camps, guiding players most in need of in-depth instruction in his element, away from the cameras and millionaire employees.

However unfavorable the situation was, the honest assessment is that Collins’ performance this season did not merit another year on the sideline. Still, while he may not be good enough to serve as the Sixers’ head coach any longer, he is too good to simply let walk.

The Sixers are a franchise at a crossroads. They have a relatively new ownership group, a roster in transition and a fan base skeptical of giving their hearts to a team that usually lets them down. At a time like this, the Sixers could use a teacher. They could use someone like Collins — just not on the bench.

Have a question for Ben Watanabe? Send it to him via Twitter at @BenjeeBallgame or send it here.

Julius Erving, an icon of the Philadelphia 76ers franchise, offered coach Doug Collins a glowing endorsement during an appearance at the Wells Fargo Center as part of a celebration of the 1983 NBA championship team. Erving, who serves as a “strategic adviser” to the organization, met with the media prior to Sunday’s home finale and gave the coach a de facto vote of confidence.

“The organization can ill afford to have [Collins] walk away, because they’re not going to get a better coach or a better teacher,” Erving said, according to the Delaware County Daily Times. “If they’re going to invest money, you’ve got to invest it in him.”

Then Sunday night, Collins reportedly informed Sixers ownership that he will not return as coach next season. Oops.

In case anybody thinks Erving was simply being optimistic to stay in agreement with the company line, his comments on absentee center Andrew Bynum were far less enthusiastic. Erving was clearly annoyed with the young center in essentially saying the Sixers would be better off moving forward without him.

“I know what the net result is,” Erving said. “The net result is Robert Parish‘s old number: double-zero. … We have not benefited one degree. I guess he has.”

The Sixers have an interesting decision to make this summer regarding Bynum. They traded away Andre Iguodala, Nik Vucevic and Maurice Harkless last  year to acquire him, but he failed to play a single game for Philadelphia this season and will seek a maximum contract this offseason as he comes back from double-knee surgery. As for Collins, reports indicate he may remain with the team in a non-coaching capacity, so the teaching element Erving raved about could still be around the Sixers’ practice facility at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine next year.

Per Yahoo! Sports, Collins will resign at the end of the 2013 season. While it seems to be the end of coaching on the sidelines for Collins, it’s possible that he could return to the team in a front office capacity.

Staying for the final season of his contract would have paid Collins $4.5 million, but he informed management of his decision to leave in the last few days. The 76ers have a 33-47 record this season and are ninth place in the East.

Collins’ NBA coaching career has included stops in Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia and Washington. Collins’ son Chris was recently hired as the head coach at Northwestern University.

The latest escapade may be his most damning if it is indeed true. According to Philly.com, the Flyers netminder fell asleep during a team meeting. According to the report, Bryzgalov appeared to fall asleep in a meeting on Monday. That meeting came after a practice in which Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette told Bryzgalov and Steve Mason that Mason would be getting the start for the Flyers on Tuesday against the Islanders.

An original report from the team’s flagship radio station stated that Byrzgalov was benched Tuesday because he fell asleep. That’s been disputed by Laviolette, and if the chain of events in the Philly.com story are correct, the snooze came after Bryzgalov was told he was sitting Tuesday.

“Whether he was actually sleeping or not, no one knows for sure,” an anonymous player told Philly.com. “It seemed like he may have been doing it to get a rise out of other players. I’m not really sure why he did it, or if he was faking it. Either way, it seemed to catch and lot of people by surprise and angered a few people.”

It’s the latest in what’s become a growing line of distractions for the Flyers, who are in the midst of a very disappointing season. They dropped a 4-1 decision to the Islanders on Tuesday night, and they now find themselves in 12th place in the Eastern Conference, five points out of the final playoff spot.

Many have speculated or suggested that the Flyers should buy out Bryzgalov’s contract at some point. Bryzgalov is currently in the early stages of a nine-year, $51 million contract that isn’t set to expire until after the 2019-20 season. That deal comes with a $5.67 million cap hit per season.

The Sixers are celebrating their 50th birthday, and as part of the celebration they are asking their fans to name their favorite moment in the franchise’s history. With Iverson back in the building Saturday for his bobblehead night, the former NBA Most Valuable Player was asked for his top moment as a Sixer.

Iverson’s answer was somewhat surprising, since it was not an on-court moment at all.

“I would say my favorite moment was when they hired Larry Brown,” Iverson told Sixers.com reporter Ayla Brown. “Because he took my game to another level. His knowledge of basketball took me to another level as far as being a player. I’m grateful to him and that’s why I feel like that was my best moment as far as being a Sixer.”

Iverson’s feelings for Brown are a far cry from the tension that existed between the two for much of their tenure together in Philadelphia. The two butted heads for the first three years of their relationship before finding a happy medium in 2000-01. Surrounded by a group of selfless, defense-first players that complement Iverson’s offensive skills, the Sixers went to the NBA Finals and Iverson won league MVP.

