“Just one game,” I reminded myself with five minutes left. “It was just one game.”

But it felt more important than that. The Bulls didn’t just beat the Celtics; they bullied them. Derrick Rose didn’t just destroy Rajon Rondo and Boston’s defense; he made them seem insignificant. The Celtics didn’t just lose; they got pounded inside and out, thoroughly dominated by the same blueprint that has marked their own four-year run as title contenders. It was fitting that Kyle Korver looks a lot like Ashton Kutcher; his Bulls Punk’d the Celtics all night long. (Note: That was corny. Also, to the extent you can learn anything about a person from when he gets Punk’d, Carmelo Anthony is a jackass.)

Before the game, Brian Scalabrine spoke about the confidence his Bulls have developed. “We’ve only lost three games since Kendrick got traded,” he said. “We feel like we have an unbelievable opportunity in front of us. We felt more confident that we have an opportunity.” If the Bulls were ever scared of the Celtics or unsure they could beat the Celtics, they aren’t anymore.

Tonight’s game reminded me of Rocky III, when Clubber Lang told Rocky, “I’m the baddest man in the world” and Rocky responded, “You don’t look so bad to me.”  Then Clubber told him, “What did you say, Paper Champion? I’ll beat you like a dog, a dog, you fool!”

The Bulls are Clubber. They’re a wrecking machine; they’re hungry; they have no fear; they’re big, and they’re bad, and they pack a mean punch; they’re killers. I can just see the Bulls beating Orlando in round two and then Derrick Rose shouting to Mickey: “I want the Celtics! I want the Celtics! You hear that, Old Man? You tell the Celtics to come here! Nobody can beat me! You tell them what I said! And they’re NEXT! I’m gonna kill them! Nobody can stop me! You tell the Celtics that! I’M COMING AFTER THEM! YOU TELL THEM!”

Ray Allen ran around screens, and Keith Bogans was there to chest bump him every step of the way. Carlos Boozer lowered his shoulder into Jeff Green’s chest, working his way to an easy bucket, then roared his own approval. Glen Davis fell to the ground, Kurt Thomas stood over his body and taunted him, and no Celtics retaliated. Derrick Rose got to the hoop, time after time, and nobody knocked him on his ass. The Bulls pushed, and they shoved, and they talked crap, and they bullied, and the Celtics (there’s no sugar-coating this, not tonight) backed down.

The game was more complicated than that, of course. Boston missed a lot of decent looks (although they didn’t get many great ones), threw the ball away like it was an old McDonald’s wrapper, shot 38.4%, got out-rebounded 44-35, managed only 14 total assists, and lost the battle in more or less every category you could think of. One of Boston’s few bright spots was Jermaine O’Neal, and he’s a 6’11″ starting center who grabbed zero rebounds in 17 minutes. And Rose, and his Bulls teammates, were phenomenal.

Though Rocky lost to Clubber Lang once, he got a rematch and took back his title. The young wrecking machine wasn’t ready to beat the champ twice in a row, no matter how fearless he was, no matter how dangerous he was, no matter how scary he was. When on top of his game, Rocky was too tough himself. When on top of his game, Rocky was too good.

Yo, Apollo: The Celtics need some training. They need to get back their edge. They’re civilized right now, and that’s the worst thing that can happen to any fighter.

Not everyone was pissed off when the Boston Celtics traded away Kendrick Perkins; the Chicago Bulls were ecstatic. (Red’s Army via Toucher and Rich)

Brian Scalabrine on Perk: “That’s big news. One thing I always did when I was there, is I trusted Danny and Doc and the decisions they made and I always thought they were smarter than us and smarter than me. I will say this: As a whole our group is pretty excited about it. [Teams around the league] were excited to hear that he was gone. Truth be told, you know, moving forward and watching this team play you don’t know what’s going to happen. Obviously, we all feel like Kendrick did an unbelievable job clogging the paint up and intimidating the other team, but you never know until the playoffs come.” …

“We’ve only lost three games since Kendrick got traded. We feel like we have an unbelievable opportunity in front of us. We felt more confident that we have an opportunity.”

