And we’re back. What can the Celtics do for an encore after dropping 40 points on the Kings in the second quarter? Let’s find out…

THIRD QUARTER WRAP: Sacramento cut into the lead ever so slightly and are now down 16 points, 92-76. Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett took care of the bulk of the scoring for the C’s as they ran the same post-up, give-and-go over and over again.

The first few minutes of the fourth will tell us whether we’ll have a game or extended garbage time.

Third Quarter Observations

– The bench scored 34 points in the first half. Remember when they couldn’t do anything right?

– Have to say that I like Jason Thompson. He’s got a nice touch and he’s quick off the floor. For a small-school player he seems fairly unintimidated as well. Geoff Petrie has made some questionable trades over the last few years but he has drafted well.

– KG and Rondo are running the give-and-go like Larry and Walton tonight.

– Between them Garnett and Rondo have scored 32 points and handed out 14 assists. Now, a good number of those assists have led to points by the other so this isn’t entirely apt, but together they have generated 60 points. The Kings have scored 62.

– Here’s another odd one. The Celtics have scored 86 points and Pierce does not have a made field goal and Perkins has not even attempted a shot.

– Awesome offensive performance by the Celtics tonight, but I don’t think they’re going to be too happy about their defense. Sure it’s nit-picking in a blowout, but the Kings are shooting 49 percent and are 7-for-16 from 3-point range.

– So, the Kings have this one down to a dozen. What’s the point when a team is officially back in a game? Ten points is the standard measure but that’s just because it’s a nice round number. I think the number is actually closer to 12 because a couple of 3-pointers can slice that lead in half.

The Celtics are 6-0 this season when Brian Scalabrine starts. Scalabrine has his own fanclubs on Facebook that were trying to get him on the Eastern Conference All-Star team in Phoenix. Every time he touches the ball at the Garden is cause for a standing ovation and a personal chant of “Scal-uh-breen-ee”

But now, thanks to poor Patrick O’Bryant, those chants will be silenced over the next 7-10 days as the best red-head basketball player ever to hail from the University of Southern California recovers from his second concussion in a week, suffered when he took an elbow from O’Bryant during practice Tuesday.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers gave the prognosis for Scalabrine prior to Wednesday’s game.

But Scalabrine was healthy enough to talk before Wednesday’s game. And here’s what he had to say about getting his bell rung.

Scalabrine said he’s feeling it after getting his bell run at practice on Tuesday.

Scalabrine said he’s not sure exactly when he’ll be ready to return.

Doc Rivers updated Scal’s condition before the game Wednesday.

Meanwhile, there continues to be speculation that the Celtics could wind up with as many as four All-Stars when the reserves are announced on Thursday. Garnett is already in the starting lineup, while Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo are all getting consideration for reserve status.

Rivers said four all-stars would be nice.

And, we’re back again. Jess couldn’t make it because of the weather, but a little ice and snow can’t stop the mighty Green Line so I’ll be your spirit guide for the rest of the game. A couple of strange things from the first (actually a lot of strange things from the first). Not only are the Kings shooting 65 percent, but the C’s got up 22 shots. That early 80′s Denver Nuggets pace.

What will we have for the rest of the night? Let’s find out…

FIRST HALF WRAP: Despite everything that went down in the first two quarters–foul trouble for Paul Pierce, the Kings not missing for seven minutes–the Celtics take a 68-49 lead into the break. How are they doing it? By shooting the freaking lights out. Eddie House has 16 points, Rajon Rondo has 14 points and seven assists and Ray Allen has 12 points.

The C’s are shooting 58 percent and have committed just five turnovers.

Second Quarter Observations

– I have detected a pattern with the refs tonight. No, just kidding. I have no idea on some of these calls and I don’t usually make off the cuff statements like that.

