The Boston Celtics (36-31) and New Orleans Hornets (23-46) played a close game for the better part of 48 minutes, but it was a tip-in by Anthony Davis with just .3 seconds left that gave New Orleans the victory.

The game winning shot came as the result of a missed shot by Eric Gordon, but Boston was unable to corral the rebound. That allowed Davis to come over the top of Kevin Garnett to tip-in the miss. Davis finished with nine points on the night while Garnett had 20.

This snaps the Hornets four-game losing streak, and gives Boston its second straight loss. The Celtics looked well in control at halftime with a 10-point lead, but an offensively stagnant third quarter allowed the Hornets to take the lead early in the fourth.

The Celtics trailed by nine points in the fourth quarter, but Paul Pierce quickly took over, scoring nine points in a three minute stretch to give the Celtics a three point edge. Boston was unable to preserve that lead though, as New Orleans closed the game on a 6-2 run. Pierce led all scorers in the game with 28 points.

It’s only fitting that Boston lost because of their inability to rebound. The Celtics have been one of the league’s worst rebounding teams throughout the season. Tonight was no different as Boston was outrebounded by 17.

Boston’s bench was also disappointing. Two nights after scoring 43 points against the Heat, Jeff Green started the first quarter on the same torrid pace. Green scored 11 points in the first 12 minutes of action, but was held to just 13 points total on the night. The Celtics’ bench was outscored 39-17.

This is just another example of Boston’s road woes this season. The Celtics drop to 12-21 away from the TD Garden.

The next chance to snap this two-game skid will come Friday night against the Dallas Mavericks.

Many fans in Boston are still attempting to recover from Monday night’s heartbreaking loss to the Miami Heat. The Celtics don’t have too much longer to sulk though. They head down to New Orleans to take on the streaking Hornets tonight.

Unfortunately for the Hornets (22-46), they are streaking in the wrong direction. They have lost four consecutive games by an average of 10.5 points per game. One of the greatest reasons for the Hornets’ struggle this year has been the inefficiency at the offensive end. The soon to be New Orleans Pelicans average 94 ppg, ranking 25th in the NBA.

The Celtics had little trouble scoring Monday night against the Heat despite the loss, thanks in part to Jeff Green. Green exploded for a career-high 43 points, doing it in a multitude of ways. He knocked down five 3-pointers, went to the charity stripe 13 times, and relentlessly attacked the basket possession after possession.

Green’s increased level of aggression was needed with the absence of Kevin Garnett. Garnett sat out against Miami with flu-like symptoms and a groin injury. Garnett is expected to return tonight though.

That’s a good sign, because despite the Hornets’ overall record, they defeated the Celtics at the Garden, 90-78, back in January. Garnett’s return will also bring about an interesting individual matchup between veteran and rookie. Anthony Davis, first overall pick in this past year’s draft, squares off against his admitted childhood idol, Garnett.

In that first meeting, the younger Davis held his own against the savvy veteran. Davis finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Garnett had 15 points and four rebounds.

Another unique matchup that stemmed from that January clash was between the father and son combination of Doc and Austin Rivers. The younger Rivers won’t be a part of tonight’s meeting though, as he is out with a broken hand.

That relieves some of the emotional burden the Celtics’ head coach faced before, and Rivers can solely focus on winning the game. A win tonight would push the Celtics up to the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Oct 26, 2010; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics shirts are laid out over the stadium seating prior to the opening season game against the Miami Heat at the TD Garden. The Celtics defeated Miami 88-80. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-US PRESSWIRE

On Thursday night the 2012/2013 NBA schedule was released, and I knew we were alright when I saw all 82 games and the opening night in October. This season will be highly anticipated for Celtics fans. The Big 3 era is over, replaced by the revised version of the Big 3 with Rondo replacing Ray Allen, Allen leaves Boston for Miami, and another year of a possible run at the NBA Championship.

So lets take a look at the 10 games of the Celtics 2012/2013 season that will be the most entertaining and exciting.

#1 October 30th, Opening Night, at the Miami Heat 

July 11 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat player Ray Allen (center) fields questions from reporters next to head coach Erik Spoelstra (right) and Heat president Pat Riley (left) during a press conference at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

Opening night is always the most anticipated game of the year. Add two Eastern Conference rivals, and a Championship Banner ceremony and you have a game that will be talked about weeks if not months ahead of time. Ray Allen will also be making his debut in a Heat uniform, and as a Celtics fan, I can’t wait to see how his former teammates will embrace him when they meet on the court for the first time.

For Heat fans, Opening Night begins another championship run. Can the Heat repeat, or will they fall just short of another title? Is Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis going to be enough to get them over the hump again? For both the Celtics and Heat, the speculations begin that night.