Rule number one of trades? When your top competition receives a surge of confidence upon hearing the news, that’s not the best sign. Ugh. That’s not to say the Celtics are ruled out of winning a title this year. Not at all. Just, ugh.

If you would rather read why the Perkins trade was a good one, instead, read this. Though I would advise you that A) Gary Dzen conveniently glosses over every bad part of the trade, B) people are still expecting Jeff Green to become something he has never been, and C) no box score statistic could properly encapsulate what Perkins meant to Boston; for more on what Perkins brought that could never be quantified, click here.

Kevin Garnett, like the rest of the NBA world, has been impressed by the Chicago Bulls and Derrick Rose this season. (ESPN Boston)

“Oh my God. Derrick Rose has taken probably 100 notches of a takeoff from where he started,” Garnett said. “Nothing has shocked me about anything he’s obtained. And the fact that he’s taken his team, put it on his back, his progression, the sense that he’s still humble to it all, the fact that he’s taken his team to the next level. Tom [Thibodeau] putting the guys around him, some quality guys, a good combination of not just good, but older vets, and some younger players around him.

“They look like they play really free minded and knowing Thibs and knowing how he is, I didn’t expect anything less than what he’s done. So yeah, I’m happy for Derrick, too. He’s one of my favorite guys to sit back and watch. A beast to play against, but [he's] one of my favorite guys [in] how he approaches the game.”

The Celtics will get a chance to knock off the Bulls and chop down some of their growing confidence tonight. Sadly, the East’s top seed probably isn’t up for grabs. With only five games to play, the Bulls are now three games ahead of Boston. That doesn’t mean the Celtics will approach tonight’s game like they approached the Bobcats game a week or so ago—or, in other words, like they’d just taken a tranquilizer dart to the jugular (“I like you, but you’re crazy”). (Boston Globe)

“It’s a different game against Chicago and Miami,’’ Rondo said. “Obviously, the intensity will be a lot greater. But in the playoffs it’ll definitely be a lot of intensity.’’. . .

“Just getting used to being in playoff-atmosphere settings,’’ Pierce said. “We’re playing in Chicago, that’s coming up with a lot on the line as far as seeds. Some guys haven’t been in a lot of big games. A lot of these guys have.

“So it puts you in those moments to where you can say this is the type of atmosphere that we will be in every night once the playoffs start. You don’t have a lot of games like that on the schedule. Chicago is one of them this week.’’

One aspect of a potential Bulls-Celtics playoff series? Tom Thibodeau should theoretically know everything the Celtics do; he should know the players’ strengths and weaknesses, the offensive sets, and the defensive schemes. In basketball, that shouldn’t matter as much as it would in, say, football. Most teams (probably not the Raptors) know all each other’s plays anyway; basketball’s about executing the plays, even when the opponent knows exactly what you’re running.

Still, Thibodeau’s knowledge of Boston could give Chicago an advantage—however slight or major—should the teams meet in the Eastern Conference Finals. Even if Thibodeau thinks (and he’s probably right) that Boston knows all Chicago’s stuff too. (Boston Globe)

“There’s not anything we’re doing that they don’t know,” he said. “There’s not anything that they’re doing that we don’t know. So it will come down to how well we can execute and how well they can execute. They’re the defending Eastern Conference champ and until somebody knocks them off, you gotta be ready to compete with them.”

Tonight should be fun.

Maybe it will spark Rajon Rondo. Maybe Rondo will finally wake up. Maybe hearing Doc Rivers call Derrick Rose the NBA’s MVP is just what Rondo needed.

Rose, remember, beat out Rondo for Team USA’s starting point guard spot this past summer. After a DNP-CD (the first of his life?) in an exhibition game, Rondo left the team and went home. The team said Rondo left for personal reasons, but the timing was certainly suspicious. Even if Rondo had left on his own terms, Rose had already taken his spot.

The two had shared a rivalry of sorts long before this summer. A few months after Rondo won a championship as an upstart point guard, Rose was drafted into the league. As Rose lived up to expectations while earning Rookie of the Year, Rondo seemingly skipped a few years of progress. When the two teams met in the first round of the playoffs, Rose welcomed himself to the playoffs with 36 points and 11 assists in Game One. Yet Rondo, and a sudden string of triple-doubles, led his Celtics past Rose’s Bulls. The two point guards were not fully formed, but there was no doubt they were special.