– Your five on the floor are Eddie, Ray, Tony Allen, Baby and Leon Powe. That’s a pretty small lineup, but Doc doesn’t have a lot of options with Scalabrine out for a week to 10 days and Pierce on the bench in foul trouble. He didn’t want to play Tony Allen more than 10 minutes or so tonight, but he might go right past that number in the first half.

– That was a sick up-and-under move by Tony Allen, but you can tell: He’s tired. He’s grabbing his shorts and was way behind on that last fast break. He needed that timeout. Still, a really nice start for him.

– Leon Powe was dropped in the rotation last week after Perkins returned from his injury and Scal and Big Baby played so well in his absence. He looks active so far and it should be pointed out that Leon did not say one negative thing about it.

– Good run for Ray Allen. 17 minutes, nine points, four assists.

– Tony Allen is killing it right now. For everybody that complains that he’s not James Posey (blah, blah, blah) remember that he can do things that the other Celtics can not. Like block jump shots, for example.

– At this point I think it would be advisable for other teams to guard Eddie House.

– Remember when the Kings started the game shooting 9-for-10? They are 5-for-18 since then.

– Perkins had a word or two for Brad Miller after his love-tap on Rondo. Something to keep an eye on. Miller is not exactly universally loved around the association.

– That was a 2 by Eddie, by the way.

– I believe the Celtics were running a variation of the picket fence. And no they didn’t get caught watching the paint dry.

We are live from the Garden for tonight’s game between the Celtics and the Sacramento Kings. It’s the Kings only visit to Boston this season, and hey, how do you like the weather fellas?

The Kings come into this one losers of six straight and seven of their last eight, which has led to reports of just about everyone getting traded. Everyone but Kevin Martin, the awkward-looking, but oh-so-effective shooting guard who might be the most underappreciated star in the league. But that’s what happens when you play in Sac-Town.

A lot of people don’t give the Kings a snowball’s chance in California of winning tonight, but they’ll play it anyway, and besides where else would you rather be on such a dreary night?

FIRST QUARTER WRAP: Well that was a weird 12 minutes. Paul Pierce has three fouls, Pierce and Big Baby have technicals and the Kings are shooting 65 percent. Oh and Rajon Rondo has 10 points. Other than that, a normal state of affairs.

After one: 30-28.

First Quarter Observations

– So, in case you haven’t heard Brian Scalabrine is out seven to 10 days after suffering his second concussion. Before the game there was a lot of talk about what teams can do to try to prevent such things from happening. Doc, and remember it’s just a nickname, is in a no-win spot there but he said the right things: i.e. he listens to trainer Eddie Lacerte and doesn’t questions his judgment.

Short of that it’s hard to tell what anyone can do in that situation. It’s not like football where they have all kinds of charming euphemisms for concussions and there are horror-stories galore from the gridiron of coaches making players go back on the field when they really shouldn’t be out there.

Tony Allen is back tonight, however.

– Interesting that the C’s have Kendrick Perkins on rookie Jason Thompson and Kevin Garnett on Brad Miller.
The veteran Miller is obviously the more experienced player, and the bigger player, but he plays so much on the outside that it makes sense that KG got the assignment. Thompson went to Rider in central New Jersey, by the way, where a certain blogger used to attend basketball camp. And now you know.

– Slightly better start for the Kings tonight than the one they had back Sacramento. And by slightly, I mean 100 percent completely better in every respect.

– And that’s why they play the games, or so I’ve heard. The Kings are 9-for-10 with seven assists on their nine makes. It’s probably not sustainable since everything is outside. In fact, I will go out on a limb right now and say the Kings will not shoot 90 percent for the rest of the game.

– Well, now Pierce and Perkins have two fouls. This game just went from intriguing to interesting.

– Great helpside D by Big Baby there. John Salmons drove right on Pierce who didn’t want to get his third foul and thought he had a lay-up but Baby got there in time, and now it’s a four-point game.

– Three fouls and technical for Pierce.

– Welcome back Tony Allen. How about a nice kick in the back? TA might have to play more than 10 minutes tonight.

