Kevin Garnett

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff Your move, Papelbon. Celtics center Kevin Garnett took a shot at Sixers fans after Game 5 Monday night when asked to compare crowd at TD Garden in Boston to the one at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. "Not even close," said Garnett. "You got fans and then you got fair-weather fans. Take that how you want. " The Celtics have to play Game 6 in Philadelphia Wednesday night, so the timing for the bulletin board material might not be the best.

PHILADELPHIA - Thanks to Doc Rivers's greatest fear being realized and an offense that consistently bogged down - resulting in poor percentage shots to beat the shot clock - the Celtics have put themselves in a position they were desperately hoping to avoid. Having to win a decisive seventh game against the gutty Sixers at TD Garden Saturday. They know they have only themselves to blame following Wednesday night's 82-75 Game 6 loss. "We didn't have it," said Rivers simply, after Boston was done in by 17 turnovers, while shooting just 26 for 78 (33.3 percent)

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff Brandon Bass scored 18 points in the third quarter and 27 points for the game as the Celtics turned on the intensity after halftime and ran away from the Philadelphia 76ers, 101-85, in Game 5 at TD Garden. The Celtics trailed by four at halftime, but Bass's unlikely outburst was the catalyst for a third quarter that saw the Celtics shoot 61 percent and hold Philadelphia to 33 percent shooting. Bass was 6 for 7 in the third; Rajon Rondo assisted on 7 of Boston's 11 field goals in the period.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff PHILADELPHIA -- As expected, the Celtics and Sixers refrained from fanning the flames Wednesday morning in regard to comments made by Kevin Garnett about Philadelphia fans. Garnett called Sixers fans "fair-weather" fans after Game 5 Monday night. A reporter from a local television station here tried to get Garnett to talk about the comments as he walked onto the court this morning for his team's shootaround. Garnett smiled, then laughed, and kept walking.

Kevin Garnett turns 36 on Saturday, a youthful age for any man, except for the rare ones with nearly 55,000 punishing minutes absorbed on an NBA floor. Garnett knows all the ageist labels attached to the Boston Celtics. How they're called The Over The Hill Gang, and the wisecracks about flashing AARP cards before they check into a game, and how each crucial postseason game raises questions about The Big Three's last hurrah. The Celtics have known since training camp a championship run centered around Garnett, 36-year-old Ray Allen, and 34-year-old Paul Pierce was on its last legs.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff PHILADELPHIA -- Things fall apart. A big first-half lead and the Celtics' hopes of an easy series fell hard Friday night with an 92-83 loss at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers. There will be a Game 6 next week in Philadelphia. Talk of a potential Celtics-Pacers Conference Finals turned out to be premature. With a towel wrapped around his head, Kevin Garnett sat and stared at the box score in one corner of the Celtics locker room after Game 4. He's accustomed to staring at his numbers after each game, but he usually...

PHILADELPHIA - It might have been respect for Elton Brand that kept Lavoy Allen out of the 76ers' starting lineup in Game 4, but it wasn't Allen's production. Even though coach Doug Collins made it clear that he didn't intend to change his starters, Collins gave the minutes to the player who deserved them on Friday night, and that was Allen. With the Sixers needing to contain Kevin Garnett - who finished with just 9 points on 3-of-12 shooting - those duties fell to Allen, who performed admirably, especially as the game wore on and the Sixers drew closer.

The Philadelphia 76ers' aggressiveness disrupted the Celtics' offense in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Monday night. And the Celtics were their own worst enemies as late-game execution miscues contributed to an 82-81 loss at TD Garden. This was the fourth successive skin-tight contest for the Celtics, who concluded their first-round series against Atlanta with a 1-point loss and a 3-point victory. The Celtics staggered through much of Game 1 before taking a 92-91 decision over Philadelphia, generating a feeling that if they performed up to standards the second game would be...

WALTHAM - The disappointment and regret the Celtics felt after blowing an 18-point lead in Game 4 against the 76ers was apparent at Sunday's practice. The Celtics now must respond in Game 5 at TD Garden Monday night or face an even more desperate situation. While losing Friday night ruined the Celtics' opportunity to take control of the Eastern Conference semifinals and secure potential rest for a matchup with the Heat or Pacers, with the series tied, Boston is now attempting to focus solely on eliminating Philadelphia, which has proved a tough task.