Still, they were part of the “best YOUNG point guards in the league” discussion, rather than “the best point guards in the league, period” discussion that was reserved for Deron Williams and Chris Paul. Here’s what I wrote in November about how we used to perceive the two:

“There was a qualifier to their greatness, the word ‘young’ that got thrown in there to show that Rondo and Rose weren’t in the same league as Paul and Williams. Qualifier or not, Rondo and Rose were bound together by shared greatness, the position they played, and their location in the Eastern Conference. When you heard about one, hearing about the other was just a matter of time. (‘Rondo just had 17 assists.’ — ‘Alright, but Rose had 38 points!’)

This season, the pair proved themselves worthy of entering the “best point guards in the league, period” discussion. But Rondo’s stay in the discussion would not be permanent. For a time at the season’s beginning, Rondo was the toast of the NBA. He threw 67 assists in his first four games. Looked like he was poised to challenge John Stockton’s single-season assist record. Had completely taken the reigns of the Boston Celtics, ripping control from the Big Three. Boston was Rondo’s town, at least for a little while, and the entire NBA world took notice.

Meanwhile, Rose declared his intentions to earn MVP honors (which actually seemed laughable at the time) and instantly took the league by storm. For a while, pundits still searched for chinks in his armor. “But he doesn’t draw enough fouls,” people said. “He doesn’t play with enough efficiency,” others echoed. But Rose took the Bulls on his back from day one. As he kept them at or near the top of the Eastern Conference despite a rash of injuries, despite starting Keith Bogans (and his 3.9 ppg), it became clear: Rose was playing like 2006 Dwyane Wade, capable of carrying his team every night out, capable of dominating games and getting to the rim at his whim. The season continued, and Rose’s reputation kept growing. But Rondo slowed down.

Rondo had slowed gradually (with his assists average dropping every month this season), until his play recently fell off a cliff. I wrote about his decline yesterday, so I won’t repeat myself. But now, no reasonable person could argue Rondo’s merits as the league’s greatest point guard. Sure, he’s still leading the league in assists. But that lead is slim now, and Rondo’s lack of shooting means he needs to be THAT much better as a distributor. Sure, Rondo has a title, which neither Rose, Williams, Paul or Steve Nash can claim. But Rondo was a weak link in the starting five when he won that title. Some nights, Eddie House finished games while Rondo sat on the bench.

Not even Doc Rivers considers Rondo the league’s best. (ESPN)

“I’m not that surprised [the Bulls are contending],” Rivers said on ESPN 1000′s “Afternoon Saloon”. “Derrick Rose is the best player this year in the NBA. I think he’ll be the MVP, and when you have the MVP on your team, you’re usually pretty good.”

If Rondo is hurt, the Celtics should sit him. Especially considering how well the Bulls have played, winning home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs is important. But not at the cost of running Rondo into the ground. Not at the cost of heading into the playoffs with the diminished Rondo we’ve seen the past couple weeks.

If Rondo is not hurt, as he and the Celtics insist, he needs to snap out of whatever funk he’s in. Otherwise, Derrick Rose might get the best of Rajon Rondo yet again, and it might be in the playoffs this time. And if Rondo gets sent home early from the playoffs, there will be no way to blame it on personal reasons.

The Celtics, again, have been mentioned in Anthony Parker rumors. (ESPN)

The Celts, according to sources briefed on Boston’s thinking, have joined their conference rivals from Chicago in pursuit of Cavaliers swingman Anthony Parker.

The Celts covet an extra playoff-tested shooter/defender as much as the Bulls, with Marquis Daniels out indefinitely and Delonte West missing much of the season so far. Yet it remains to be seen whether either of the two teams is willing to meet Cleveland’s asking price.

The Cavs are seeking a quality draft pick or a young big man with promise in exchange for Parker, who’s averaging 11.5 points and shooting 47 percent on 3-pointers in February.