#2 November 2nd, Celtics Home Opener Versus the Milwaukee Bucks

The Celtics first home game of the season will be against the possible playoff contending Milwaukee Bucks. They started the rebuilding process last season after acquiring Monte Ellis, and with their combination of youth and some experience, they may make the 6-8th seeds by the end of the season.

The home opener is always fun. The intro’s always get the fans pumped, KG screaming on the Jumbotron, and you know the season has begun when “Welcome to the Jungle” gets played right before tip-off.

#3 November 23, Celtics Versus OKC

Feb 22, 2012; Oklahoma City OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) fights for position with Boston Celtics shooting guard Avery Bradley (0) during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena Mandatory Credit: Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

The defending Western Conference Champions make their only appearance in Boston, and when you have an exciting and energetic team like the Thunder being your opponent, the game will definitely be worth watching. Last season, when these two teams met, it was an old team vs a young team. Now with Danny Ainge’s retooling, the Celtics will not be the old, slow team in this matchup.

#4 December 25, Christmas Day Game In Brooklyn

While this won’t be the first time these two teams meet, we’ll still have the opportunity to see the new and improved, no longer playing in New Jersey, Nets team. Last year, the Celtics first game of the season was on Christmas Day against the New York Knicks. This year, the season will already be on its 27th game.

At this point in the season, it will be interesting to see how well the Nets are doing in the standings. With Deron Williams and Joe Johnson, they will give the Atlantic Division some trouble. Hopefully for Celtics fans, we get another Christmas gift with a win in Brooklyn.

#5 January 16th, Austin Rivers And Anthony Davis Come To Boston

January 16th will be the first time we get a look at the #1 pick Anthony Davis, and Doc Rivers son Austin will be playing against his father’s team. This is going to be a great matchup, father vs son, Anthony Davis vs Kevin Garnett, and Rajon Rondo vs Austin Rivers.

I’m looking forward to seeing how the two first round picks play, and how well both have adjusted to the NBA level. I wonder if Doc will double team or full court press his son? It should be a fun matchup for the players and the fans.

#6 January 27, Ray Allen Returns To Boston

A Miami Heat and Boston Celtics matchup is already a good game. Add Ray Allen returning to the Garden for the first time, and it becomes a must see game.. The Garden’s atmosphere was already going to be juiced, but this will raise it a few notches.

I’m interested in seeing how the fans react when Ray Allen’s name is announced. I think there will be cheers, mixed in with boos. This will also be the Heat’s first time in Boston since Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Circle this date, you won’t want to miss this game.

#7 February 7th, Kobe Bryant And the Lakers Come To Town

Besides this being a typical Boston versus LA game, there may be another super star on that Lakers roster. Its very possible that Dwight Howard could find himself in Los Angeles, and what better way to fuel a rivalry then to add one more future Hall of Famer into the mix?

Games between these two teams are always entertaining, I expect nothing different.

#8 March 10th, Celtics Visit Thunder

The Celtics go to Oklahoma City for their only time in the regular season on March 10th. The Thunder’s home crowd is probably one of the most intimidating in the league, along with the loudest fans. With 20 games left in the regular season, this game could be a good indicator as to how the Celtics are looking heading into the playoffs.

#9 March 22, The Jet Lands In Dallas, Faces His Old Team

Apr 26, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Dallas Mavericks shooting guard Jason Terry (31) shoots during the first half against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 106-89. Mandatory Credit: Paul Abell-US PRESSWIRE

This game isn’t as exciting as it is interesting. Dallas is clearly in a rebuilding phase, and after losing Jason Kidd and Jason Terry, I’m wondering how good they’ll be this season. Dirk Nowitzki and Shaun Marion are getting old, and without a supporting cast they may have some trouble this year.

Maybe this time when Boston goes down to Dallas, they can have an easy victory. It seems like every year, someone on the Mavericks would have a big game.

#10 April 12, Boston Goes Down To Miami, Potentially Huge Game

When I saw this matchup on the calendar, I immediately thought that this will be the biggest game of the season. Its possible that both these teams could be fighting for 1st or 2nd in the East. This game right here could be the difference between an Eastern Conference exit and a trip to the Finals.

Usually teams rest their starters near the end of the season, but this game may be an exception.

2012/2013 Season Outlook

Looking at the entire schedule, the Celtics actually have it easier than they have in the past. There are a few tough stretches when they go on their road trips, and back-to-backs are always a concern with a veteran team. Overall, the schedule plays in their favor, especially in April when they play 5 out of the last 9 games at home.

This is going to be a fun season. Opening night is nearly 3 months away. Are you ready?