“Search for the seed of good in every adversity. Master that principle and you will own a precious shield that will guard you well through all the darkest valleys you must traverse. Stars may be seen from the bottom of a deep well, when they cannot be discerned from the mountaintop. So will you learn things in adversity that you would never have discovered without trouble. There is always a seed of good. Find it and prosper.” — Og Mandino, whoever that is

There is always a seed of good in every adversity, huh? Stars may be seen from the bottom of a deep well, you say? Personally, I’d rather have smooth sailing. I’d rather see no stars at all while standing on the top of a mountain than be stuck at the bottom of a well with no rescue in sight. But hey, that’s just me.

Forgive me for opening with a deep, philosophical quote. I’m running out of ways to say, “The Celtics really sucked tonight, guys. I’m not sure why they keep having more droughts than Lil’ Wayne. I’m not sure why they don’t particularly care about losing the first seed, and perhaps the second seed. I’m not sure why they can put together a few good stretches here and there, but never 48 minutes. I’m not sure why they just let ‘Shitty Team X’ beat them, when they should have been masterly motivated after their horrendous performance against ‘Shitty Team Y.’ I’m not sure when they’ll snap out of this pattern.”

The Celtics made 54.8% of their field goals and shot 36 free throws (compared to Indiana’s 22 free throw attempts). Still, they lost. They lost despite Rajon Rondo finally coming back to life. They lost despite Glen Davis remembering how to put the ball in the bucket. They lost despite Paul Pierce’s latest stint as a professional scorer. They lost despite jumping to an early double-digit lead, and despite playing the (then) 32-42, (now) 33-42 Indiana Pacers. Watching the Celtics right now is like being Bill Murray in Groundhog’s Day, except I don’t think I could ever learn how to make ice sculptures.

Boston’s interior defense made Roy Hibbert look like Kareem Abdul-Jabarr, which means that, in consecutive games, Nenad Krstic has now been outplayed by Kwame Brown, Darko Milicic and Roy Hibbert. Krstic is just thankful the Celtics don’t play Michael Olowokandi, Greg Ostertag, Pervis Ellison or Sam Bowie next. In all fairness to Krstic, Glen Davis had just as much to do with Hibbert’s 26 points. Whoever defended Hibbert, he simply turned and deposited a hook shot into the hoop. When you’re seven feet two inches tall and the defense allows you whatever post position you like, basketball’s that easy.

I want to write more, but it’s the same song, different day. If you’re looking for silver linings, at least the Celtics scored 100 points for the first time in almost three weeks. But being stuck in a deep well, even if you have a perfect view of the stars, sucks.