Which begs the question: Would you offer Semih Erden in a package for Parker, or another backup small forward? My answer to that all depends (and, really, my thinking about the whole trade deadline action depends) on Marquis Daniels’ health. If the Celtics are sure he’ll be ready for the playoffs, there’s no need to trade for Parker. Even though, as a veteran shooter who also plays some defense, he certainly has more value in Boston than he does in Cleveland.

I’d rather keep Erden around, if possible. Young, promising centers don’t grow on trees, and I’m actually quite enthused about Erden’s future prospects. But if Daniels can’t return this season, the Celtics need to make a move to add some size behind Paul Pierce. And Parker wouldn’t be an awful fit.

But aren’t the Cavs asking a little much? Parker’s a 35-year old backup currently shooting an even 40.0% from the field. The Cavs shouldn’t expect “a quality draft pick” or “a young big man with promise” in return for Parker, right? Wouldn’t they just be lucky if some team takes his contract off their hands (which the Celtics can do by offering Daniels and cash)?

Trade rumor season (non-Melo Division) has officially begun, folks. Enjoy.

The Morning Walkthrough is a set of links to Boston Celtics articles throughout the internet, designed to get your day started the right way.

The most important Celtic?

Kevin Garnett, Anta – “When I’m not playing, I hate talking hoops, so sorry for not blogging. You know how when you ain’t a part of something, it hurts to talk about it. That’s how I feel. Know what I mean? Don’t get it messed up, just cause I ain’t playing don’t mean I’m not working out. I’m working super hard and feeling good. Didn’t get to tell you about the tough game against San Antonio we had on Wed. Game was CRAZY. We were up 9 with 57 seconds and we somehow almost blew it. They had the ball down by 2 with 7 seconds left. It was crazy how it happened. P2 got the block to save the win and Rondo had a triple double. Big game by him. He was doing amazing stuff. Friday we had Toronto and young fella Luke played great. He stepped up and had a double double (17pts and 11 rebounds). He’s hard working and knows how to play. If he keeps working hard, he’ll be good. It was nice to get the starters some rest and let the young guys play. We won by a bunch, so it was nice. After the game, Dr. looked at my leg and we’re close. Real close to getting back. Took the flight to Chicago and got in at 2am, so watch a movie and then shut it down. Chicago is a city I lived in, so always have a special place for Chi-town. Pre game, I worked out at the arena in the Bull’s workout room. Anytime I get to workout around another team, my gas gets going. I was killing the weights and wanted to play. When I was in there, Scal (Scalabrine old teammate) came in and got me going even more. Good to see him. I don’t know how to describe the game as the guys energy was low, the ball was ‘sticking’ and not popping around. Guys were not doing their jobs. Frustrating watching and not being able to help. We played 6games in 9 days, so the guys need a break. Off day tomorrow for them, but I’ll be getting my stuff in. The loss just makes me more motivated to get back and help my guys.”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “‘He’s human,’ Rondo said of Davis. ‘It’s going to be a tough challenge every night. It’s never easy, and he has to continue to grow. He has to accept that he won’t play well every night. Maybe it will be the next night,’ he said. ‘But he’s taking that next step to where people are looking at him as a challenge. I just told him to keep working hard, stay humble, and play every night as if it’s your last.’ That, and to also keep these performances in perspective. Davis took more shots than any Celtic Saturday night and also missed more, as evidenced by his 4-for-17 performance. But last Wednesday against a far better San Antonio team, Davis had one of his finest shooting nights of the season with a 23-point, 10-for-18 display. But Saturday’s matchup carried an extra sting because Davis was matched against one of the stars of his position. Boozer, from going right at Davis with nine straight points in the second quarter to banging him with impunity, easily established turf. ‘It didn’t affect me. Just a learning experience for me, especially if I ever want to be on the same type of level as the KGs and the Carlos Boozers,’ said Davis. ‘You guys have seen me grow a lot, and now it’s time to hit a different level, a different notch. Carlos Boozer got the best of it today,’ he said. ‘But at the same time, I want that success. I want all that, being that guy. So I take things in stride, get better each day and keep working. I have to get the credentials to play in this league — to play against the Carlos Boozers and Kevin Loves of this league.’”