Check out Iverson’s complete interview in the video below.

Photo via Facebook/Allen Iverson

The Sixers blew a five-point lead with under 10 seconds to go, and Aron took to Twitter to express his unhappiness. There are plenty of reasons for him to be upset with the team lately, from the unpleasant news regarding Andrew Bynum to the team’s 26-42 record.

Check out the owner’s unhappy tweet below.

That was the worst last minute of 76ers basketball I've seen in ages. Mind-numbingly bad.

—
Adam Aron (@SixersCEOAdam) March 22, 2013

LeBron James

James is averaging 26.6 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game as the Heat have won 24 straight games, and look to extend that streak Friday against Detroit. James has already won three MVP awards so far, but adding a fourth would put King James in an elite class alongside some of the game’s greatest.

James is tied with Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Moses Malone with three NBA MVPs each. Adding a fourth would match him with Wilt Chamberlain for the third-most all time and put him one behind Michael Jordan and Bill Russell.

Jordan’s total of five MVPs is second to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar‘s six. James is only 28 years old, and if he stays healthy stands a good chance of surpassing Abdul-Jabbar’s mark.

Click here to see the list of players with three or more MVPs>>

Since superstar point guard Rajon Rondo went down with a knee injury at the end of January, the Celtics have played some of the best basketball they’ve ever played as a team. Now, with a veteran ball club like the Mavs waiting to knock them down a peg or two, they’ll look to prove that their resurgence as a force on the NBA betting line was no fluke.

With Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce leading the show, can Boston establish itself as a legitimate candidate to win the Eastern Conference?

Despite their advantage on the NBA futures, a mid-season matchup with the Mavericks won’t exactly be a walk in the park. Dallas does, after all, boast future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki and a bevy of substantial offensive weapons capable of taking over ball games.

One misstep and the C’s could find themselves slipping down the crowded East standings. Currently tangled in a ball of mid-level playoff contenders, the C’s are one of six teams within 3.5 games of second place in the conference. A win over Dallas might not pave their way to glory, but a loss could certainly make things harder than they have to be.

Betting on the NBA playoff stretch will be a bit of a challenge this year, given the turnover that’s taken place in the Atlantic Division alone. Last year’s leader, the Philadelphia 76ers, are currently at the bottom of the pile while the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets have emerged as viable threats to ultimately take and hold the final spot.

Adding to the drama of Friday’s clash is the fact that Boston’s primary offseason recruit, Jason Terry, spent the majority of his career playing and contending with Dallas. It was with Terry that the Mavs won the 2006 Western Conference championship and, of course, the 2011 NBA title.

Back in Texas for the first time this year, Terry will look to put on a show and demonstrate that he made the right choice by signing in Boston.

Get NBA odds for the playoff push at Bovada.

Over the years, the NBA has been gifted with an immense amount of talent and highly competitive athletes, including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell.

Players like Jordan, Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant or Larry Bird were all significant parts within their teams, and each superstar came through when his teammates needed him. But it was an entire team, not just one individual, that played the biggest part in a 72-win season or 33-game winning streak.

While LeBron James and Co. are chasing history, let’s take a look back at the reigning top 10 teams of all time — and wonder whether this year’s Miami Heat could soon join their ranks.

Click here to see the top 10 NBA teams of all time >>

Philadelphia acquired Andrew Bynum from the Lakers in a four-team trade back in August and the big man was expected to make the 76ers instant contenders in a weak Eastern Conference.

On Tuesday, the Sixers announced Bynum will undergo arthroscopic surgery on both knees, thus ending his entire season without having appeared in a single game.

“After many months of rehabilitation and consulting with numerous doctors, Andrew and the doctors treating him determined that this is the best course of action at this point,” 76ers general manager Tony DiLeo said in a statement. “We will continue to monitor and evaluate his status moving forward.”

The 25-year-old former lottery pick is a restricted free-agent after this season and may very well never play a single game in a Philly uniform.

Avery Bradley

Getting out of Philadelphia with a 109-101 victory therefore was a mission accomplished, but the Celtics were not without flaws in the game. Somehow, they managed to commit 22 turnovers, which might be the most impressive statistic of the entire night. It was the only thing that kept the Sixers in the game, long after the fans at the Wells Fargo Center had grimly accepted the fate of another defeat.

“It’s amazing we turned it over and won,” Rivers said. “That’s what they do. They do a great job of forcing turnovers, but overall I loved our effort.”

Not only was the Celtics’ 22 cough-ups a season-high, it was their most in a game since Feb. 19 of last season. The Celtics had committed 22 turnovers or more in a game just four previous times since 2010. All told, it was a dazzling display of carelessness with the basketball.

This was damaging enough against the Sixers, who for all their youth and inexperience protect the ball very well. With all due respect to Rivers, forcing turnovers is not “what they do.” Despite committing the second-fewest turnovers in the NBA, the Sixers have a negative turnover differential because their opponents commit the 10th-fewest in the league. On the list of reasons the Sixers are mired near the bottom of the Atlantic Division, that is a good place to start.

