Save cheers, boos for next year

The Boston Celtics will arrive at Target Center on Monday for their annual visit without Kevin Garnett, who's expected to miss at least two weeks because of ankle inflammation.

"We're going to err on the right side," Celtics coach Doc Rivers told reporters last week. "At the end of the day, I want him right and I don't want him half-right."

The Celtics also are without Rajon Rondo, who's out for the season because of a torn ACL.

Parting words

Sacramento coach Keith Smart, after he watched Kings center DeMarcus Cousins scored 34 points in three quarters during Thursday's 117-103 victory at Phoenix: "We have a unique big man. He's a big who can play big but has the skills of a guard. He has the whole package. When everything comes along in his life, when he grows up and sells into how he plays every night in the NBA, he'll be a special talent."

One for the history books

The Miami Heat's 27-game winning streak, which ended Wednesday in Chicago, was not only the second longest in NBA history, but it was the second longest among all the four major sports: NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL:

TeamStreakDates

L.A. Lakers3311/5/71 to 1/7/72

Miami Heat272/3/13 to 3/25/13

Indianapolis Colts2311/2/08 to 12/17/09

Houston Rockets221/29/08 to 3/16/08

New England Patriots2112/17/06 to 9/14/08

Chicago Cubs219/4/35 to 9/27/35