Gary Washburn, Boston Globe – “The class of the NBA field has separated itself approaching the halfway point of the season. And as much as teams choose not to acknowledge closely following the progress of their peers, that cannot be denied this season, especially with the Celtics. Boston is skittish after last season, when a fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs meant losing home-court advantage for the final three series of the postseason, especially the NBA Finals. A five-horse race for the top seed in the East appears to be brewing and losses such as Saturday night’s 90-79 drubbing by the Chicago Bulls damage the Celtics’ quest for No. 1. Just five games separate the top five teams in the East, and the conference-leading Celtics (28-8, .778) have been caught by the Heat (30-9, .769), despite Miami’s well-chronicled dismal start. The Orlando Magic, who beat the Celtics on Christmas Day, are winners of nine straight, and the Atlanta Hawks are 8-2 in their past 10. There is an increased emphasis on the regular season, and scoreboard-watching has begun in earnest. Each time one of the other four teams drops a game, Boston realizes it has a chance to create more distance. That’s why the Celtics can’t afford to waste opportunities, such as Saturday night’s.”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “A year ago, losses got the same treatment as losing a couple of pennies. It happens. Not that big a deal. But as we near the halfway point of this season, finishing with the best record in the Eastern Conference isn’t just lip service. Look no further than Saturday’s 90-79 loss at Chicago. You would have thought the C’s lost Game Three or Four of a playoff series by their glum expressions. ‘We find ways to win these type of games,’ said Paul Pierce, easily bothered more than most by the loss. ‘We don’t concede anything. We don’t say, ‘Six games in nine nights. The last game we don’t give a damn about.’ We’re trying to win them all.’ And it is that desire to not just finish well, but finish atop the Eastern Conference standings, that makes this team unlike the previous units since the C’s Big Three joined forces in 2007.”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “Screens lead to open looks, which leads to easy baskets. Allen leads the NBA in plays off screens this season, running off screens on 33.7 percent of his touches. Only two players in the NBA use screens for more than 25 percent of their offensive plays — Allen and Chicago’s Kyle Korver. Considering that 17.4 percent of Allen’s touches come in transition and another 20.2 percent are spot-up jumpers, it’s amazing that so many of his offensive looks require his teammates’ grunt work. And on Saturday, his teammates didn’t create space for him, which is why Rivers might again have to stress the importance of screens. ‘It’s a film thing,’ Rivers said. ‘It’s better to reinforce in practice, but when you don’t have practice time, you reinforce it by film — by showing the ones they’re not setting. It’s not the most positive way of doing it, and I’d rather work it out on the floor than using film, because it’s always a negative weapon, but sometimes you do it.’ Saturday’s loss was a reminder of the perils of not putting in that effort. ‘Offensively, from the start of the game, we didn’t create any rhythm,’ Allen said. ‘It is [surprising] because [the offense] has been pretty good. [Saturday] was definitely a break from the normal, from what we were doing offensively. For whatever reason, this was an example of why we lose games. Statistically, it’s so glaring.’ Zero shots for Allen in a fourth quarter that opened as a one-possession game. Credit the Bulls for their ability to chase Allen around the court, but don’t let it screen the truth: Boston sputtered because it didn’t do enough to get Allen and its other shooters open.”

