We tried, we failed. Despite the best efforts of myself and others to get Monta Ellis in the NBA's vaunted H.O.R.S.E. contest, when the field was announced, Monta was nowhere to be found. Instead, we got defending champion Kevin Durant, shooting-impaired Celtics All-Star Rajon Rondo, and Israeli up-and-comer Omri Casspi. And with that announcement, a good idea died before it even got off the ground.

I was more of a fan than most of Durant's showing last year. Long arms and long threes are always exciting, especially from a seated position. But Rondo and Casspi are, to say the least, curious selections. Rondo is a master of seeing the court in unorthodox, seemingly arbitrary ways, but his only reliable scoring move is a streaking lay-up. I like Casspi's game a lot, but have absolutely nothing in my memory banks that would lead me to pick him for this event.

While last year's field of Durant, O.J. Mayo, and Joe Johnson wasn't perfect, for a first try, it wasn't bad. However, I'm fairly certain that Durant -- one of my favorite players -- ruined the new H.O.R.S.E. contest forever.

When taken in tandem with his wondrous doings in the equally inconsequential Rookie/Sophomore Challenge, Durant managed a mini-coming out party of sorts. Remember, this is a guy many felt belonged in the real thing, and someone the league very much wants on the minds of fans. Unfortunately, he plays in one of the most minor of markets, and at the time the playoffs, and network broadcasts, seemed a ways off for the Thunder.

But between his record-setting showing in Friday's event, and his relatively entertaining win in H.O.R.S.E., Durant did get some national exposure out of that weekend -- and the chance to make a good impression. The league smiled, and with that, H.O.R.S.E. went from being, well, H.O.R.S.E. to a way to promote young players. You'd think the dunk contest would be a better fit, not in the least because it's not on in the middle of the day and has a long, storied tradition (and its own commercials!), but I guess even the NBA knows how broken it is.

In retrospect, Danny Ainge has executed no trade as brilliant as the one which in essence sent the fifth pick in the 2007 draft and Delonte West to Seattle for Ray Allen. It was a huge risk at the time: Allen had come off double ankle surgery, at age 31. The player the Celtics were purported to be leaning toward in the draft -- Yi Jianlian -- was a highly coveted mystery. It wasn't a no-brainer, like the Kevin Garnett-Al Jefferson deal.

Ray has been utterly healthy since coming to Boston, though -- he's played in 94 percent of the Celtics' games in the 2-1/2 seasons, just two games fewer than ironman Paul Pierce and a full 35 games more than the younger Garnett. And he's been good, too, a key component of the 2008 title run and a stunningly efficient weapon in 2009.

After the Celtics lost to the Hawks last week, newly-minted All-Star Rajon Rondo made some statements which hinted at the fact that there may be some locker room issues preventing the team from being its best.

"I can't really elaborate on it too much, but I think we've just got to be a team with no agendas," Rondo said. "In the locker room, you can feel it. You don't feel like it's the same continuity and camaraderie in the locker room as it was the first year. The first year, it was a crazy spirit in the locker room. But now it doesn't feel the same. It's not the same right now. We've got to find a way to get that back somehow, some way."

These aren't particularly damning comments; we heard similar rumblings last season. And it's mainly due to the fact that as younger players like Rondo and Kendrick Perkins become increasingly important factors in the team's success, they might be growing weary of hearing criticism from veterans like Kevin Garnett. Especially if the vets are either struggling through injuries (like KG), or simply not playing up to expectations (like Ray Allen).

Whatever may or may not be going on in the Celtics' locker room, Garnett wants to make sure it stays there from now on. He said so on Wednesday during his post-game presser, stepping in to answer a question that was directed at Rondo about the team's chemistry.

Crisis was averted in Boston on Tuesday evening when the Celtics' medical staff determined that Paul Pierce's left foot injury was not as serious as initially feared. Pierce injured his foot in the first quarter of Monday's win over the Wizards, eventually returning to action before sitting out the entire fourth quarter. He's officially been diagnosed with a mid-foot strain and is listed as day-to-day.

When X-rays following Monday's game were inconclusive, the team originally feared Pierce might be lost for several weeks with a broken bone. However, additional testing on Tuesday apparently ruled out a fracture. Pierce underwent an MRI on Tuesday and was examined once again by the team's medical staff, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.

"We were concerned after watching the injury and seeing the soreness on Paul's foot this morning and what it looked like on TV," Celtics GM Danny Ainge told the Globe on Tuesday. "I was worried, so I was very relieved to hear it was a sprained mid foot and that he'll be back soon."

How soon? That much is not yet known -- "When he's ready to play, he will play," Ainge said -- but if the official diagnosis holds true, it certainly seems more likely than it did Tuesday afternoon that Pierce will be able to play in the All-Star Game on Feb. 14.

Paul Pierce will likely miss significant time with a foot injury, according to multiple reports, although it's not yet clear what the exact nature of his ailment is. Pierce injured his foot in the first quarter of the Celtics' win on Monday over the Wizards, and although he eventually returned to action, he sat out the entire fourth quarter.

After the game, he told reporters he believed he had suffered a sprain. "I'll get some X-rays tomorrow, but I think it's not going to be too bad," he said. "I would have known by now [if it was broken]. I think I'll be all right."