All the turnovers by the Celtics helped the Sixers score an absurd (for them) 64 points in the paint, however, since turnovers tend to translate into layups on the break or in secondary transition as the defense scrambles back into position. This is a warning sign for Wednesday, when the league’s toughest defensive squad awaits the Celtics in Indiana. The Pacers are not known as ball thieves, either. They only force 13.6 turnovers per game, fewer than the Sixers do, and less than 13 percent of their opponents’ possessions end in a turnover. But they do possess the league’s toughest overall defense at only 96.2 points per 100 possessions.

The Pacers do not need any help shutting down an offense, so Tuesday’s performance will be a teachable moment for Rivers. Missing shots, which the Pacers will force them to do, and turning the ball over will be a bad combination for the Celtics.

“When we watch film in the morning, Doc will get on us about it,” Bradley said. “We’ll fix it. We just have to keep continuing to play the way we’re playing, taking steps forward and not taking steps back.”

The Celtics got the win, while Pierce and Garnett were able to watch the closing moments from the leisure of the bench. There are still elements to be cleaned up, though, and they should not be glossed over just because the Celtics escaped with an ugly win over a bad team.

Have a question for Ben Watanabe? Send it to him via Twitter at @BenjeeBallgame or send it here.

Final, Celtics 109-101:

Avery Bradley led all scorers with 22 points and Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett added 18 each, but the Celtics’ bench served as the difference. Boston’s reserves outscored Philadelphia’s backups 41-22, helping the Celtics escape even though seven Sixers players reached double figures in scoring.

The Celtics (32-27) end up with a needed win to start a two-game, two-day road trip that continues Wednesday against a tough Pacers squad.

Fourth quarter, :39.5, Celtics 103-96: Almost as if he just wanted to prove they could get there, Pierce committed the 22nd turnover to establish a new season high for the Celtics. Turner drew the foul as Garnett goaltended his bank shot, and the game is elongated.

The Sixers probably do not have much of a shot, but this is still a shoddier ending than the Celtics need it to be.

Fourth quarter, 2:25, Celtics 99-89: Even with a season-high 21 turnovers, the Celtics keep tossing lazy passes. It is almost as though they are not watching the game. The Sixers are barely alive here, but the Celtics are letting them stay tantalizingly close.

Fourth quarter, 4:43, Celtics 97-85: These turnovers are starting to become laughable. With nearly five minutes to go, the Celtics have 21 turnovers, an unusually high number especially since Rajon Rondo’s season-ending injury.

The Celtics’ carelessness with the ball has helped the Sixers build up their 56 points in the paint, since turnovers tend to lead to layups or dunks. It is the only thing keeping the Sixers in this game. The only thing. If Pierce was not hitting every three he took (he’s 4-for-4 from deep), the Celtics could be in real trouble.

Fourth quarter, 7:56, Celtics 91-76: With a healthy dose of Rivers’ guidance and Garnett’s intimidation, Crawford might just work out for the Celtics. Crawford faded into the corner on the break, collected a pass from Terrence Williams and buried a three to push Boston’s lead to 15 points. The Celtics are on an 11-2 run spanning the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth.

Fourth quarter, 10:42, Celtics 86-74: The Jordan Crawford Show is warming up here in the fourth. With the Celtics in need of a spark off their bench, since the starters will need to play shorter minutes on the first end of a back-to-back, Crawford popped off the pine and scored five quick points to help Boston’s cause.

Crawford stepped off a pick and hit a three, then banked home a runner against three defenders within 36 seconds to grow the Celtics’ lead to 12 points.

End of third quarter, Celtics 79-74: Maybe it is the ghosts of Wilt Chamberlain and Hal Greer, but the Celtics just cannot seem to win any easy ones in Philly.

When Pierce hit a three to give Boston a 14-point advantage, this one should have been over. But some careless turnovers by the Celtics — both their starters and reserves — helped the Sixers push back into contention. They ended the quarter on an 8-0 run with Holiday, who has taken a backseat to Bradley for much of this game, dropping two pairs of free throws.

The Sixers point guard has 14 points and 10 assists heading into the final 12 minutes. Bradley has 22 points, five assists and five rebounds.

Third quarter, 4:04, Celtics 71-60: Bradley continues his hot shooting, reaching 20 points before anybody on the Sixers has surpassed 13, yet not even Bradley is feeling it as much as Pierce.

Pierce drained a heavily contested three from the left wing to build the Celtics’ lead to 14 points and make the captain a perfect 3-for-3 from deep. Pierce has 10 rebounds and six assists so far in another all-around performance. If it were not for some untimely turnovers and unnecessary fouls, he would be having a near-perfect game.

Third quarter, 9:50, Celtics 59-48: March must be Bradley’s month. It was March, remember, when Bradley came on and eventually replaced Ray Allen for good, more or less, and he may be up to his old tricks. Early in the third quarter Bradley has a game-high 18 points and has scored four of Boston’s first six points to begin the second half.