– Garnett is really giving the refs the business. He might have helped steal that continuation call on Rondo though.

– Announcer: Bobby Brown for 3.

Me: Who?

Jeff Howe (Metro): New Edition, man.

On Wednesday the rosters for the All-Star Weekend T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam (more commonly known as the Sophomore-Rookie Game) were announced. Neither Celtics rookies J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker nor sophomores Glen Davis and Gabe Pruitt were selected this season.

Rookie Team: Michael Beasley (Miami Heat), Rudy Fernandez (Portland Trail Blazers), Marc Gasol (Memphis Grizzlies), Eric Gordon (LA Clippers), Brook Lopez (New Jersey Nets), O.J. Mayo (Memphis Grizzlies), Greg Oden (Portland Trail Blazers), Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls), Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Sophomore Team: Aaron Brooks (Houston Rockets), Wilson Chandler (New York Knicks), Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder), Jeff Green (Oklahoma City Thunder), Al Horford (Atlanta Hawks), Luis Scola (Houston Rockets), Al Thornton (LA Clippers), Rodney Stuckey (Detroit Pistons), Thaddeus Young (Philadelphia 76ers)

Dwight Howard and Dwyane Wade will serve as assistant coaches. The game will be played on Friday, February 13 at 9pm EST and aired on TNT. Last season Rajon Rondo participated in the game, which his sophomore team won 136-109. All-Star Game reserves will be announced on Thursday.

On Wednesday night the Boston Celtics (37-9) will take on the Sacramento Kings (10-37) at the TD BankNorth Garden. In December the Celtics took the frustrations of a 1-4 road trip out on the Kings in a 45-point blowout. Since then the Cs are back on track, riding an eight game winning streak. The Kings, on the other hand, have lost eight of their last ten contests.

Rocking the House
Eddie House has shot 7-for-11 from three-point range twice in the last three games. His 17 treys over the last five games rank him third in the league, behind only Mo Williams and Peja Stojakovic. House shot 3-for-9 from downtown against his last meeting against the Kings.

Cracking Down on D
The Celtics have outscored their opponents by more than 16 points per game during their winning streak. They have also held their competition to a league-low 41.6% FG and 14.8 assists over the last five games. The Celtics have won by double-digits in every game since January 14’s 32-point victory over the New Jersey Nets.

Injury Report
Brian Scalabrine will not play after suffering a concussion in Tuesday’s practice at the hands of Patrick O’Bryant. It was his second blow to the head in three days. Scalabrine absorbed Dirk Notwizki’s elbow on Sunday and did not practice on Monday. Tony Allen (ankle) is expected to return against the Kings. He has not played since January 4.

Tip-off is at 7:30pm EST. Stay with WEEI’s Celtics Game Day Blog for all the latest from the Garden.

The Celtics had a longer than normal practice on Tuesday at their training facility in Waltham.

Here are some nuggets from the day.

Brian Scalabrine, who already was dinged up from a mild concussion on Sunday during the win against Dallas, took a serious shot to the head from Patrick O’Bryant and had to be taken off the court and given medical treatment. He was having pain from the light and has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game against Sacramento by head coach Doc Rivers, who added they might have to check with the Patriots for advice.

Tony Allen looked “great” to Rivers and with Scalabrine being out, will likely return for the first time since spraining his right ankle on Jan. 4 in New York against the Knicks.

Rivers said he will remind his team that they embarrassed the Kings by 45 points on Dec. 28 in Sacramento (their lone win on the West Coast swing) because “every team in the league has pride” and they will be “out to show that that game was a fluke.”

Here is the audio version of the above.

Rivers said Scal’s second concussion in four days is not good.

Rivers explains what happened to Scal.

Rivers said the Kings will show their pride.

Rivers was happy with what he saw from Tony Allen.

Ray Allen explains what he saw when Scal got hurt.

Ray Allen on why he feels for Scal.