Unfortunately, X-rays proved to be inconclusive, according to NBA.com's David Aldridge, who cites an unnamed league source as saying it's likely Pierce has in fact suffered a fracture. Pierce will undergo additional testing, and until the results are in, the Celtics' front office refuses to publicly speculate on the severity of the injury.

"We just don't know," Celtics GM Danny Ainge told Comcast SportsNet's Gary Tanguay. "We basically don't know the extent of the injury. The doctors don't have all the information to make the decision. We expect to make an announcement tomorrow."

While Ainge is playing things close to the vest, Pierce's teammates are not; Shelden Williams posted a mysterious message on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon that has Celtics fans fearing the worst: "Man when it rains it pours!!! Yall will find out what I mean soon!!!!" It's unclear if Williams was even referring to Pierce's situation, but it's not difficult for a panicked fan base to come to their own conclusions.

Whether Pierce's foot is broken or not, any extended time on the sidelines will jeopardize his chances of appearing in the All-Star game on Feb. 14, meaning fans of the Hawks and Knicks will be eagerly monitoring this situation in hopes that Josh Smith or David Lee will be named an injury replacement.

Update: The Celtics released a statement Tuesday evening stating Pierce is day-to-day with a "strained left mid-foot."

If we're being completely honest, Kobe Bryant didn't have it on Sunday. Favoring his ankle from the very beginning, Bryant shied away from shots he normally takes, and from initiating the offense on most possessions. But as is almost always the case when the clock is winding down and the ball is in his hands, he finds a way to win.

That's exactly how it went down against the Celtics, as Bryant's jumper over Ray Allen with 7.3 seconds left capped an 11-point fourth quarter comeback to give the Lakers a hard-fought 90-89 road victory.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- After watching a weekend round-robin of Boston-Atlanta-Orlando -- three of the four Eastern Conference contenders -- one thing has become increasingly clear in this race:

These guys are all just playing for second.

That Cavaliers-Lakers NBA Finals that everyone wanted -- but didn't get -- last June is coming this time. Even with more than 30 regular season games and six weeks of playoffs remaining, it's hard now to imagine 2010 turning out any other way.

The Cavs and Lakers are on a delightfully unavoidable collision course. The standings don't lie.

There is nobody in the West within five wins of the Lakers. And the Cavs are six wins better than anyone in the East.

"Nobody in the East is playing close to the level Cleveland is at right now,'' said Magic coach Stan Van Gundy on Saturday night. "We've got a long way to go -- and funny things can happen in a series -- but if you're talking about who's playing at the highest level, it's clearly Cleveland.''

ORLANDO, Fla. -- It was a strange day for the storied -- but fading -- Boston Celtics.

They celebrated the early announcement Thursday that Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce were joining Kevin Garnett on the Eastern Conference All-Star team.

Then they finished a game like none of them belonged there, fueling the belief that their day as a serious NBA title contender might be over.

They are living on reputation now.

The Celtics played well and inspired for more than three quarters against the Orlando Magic -- dominated the game -- then wilted like the aging, worn-out team that they are looking like, making defensive mistakes and mental errors down the stretch that All-Stars don't normally make.

They blew a 14-point, fourth-quarter lead by letting the Magic shoot 75 percent from the field in the last 12 minutes, something great teams don't do. The core is the same that won the 2008 NBA title, but this isn't the same team.

Time may have passed it by.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers literally chuckled Thursday morning when asked about the premise that officials allow tougher, more physical play against Magic center Dwight Howard than anyone else because of his own size and strength.

It's a premise that Howard, his teammates, and Magic coach Stan Van Gundy have talked about numerous times.

"That's a joke to me,'' said Rivers, whose Celtics will face Howard Thursday night in a nationally-televised game in Orlando. "I actually giggle at that when I hear it. Clearly, those people are looking at it only one way. He gives out far more punishment than he gets. I can guarantee you that.''

The Celtics this season have done a better job than anyone in controlling Howard offensively. In two previous games against Boston, Howard was limited to nine and five points, respectively. The teams split the two games, although Howard combined for 35 rebounds.

"I literally get a kick out of all those Howard people saying everyone is being too physical with him,'' Rivers said. "The guy hits more than anyone in the league. If he's going to give it out, then ...? If you're going to run into guys, power into guys, I guess you do it one way, then they can't do it back? Come on.''

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Magic center Dwight Howard had danced delicately around the topic all season, but his patience has worn thin -- too many losses can do that -- and he has grown tired of watching too many ill-advised 3-pointers.

He wants the ball more. And finally -- midway into the season -- he demanded it behind closed doors.

"I have reminded them (his teammates),'' Howard said with his usual politically-correct response Wednesday after practice. "We have to make better decisions with the ball, where we pass it, and where we take it.''

He was especially frustrated Monday night in Memphis. The Magic controlled much of the game, only to flame out in a barrage of missed 3-pointers. His teammates hit only one of 10 from 3-point range in the fourth quarter of a 99-94 loss. During that period, he took two shots, but none in the final six minutes.

"For us, as a team, you have to understand how to get good shots. And sometimes that means slowing it down instead of just putting up a quick shot,'' Howard said. "As a team, we're still searching, still learning that.''