Halftime, Celtics 53-46: It says a lot that these teams played a breakneck pace (for them) yet they have not even totaled 100 points by halftime.

Neither team seemed to want to take control in the first half, as the Celtics repeatedly looked ready to run away and hide before the Sixers fired back to narrow the gap. Pierce closed out the first half by scoring eight of the last 16 points to protect Boston’s lead heading into the locker room.

Bradley is the high man at the break, leading three Celtics players in double figures with 14 points. The Celtics hold a 26-18 edge on the glass and have held the Sixers to 2-for-11 shooting from outside, which is crucial because Philly owns a 34-22 advantage in points in the paint.

If the Celtics are to stay ahead and put the lowly Sixers in their place, they need to continue to keep the Sixers in check from beyond the arc while also clamping down in the paint. The Sixers are unlikely to help them out by turning over the ball. The Sixers have committed the second-fewest turnovers in all of basketball.

Second quarter, 3:11, Celtics 46-40: The Celtics decided to not hang onto the ball for a stretch, which turned out to be a great strategy for getting Philly back into the game. After a couple wild exchanges, Turner threw down a dunk to pull the Sixers within one point.

Then Bradley answered with a jumper and Pierce followed with a contested three to extend Boston’s lead again. And all it took was holding on to the ball. Imagine that.

Second quarter, 6:01, Celtics 36-34: In all fairness, referees allow Garnett to be very liberal with his screen-setting. The Big Ticket uses a lot of hands and elbows to help his teammates get free.

When officials suddenly decide to crack down, Garnett therefore can get himself in a lot of trouble quickly. Garnett already has two fouls for illegal screens, which is about the only thing marring his performance so far. Garnett has 10 points and has helped the Celtics own a 17-14 advantage on the glass.

Second quarter, 8:57, Celtics 30-23: After a relatively scoring-friendly first quarter, both these defense-oriented teams reverted to form in the second quarter.

It took close to two full minutes before either team finally got on the board. Jason Terry slipped into the lane on a screen-and-roll with Garnett and flipped the ball to a sliding KG for the layup to end the drought. Two possessions later, Terry got past Ivey on the baseline and drew a shooting foul to extend the Celtics’ lead to seven points, their largest lead thus far.

End of first quarter, Celtics 26-23: This Jeff Green guy can play a little bit. It sure is a good thing the Celtics locked him up with a long-term contract, eh, haters? Green ends the first quarter knotted with Bradley for the team lead in scoring, at seven points apiece. Green has scored in his typical array of ways, draining corner threes and posting up early to get himself into position to score or be fouled.

Still, the most impressive man so far has been Holiday. Philly’s young point guard, who was also signed to a multi-year contract at the beginning of the year, is completely in control. He has eight points on 4-for-6 shooting and four assists with no turnovers at the end of one.

First quarter, 3:15, Celtics 20-19: Bradley and Holiday are having a duel, with the two point guards exchanging blows in a back-and-forth game early. Holiday earned the early lead with his controlled ballhandling and tough defense on Bradley, which took the Celtics guard out of his game a bit.

Bradley has responded by getting his offense before Holiday or the Sixers have a chance to dig in on defense. Bradley scored on a floater in transition and then pulled up on the break for an elbow jump shot to give the Celtics the lead back.

First quarter, 5:58, Sixers 17-11: Spencer Hawes’ fall is shocking. The veteran center was never All-Star caliber, but last year he was a key piece of a team that made it to the East semis and was one of their better playmakers in the halfcourt.

This year, Hawes has been terrible. Never a defensive stopper, Hawes looked silly trying to stop Garnett in the early going. Garnett hit his first three shots to give Boston and early lead, but fortunately for Hawes his teammates were not as ineffective. Jrue Holiday, one of the most improved players in the league this year, has six points and two assists in the early going. The Sixers point guard looks to be having little trouble with Avery Bradley’s pressure defense.

6:06 p.m.: Paul Pierce has been dealing with a pain in his neck for some time. But that won’t keep the Celtics forward from being a pain in the neck for the Sixers.

Pierce, who is battling a pinched nerve in his neck that is also causing numbness down his back and in his leg, is not expected to miss any time on Boston’s current two-game, back-to-back road trip. Celtics coach Doc Rivers has said that Pierce, as well as Kevin Garnett, has an open offer to sit out a game whenever he chooses. But Pierce has played in all 58 games the Celtics have played to this point.

This is great news for Sixers fans, who get their chance to boo one of the most despised professional athletes among Philadelphia sports fans. Seriously, they really, really hate the guy. Trust me.

The projected starters appear below.

Celtics
Kevin Garnett
Brandon Bass
Paul Pierce
Courtney Lee
Avery Bradley

Sixers
Spencer Hawes
Thaddeus Young
Evan Turner
Royal Ivey
Jrue Holiday

3:26 p.m.: Nobody in Philly seems particularly optimistic about Bynum suiting up this season.

Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer joined the chorus on Tuesday with a revealing column on the big man, who seems even farther from playing for the Sixers — ever — after saying last week that he would not play with pain. Sixers beat reporters found this little detail, uh, interesting.

In other words, do not worry about Kevin Garnett having to bang down low with Bynum in this one, or in any game, honestly, for quite some time.

8 a.m. ET: As the Celtics brought an end to their three-day break on Monday, they talked about this being the stretch run. If they intend to make another late-season push and make noise in the playoffs, they must start now.

Their quest begins in one of the key locations of last year’s run. Philadelphia, home of the struggling 76ers (23-35), will welcome the Celtics (31-27) in a showdown of two teams who have reacted very differently to major injuries to their stars. The Celtics have bounced back in a big way from the loss of Rajon Rondo, winning 11 of 15 games since the point guard went down with a torn right ACL. The Sixers started off valiantly without Andrew Bynum, the hobbled center who came over from Los Angeles in an offseason trade, but they have faded back and now have little realistic chance of making the playoffs.

Having won two straight, the Celtics are beginning a key stretch. Four of their next six games are on the road, with three straight challenging foes in Indiana, Atlanta and Oklahoma City to follow. That makes this game doubly important, as a loss could mean the start of a long drought.

Join us for updates and analysis during the game, which tips off at 7 p.m. ET.

Doug Collins

By Collins’ account, he has even gone to team executives Rod Thorn and Tony DiLeo to ask for advice on how he should turn around a Sixers’ season that has gone south.

“If everybody looked at themselves as much as I did, this world would be a CAT scan,” Collins told reporters. “There’s not two days that go by that I don’t go to Rod, that I don’t go to Tony, and say, ‘What can I do? Can I do anything different? How can I be a better coach? How can I be a better leader? How can I help these guys?’ Sometimes, you’ve got to help yourself.”

Whereas Collins’ accountability is refreshing, he is being too kind to his bosses. The Sixers’ struggles did not begin two weeks ago, when they were blown out by the Lakers to start their current six-game losing streak, or in early December, when a 10-6 start devolved into a 9-20 record over the next two months. Their struggles began Aug. 10, when they dealt their best player, a promising rookie and a young center primed for a breakout campaign for a mercurial, injury-prone Andrew Bynum.

This is not second-guessing the move, which was roundly lauded inside and outside of Philadelphia when it was made. This is simply reasserting the first guesses that were made immediately and shortly thereafter when the four-way trade was made last summer.

Not wanting to pile on, since Bynum has yet to play for the Sixers as his hair and bowling exploits have dominated the headlines, we have held off from the “I told you sos” for a long time. But this is it. We told you so.

The Sixers’ eagerness to land Bynum was understandable. When the opportunity arises to add an All-Star level center, teams usually need to seize that opportunity. The Lakers won the quest for Dwight Howard last year, but they had ample competition from Brooklyn, Houston and Dallas. If the Sixers had not joined the fray, some other team would have helped facilitate the deal to acquire Bynum while sending Howard to Los Angeles.

There was always reason for trepidation, though, and not all of it had to do with Bynum’s shaky injury history. Andre Iguodala, for all the criticism he attracted, was the unique wing player who could affect the game with his defense, which was as valuable as any 20-point scorer. Maurice Harkless was a top-15 pick with tangible skills that a coach like Collins could exploit. Nikola Vucevic, 22, was a young big man whose potential should have been obvious.

Although Iguodala was an All-Star, Vucevic might be the most unforgivable piece the Sixers included in the trade. The 6-foot-10, 250-pound youngster from Switzerland by way of USC averaged a double-double per 36 minutes as a rookie in Philadelphia and showed no unusual signs of fragility. (He has played in all 57 games for Orlando this year.) He was under team control through 2015 for no more than $1.8 million until the fourth year of his rookie contract. So far for the Magic, he is averaging 12.3 points and 11.5 rebounds per game.

Bynum, meanwhile, is an outstanding talent — when he is on the court, which is virtually never. He was due $16.8 million this season, which he has presumably poured into bad haircuts, and is eligible for a huge raise this summer as an unrestricted free agent. His reputation for misbehavior precedes him, a drastic departure from the respect the squeaky-clean Iguodala commanded in Philadelphia’s locker room.

While the Lakers’ season has lurched forward in fits and starts, the Sixers so far are the massive losers in the deal. The rebuilding Magic have a solid, low-cost pivot, and the Nuggets are fighting for a top-four playoff seed with Iguodala improving the team’s defense by nearly seven points per 100 possessions. The Sixers are 22-33, ostensibly only two spots out of the playoffs but realistically light years from postseason contention. A once-exciting young team has crumbled into a major disappointment as a result of its “blockbuster” deal, and the Sixers should have seen it coming.

Have a question for Ben Watanabe? Send it to him via Twitter at @BenjeeBallgame or send it here.

