The Celtics' Last Christmas Day Game Ever?

Since the Boston Celtics won the KG Sweepstakes back in 2007, the Celtics have been a fixture on the NBA's Christmas Day slate of games.  And ever since, we've been eagerly waiting for the games.  We open presents on Christmas morning, and then wait for the presents in the afternoon from KG, Ray Allen's traitorous body, and Paul Pierce.  One year we even traveled all of the way to Orlando to watch the game in 2009.  Ubuntu was strong back then, even if Doc Rivers believes that it happened "4 or 5 years ago".

The NBA showcases its best players and teams on Christmas Day, it even featured the Providence Steamrollers back in 1947.  The Celtics have been one of those teams now for 6 years.  But with a paltry 13-13 record leading up to this year's tilt with the Brooklyn Nets, the most intriguing thing about this game might just be whether this is the Celtics' last game on Christmas Day for a while.  Well, unless you like fights and ejections in the NBA, then you might like this Celtics-Nets games...for entirely different reasons.

Before Rondo yelled "Fight!"

See, the Celtics are mired in 8th place in the Eastern Conference, just one game ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers for that final playoff spot.  And things are just going to get worse, before they get better.  Even though KG is signed for two more years, he's on his last legs in his hall of fame career.  Rajon Rondo is such a head case, that he might be unloaded for a first round draft choice next year.  Paul Pierce has a player option for the 2013--14 season and is expected to exercise his option to stay, but after 15 seasons, he's ready to hang them up.  The rest of this team, while featuring some nice complimentary pieces like Avery Bradley and Jared Sullinger, don't really have a Plan B when Pierce and KG are done.  And no, Fab Melo is not the answer.  Suspicious signings like Jason Terry, Leandro Barbosa and Courtney Lee only serve to underscore the free fall the Celtics actually appear to be in.

And the NBA doesn't want mediocre teams on its marquee day, so the League might be moving on after the 2012-13 season.

Justin Bieber singing Little Drummer Boy before the Celtics-Nets game?   Add to that the fact that ESPN only wants to talk about the fight in that game last month.  Yep, things are getting pretty iffy in here.

Welcome to the Barclays Center!  We pick up the action in the middle of the Second Quarter with the Celtics leading the Nets 48-34.  Rajon Rondo and Jared Sullinger are leading the team in scoring with 7 and 9 points each.  The Nets seem to have come out flat and the crowd appears restless.  The Celtics take the Second Quarter by 16 points after a slow First Quarter (Apparently) and lead the Nets at halftime, 56-42.  Sullinger and Rondo both lead the team with 10 points and KG has 8 points.

The 3rd Quarter is much like the Second Quarter with the uneven pace continuing.  The Celtics go up by 21, then a brief run from the Nets leads to them only trailing by 8 midway through the Quarter.  Another run by the Celtics then pushed the game back to 15 by the end of the Quarter.  The Fourth Quarter also features some more pushing and shoving as Gerald Wallace puts on his thug mask yet again and tries to de-pants KG after a foul under the Nets hoop, with the lame excuse of trying to keep his balance.  Some pushing and shoving only led to a couple of silly Technicals and nothing more.  Ultimately, the Nets don't put up much of a fight as the Celtics prevail 93-76 in a fairly easy walkover.  Worse yet, Kris Humphries decides to keep the skirt on and registers a DNP.  Hmmph.

The Celtics may not be Christmas Day material much longer, but they sure are fighting for every last chance at remaining a marquee team.  And it can't be any worse then the Rockets and Bulls later tonight.