Kevin Garnett will miss tonight's game vs. the Dallas Mavericks, according to a post to the Celtics' official Twitter page. Family matters is the reason given. According to the Globe's Gary Washburn, Garnett is likely to return Wednesday when the Celtics play the Thunder in Oklahoma City.

Kevin Garnett will miss the TD Garden crowd when the Celtics visit Philadelphia for Game 6 of their playoff series Wednesday night. "No comparison," Garnett said, talking about the Celtics' and Sixers' home crowds. "This crowd sparks you - it doesn't take much here, man," Garnett said when asked the response to an offensive foul call on him early in the third quarter of the Celtics' 101-85 win over the Sixers Monday night. What about the crowd in Philadelphia? "Not even close," said Garnett.

Kevin Garnett will miss the TD Garden crowd when the Celtics visit Philadelphia for Game 6 of their playoff series Wednesday night. "No comparison," Garnett said, talking about the Celtics' and Sixers' home crowds. "This crowd sparks you - it doesn't take much here, man," Garnett said when asked the response to an offensive foul call on him early in the third quarter of the Celtics' 101-85 win over the Sixers Monday night. "Speaking about this crowd, it's like plugging in, man - enthused from 48 minutes on, from the tip on," he added.

Kevin Garnett will miss the TD Garden crowd when the Celtics visit Philadelphia for Game 6 of their playoff series Wednesday night. "No comparison," Garnett said, talking about the Celtics' and Sixers' home crowds. "This crowd sparks you - it doesn't take much here, man," Garnett said when asked the response to an offensive foul call on him early in the third quarter of the Celtics' 101-85 win over the Sixers Monday night. "Speaking about this crowd, it's like plugging in, man - enthused from 48 minutes on, from the tip on," he added.

By Christopher L. Gasper, Globe Staff During the Celtics' gratifying playoff run, Kevin Garnett has become a basketball version of David Ortiz. Counted out, Garnett has staged a remarkable revival, evoking some of his best days. The Big Ticket and Big Papi are kindred souls of Boston sports. Both are 36 years old, both came to Boston from Minnesota, both have been doubted, dismissed and labeled diminished -- or worse -- as they approach the final straightaways of their distinguished careers.

As you watch the Celtics submit their own peculiar brand of Jekyll-Hyde basketball, please keep in mind one thing. This is Year 5 of a three-year plan. By rights, the Celtics easily could have been the Pistons already. But they could find themselves in the Finals. If you ask me, they've been playing with house money for two years. They're already handling what could be considered their declining years better than the original Big Three did. The overall circumstances of the respective Big Threes are different, beginning with the fact that Larry...

WALTHAM - The disappointment and regret the Celtics felt after blowing an 18-point lead in Game 4 against the 76ers was apparent at Sunday's practice. The Celtics now must respond in Game 5 at TD Garden Monday night or face an even more desperate situation. While losing Friday night ruined the Celtics' opportunity to take control of the Eastern Conference semifinals and secure potential rest for a matchup with the Heat or Pacers, with the series tied, Boston is now attempting to focus solely on eliminating Philadelphia, which has proved a tough task.

Kevin Garnett has several reasons to feel vindicated these days. One of his most demonstrable and emotive outbursts came after the Celtics' 102-98 win over Orlando Wednesday when he loudly proclaimed Chelsea FC's victory over Barcelona in a Champions League soccer game in London earlier in the day. Garnett's message, directed at a Celtics public relations staffer, seemed lost on most of the media awaiting his reaction to the Celtics clinching...

All-Star forward Kevin Garnett is returning to the Boston Celtics lineup after missing two games for personal reasons. Coach Doc Rivers says Garnett will play Wednesday night when the Celtics visit Oklahoma City. Boston will be without starting point guard Rajon Rondo, who is serving the second and final game of a suspension. The Celtics are also without forward Brandon Bass (knee) and centers Jermaine O'Neal (wrist) and Chris Wilcox (thigh) due to injuries. Rivers says Garnett is likely to play mostly at center because of the injuries.

WALTHAM - The disappointment and regret the Celtics felt after blowing an 18-point lead in Game 4 against the 76ers was apparent at Sunday's practice. The Celtics now must respond in Game 5 at TD Garden Monday night or face an even more desperate situation. While losing Friday night ruined the Celtics' opportunity to take control of the Eastern Conference semifinals and secure potential rest for a matchup with the Heat or Pacers, with the series tied, Boston is now attempting to focus solely on eliminating Philadelphia, which has proved a tough task.