Hawks forward Josh Smith, Clippers guard Eric Bledsoe, Jazz big men Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap and numerous other players whose names came up in multiple trade rumors in the lead-up to the deadline surprisingly stayed put. Blockbuster deals involving Dwight Howard, Kevin Garnett or Rajon Rondo never came to pass, with many of the bigger deals consisting of solid but unspectacular players like J.J. Redick and Ronnie Brewer.

After weeks of striking down reports that Garnett, Rondo and even Paul Pierce were on the trading block, the Celtics held true to their word and did not make a major shakeup. They did make a minor deal, adding guard Jordan Crawford from Washington in exchange for a couple of expiring deals, but the team’s three All-Stars will finish out the season as Celtics.

NESN.com’s Doug Kyed sat down with Ben Watanabe to talk about deadline day, which featured some interesting developments despite the lack of a star-studded trade.

Listen in the player below or subscribe on iTunes to download it there.

4:20 p.m.: 

Both players were moved for second-round picks, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. So, there’s that.

3:50 p.m.: Perhaps the biggest surprise of the trade deadline were the players who were not dealt. Eric Bledsoe stayed with the Clippers, Josh Smith stuck with the Hawks, Andrea Bargnani is still a Raptor and the Jazz kept Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo are all still Celtics, as well.

3:44 p.m.: As part of the J.J. Redick deal, the Bucks will send Doron Lamb, Tobias Harris and Beno Udrih to the Magic, according to Wojo. Gustavo Ayon and Ish Smith were sent to the Bucks along with Redick.

Harris and Lamb are both young players who have shown occasional flashes in Milwaukee. Udrih will serve as a backup to Jameer Nelson.

3:26 p.m.: Ronnie Brewer was one of the few members of this year’s Knicks who consistently defended his position, and now it appears he is gone. The Knicks sent Brewer to the Thunder for a second round pick, HoopsWorld’s Alex Kennedy reports, and the veteran guard/forward was just told of the move.

All in all, this is not a horrible move for Brewer. The Thunder are one of the league’s top teams and are all but assured of a deep playoff run. At the same time, Brewer’s main skills — defense and corner 3-point shooting — are somewhat redundant to Thabo Sefolosha’s. And Sefolosha has the benefit of already being entrenched in OKC’s rotation.

3:16 p.m.: Say goodbye to Jason Collins, Celtics fans. The veteran backup has been included in the deal that will bring Crawford to Boston, according to Wojo. (There is that guy again.)

This could mean that the traded involves more than a straight-up one-for-one swap that was reported earlier. Collins also makes the veteran’s minimum, and the Wizards are below the salary cap, so they could absord the extra expiring salary if they wish.

3:11 p.m.: The Hawks appear to have decided to hold on to Josh Smith, but Danny Ferry did not spend the deadline just sitting around. The Hawks have flipped Atlanta-area native Anthony Morrow to the Mavericks for Dahntay Jones, per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, so there is that.

3:04 p.m.: Do not close the book on the Celtics’ deadline wheeling and dealing just yet. CSNNE’s Net’s A. Sherrod Blakely tweeted that he ran into Ainge, who was still on the phone, suggesting that Boston’s work may not be done.

As for that pesky Redick deal, Orlando is reportedly sending Gustavo Ayon and Ish Smith to Milwaukee as well. The Magic will get Hakim Warrick in a separate deal with Charlotte, while the Bobcats get Josh McRoberts.

Or something like that.

2:59 p.m.: Trying to sort this all out, but it appears that J.J. Redick has been traded to the Bucks, per multiple reports. Who the Magic will receive in return or whether there is another team involved is unclear. One thing that seems to be certain is that it is not a three-way deal involving the Hawks, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.

Also, Eric Maynor indeed is headed to Portland. The Thunder will get the Blazers’ trade exception in exchange for the backup point guard. Boston College alum Reggie Jackson now becomes Russell Westbrook’s primary backup.

Stick with us for updates well past the deadline in one minute, since teams can take extra time to finalize deals in process.

2:47 p.m.: Around the NBA, executives are picking up the phone and just punching numbers randomly, hoping to get a representative from another team on the line. If teams are in serious discussions as of 3 p.m. ET, they are allowed to continue those discussions.

As a result, the last-minute reports are coming fast and furious.

ESPN’s Marc Stein reports the Thunder are working on a deal to send Eric Maynor to Portland, and Orlando Sentinel beat reporter Josh Robbins reports that the Magic have a three-way deal in place that could send J.J. Redick to Milwaukee.

General managers, the clock is ticking.

2:38 p.m.: With a little more than 20 minutes remaining until the deadline, J.J. Hickson is still trying to work his way out of Portland. The 24-year-old forward has had a resurgence with the Blazers, but he would like to join the talented-laden squad in Brooklyn, according to Sheridan Hoops.