Ken Berger, CBS Sports – “Carmelo Anthony “does not need to be convinced” to sign a contact extension as part of a blockbuster, three-team trade that would send the three-time All-Star to New Jersey, league sources told CBSSports.com Sunday night. One executive involved in the trade talks called Anthony’s stance on an extension with the Nets “a non-factor,” because the teams involved “already know it won’t hold up the deal.” The tipping point in moving Melo toward giving up his preference to wind up with the Knicks was the involvement of the Pistons, who would send Richard Hamilton to the Nets to help Anthony with his reclamation project in Newark, N.J., for the next year-and-a-half. That key component was close to agreement Sunday night, with the Pistons poised to send Hamilton to New Jersey in exchange for Troy Murphy’s expiring contract and Johan Petro — who may go to the Pistons or somewhere else, sources said. Hamilton, who has two years and $25 million left on his deal, was the key cog in a broader plan to entice Anthony to give up his resistance to extending with the Nets instead of insisting on a deal to his preferred destination. The other part of that equation involves Chauncey Billups joining Anthony and reuniting with Hamilton in New Jersey, sources said. The principle pieces New Jersey has offered to the Nuggets all along — Derrick Favors and multiple first-round picks — would still go to Denver in this three-team scenario. The involvement of Billups, who has stated that he wants to retire with the Nuggets, necessitates the Nets sending Devin Harris to the Nuggets. Though Billups would prefer to stay in Denver, a person with direct knowledge of his thinking rejected the notion of the Nets buying him out this season if he is sent to New Jersey in this trade. “Highly unlikely,” the person said. … Despite repeated assurances from Anthony’s camp, the Nets did not yet have approval from Anthony’s mouth as of Sunday night, according to one person familiar with the situation. Last month, a person directly involved in Anthony’s decision told CBSSports.com that the only team he’d agree to an extension with via a trade was the Knicks. There have been no indications from Anthony himself that he has changed his stance. However, given the perceived risk of leaving tens of millions of dollars on the table with a punitive new collective bargaining agreement looming — and with the addition of Hamilton and Billups meaning Anthony wouldn’t have to go it alone in Newark — the Nets and Nuggets are convinced the contractual issue won’t blow up the deal.”

Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports – “The Nets and Detroit Pistons believed they had an arrangement in place Sunday that would’ve sent Anthony, Nuggets point guard Chauncey Billups(notes) and Pistons guard Richard Hamilton(notes) to the Nets as part of the blockbuster deal. Once the Nets and Pistons worked out the details of a side component to the 13-player deal on Sunday afternoon, the two teams were surprised to find Denver general manager Masai Ujiri wanting to replace players in the framework of the overall trade, sources said. Nevertheless, Nuggets officials were angry with the insinuation they had backed away, insisting they never agreed to a scenario where they would complete the deal. As one Denver official told Yahoo! Sports late Sunday, “People are trying to pressure us.” Still, everyone involved in the trade believed the Nuggets had come too far to walk away, and talks continued between Denver’s Ujiri and New Jersey GM Billy King late Sunday.”‘

David Aldridge, NBA.com – “Anthony refused to discuss a potential deal before the Nuggets played New Orleans in Denver on Sunday night. He said afterward he didn’t think a 96-87 loss was his last game in a Nuggets uniform. ‘Uh-uh, not at all,’ he said, repeating the phrase ‘not at all’ four times. Asked if that was an indication he wouldn’t sign the extension so the trade with the Nets could be consummated, Anthony demurred, saying: ‘I haven’t heard anything. Only, that it’s just been speculation as of right now.’ Anthony noted that team executive Josh Kroenke and general manager Masai Ujiri “are not even here, so I don’t see that happening.’ In what time frame was he referring to? ‘I’m just saying I don’t see it happening right now,’ Anthony said. This week sometime? ‘No.’”

Chris Broussard and Marc Stein, ESPN – “Denver, however, elected to play Anthony and Billups in its home game against New Orleans on Sunday night, suggesting that the Nuggets might not be ready to sign off on the trade and, according to sources, frustrating both the Nets and the Pistons at the end of a chaotic 72 hours. A similar scenario played out in the September deal, when the Nets and Nuggets hammered out the framework of a four-team swap with Charlotte and Utah, only for the Nuggets to decide that they weren’t ready to end their relationship with Anthony and back out of the deal. … Denver’s decision to play Anthony and Billups against New Orleans and a Bergen Record report Sunday night that the Nuggets want to make unspecified changes to the latest trade layout clearly rankled the Nets. The Record of New Jersey quoted an unnamed team official within the league as saying: ‘The deal is close. But Denver is looking to hit a home run.’ Earlier Sunday, one source close to the talks told ESPN.com that Sunday’s proposed trade was ‘on the 10-yard-line.’ Said another source with knowledge of the state of negotiations: ‘Almost there.’”

Got a tip? An article you think should be included? Send an email to jayking@celticstown.com or hit me up on Twitter @CelticsTown.