Dishing Hickson would not be the worst thing for Portland, either. His $4 million deal is not gigantic, but it does have some value on the trade market since he has far outplayed that number by averaging 12.9 points and 10.4 rebounds this season.

Regardless, Chris Sheridan adds that a deal getting done by 3 p.m. ET is unlikely.

2:10 p.m.: More huge news (not), this time out of Toronto. Sebastian Telfair appears to be headed north of the border. The Suns have completed a deal to send Bassy to the Raptors for Hamed Haddadi, reports Chris Broussard.

1:47 p.m.: Here comes the boom. Jordan Crawford AND Dexter Pittman will both be traded, according to Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Trade deadline excitement does exist.

Seriously, though, the Celtics’ reported pickup of Crawford does help Boston in its current roster crunch. Who has been sent to Washington is unclear, but it presumably is rookie center Fab Melo, who was connected in a deal with Washington earlier. Leandro Barbosa is also an option. Melo and Barbosa each make about the same as Crawford’s $1.2 million, so a straight-up trade could include one or the other, but not both.

Crawford would give the Celtics an extra body in the backcourt, where they are down to just three healthy rotation players plus Terrence Williams, who is on a 10-day contract.

Pittman’s deal is much less exciting. The Grizzlies agreed to take the 24-year-old center and a second-round pick in exchange for the trade exception Memphis received when it sent Sam Young to Philadelphia last March.

1:38 p.m.: We now take a break from your regularly scheduled trade deadline coverage to bring you a bizarre story involving Metta World Peace — as if there are any other types when it comes to this guy.

World Peace reportedly had to be woken up by police when his nephew and some of his nephews friends were “playing” with fake guns outside World Peace’s condo early Tuesday morning. The Lakers forward, donning Cookie Monster pajamas, apparently explained the situation to police and everybody walked away with a good laugh.

Hey, we told you deadline day wouldn’t be totally boring.

1:10 p.m.: The earl of NBA beat reporters, Adrian Wojnarowski, is feverishly working the rumor mill on this deadline day. And guess what he thinks will go down this afternoon?

Asked one GM what he had: "We're down to bulls--- text message offers from people who couldn't keep a straight face if they called."

—
Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) February 21, 2013

So, there you go.

12:57 p.m.: The San Jose Mercury News and The San Francisco Chronicle have been mostly silent on this, but we will forward this rumor anyway. Apparently the Warriors and Hornets have talked about a Klay Thompson-Eric Gordon swap, which has been reported by Warriors TV analyst Ric Bucher and reposted on numerous Warriors-themed blogs.

This seems unlikely. Truthfully, it seems outright idiotic for the Warriors, who would surrender a 23-year-old shooter on a long-term rookie deal for an injury-prone combo guard who is in the first season of a four-year, $50 million deal.

12:40 p.m.: Here is an often overlooked aspect of deadline day: The expiration of trade exceptions.

Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld has a look inside nine trade exceptions for seven teams that effectively expire if not used by 3 p.m. Thursday. The Lakers, Nuggets, Bucks, Net, Clippers and Grizzlies — all of whom have been active in actual or rumored deals in the lead-up to the deadline — have trade exceptions of $1.2 million each or more.

The Spurs also have an $854,000 trade exception for last year’s T.J. Ford deal, but they have been less active in trade reports beyond the long-standing knowledge that DeJuan Blair is available.

12:35 p.m.: J.J. Redick has been on the trading block for weeks, but the Magic may not want to part with him if they can help it. He may not be a part of Orlando’s long-term future, since he is a free agent at the end of this year, but if the Magic get any worse offensively it could get embarrassing.

Redick is one of the few shot-makers on the Magic’s roster. For the 12th straight game, the Magic shot a lower 3-point percentage than their opponent. That’s a lot of games and a lot of bad shooting.

12:18 p.m.: If the Celtics truly are interested in Jordan Crawford’s services, they may have some competition. The Mavericks are also said to be interested in the Wizards guard, whose shot selection is known to be, er, liberal. That said, Crawford is unlikely to bring much in return for Washington. As mention earlier, the Celtics would probably be willing to part with Fab Melo, but not much else.

12:06 p.m.: The Nets are never far from any trade talk, and from the sound of it they are extremely interested in adding Josh Smith. But if the Fighting Prokhorovs fail in their pursuit of the Atlanta forward, they are expected to stand pat at the trade deadline, Yahoo! Sports reports.

Since the Nets are far above the $70.3 million luxury tax line — they are responsible for more than $85.5 million next season in the first year of the new collective bargaining agreement’s more prohibitive luxury tax — they could not sign Smith outright this summer without making other moves to shed salary.

11:59 a.m.: Uh, oh. These Celtics-Clippers rumors simply will not die. Now Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, who is usually on top of these things, reports that the Clippers are still interested in getting a deal done with the Celts.

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge expressed annoyance in an interview with Bulpett over other teams’ tendency to leak reports of their discussions. Ainge had to have been talking about the Clippers, and to a lesser extent the Hawks, who have been incredibly loose-lipped in the past few weeks.

11:35 a.m.: Tyreke Evans’ next stop could be… Boston?

The Celtics have expressed interest in the 6-foot-6 swingman before, and their interest may have been rekindled, according to ESPN. Marc Stein reports that the Celtics may make one more run at Evans Thursday, probably hoping to get some sort of discount in the waning hours before the deadline.

For what it’s worth, the trusted Jason Jones says, not so fast.

11:18 a.m.: The Kings might not be done dealing. According to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee, the team could explore trading Tyreke Evans.

Also hearing Kings could revisit dealing Tyreke Evans. His knee injury slowed talks when he might have been traded earlier this season

—
Jason Jones (@mr_jasonjones) February 21, 2013

Ridding themselves of Evans, who has regressed each year since winning the Rookie of the Year award in 2010 (because Blake Griffin was injured), would not be the worst thing for the Kings. Evans has never been the player he was as a rookie, when he averaged 20.1 points per game and started all 72 games he played in.

Since then, Evans has lost his starting job to the deserving Isaiah Thomas and even been shifted to small forward on occasion.

11:09 a.m.: Thanks to Kosta Koufos’ emergence and JaVale McGee’s sizable contract, the Nuggets do not really have room for Timofey Mozgov in their post rotation. Reports over the last few weeks have indicated that they would like to deal the 26-year-old Russian, and the Heat have registered some interest, although it is unclear what Miami can offer that Denver would want.

10:43 a.m.: The Hawks really seem to want to rid themselves of Smith, but no other team appears willing to bite. That should tell you something.

Smith is a perfectly fine player and an enticing 6-foot-9, super-athletic wing forward, but he tends to fall in love with his shaky jumper and his impressive stats have never translated into much success in the wins department. What’s more, he is due to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and he has told reporters that he fancies himself a maximum contract player.

If Smith wants $20 million or more per year, he is too pricey. But if some team acquired him at the deadline, they probably would feel pressured to give him his money to justify the move — then regret it for the next five years.

10:35 a.m.: Not quite sure what to make of these Josh Smith-Monta Ellis rumors. One minute, the Hawks and Bucks are talking. The next minute, one side or the other is striking down the rumor. Get used to this sort of back-and-forth in the next five hours.

10:25 a.m.: Fab Melo, we hardly knew you. According to ESPN’s Chris Broussard (I know, I know), the Celtics are dangling rookie center Fab Melo as bait to land a perimeter scorer like Washington’s Jordan Crawford.

With Fab Melo as the bait, Celtics looking to add perimeter scoring. Wizards' Jordan Crawford available @ on their radar

—
Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) February 21, 2013

Crawford has one year remaining on his rookie contract before he becomes a restricted free agent after next season.

10:12 a.m.: The Maloofs are a menace that needs to be weeded out of the NBA. Fortunately, that time seems to be fast approaching. Unfortunately, it did not appear quickly enough to keep them from ruining their own franchise and, now, their current roster.

The Kings made the inexcusable move of dumping rookie Thomas Robinson, the No. 5 pick in the last draft, along with Francisco Garcia and Tyler Honeycutt on Wednesday night. In return, the Kings got Patrick Patterson, Cole Adrich and Toney Douglas, none of whom is anything beyond a role player. Patterson is an effective scorer but in non-existent on the glass or on defense.

Robinson, 21, has been far from a standout so far. He averaged just 4.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in 51 games in Sacramento, but he was a young player on an affordable rookie contract who was worth the project. He was the kind of player a new ownership group could have molded in the organization’s new image. Instead, he is the latest victim of the Maloofs incompetence and awfulness.

8 a.m. ET: Everybody is on the clock. The NBA trade deadline arrives Thursday at 3 p.m. ET, marking the last chance this season for teams to add that last pivotal player to put them over the hump — or to dump that extra salary or free-agent-to-be before it is too late.

As usual, the run-up to the deadline has featured no shortage of rumors. Some are intriguing. Some are absurd, like the Nets’ reported offer of Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks and a draft pick for Paul Pierce. Seriously, Billy King? That was the best you could come up with for one of the all-time great Celtics?

There are plenty of more realistic deals to ponder, however. The Hawks really seem to want to move Josh Smith, the power forward who stuffs the box score but has yet to lead Atlanta to any real success. Interest in Smith, as one might expect, is tepid. The Jazz are expected to move either Al Jefferson or Paul Millsap if they can, as both members of Utah’s front line become free agents at the end of the season. A Millsap-Eric Bledsoe swap with the Clippers makes tons of sense for the Jazz, but the Clips would need to be really sure Chris Paul is re-signing this summer before they send away the 23-year-old guard.

A few teams would love to have Dwight Howard, no matter how far below his potential he has played this season. But Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak threw cold water on any Howard trade scenarios by reiterating that the Lakers will not trade the big man this season. Sorry, folks.

Join us throughout the day for updates and analysis for the moves, big and small, that take place right up to the last minute.