Celtics (79) @ Nets (88)

The rumors are rising again, the ones that say Kris Humphries will soon propose to Kim Kardashian. The two joked about it on Twitter. It's not likely to happen soon, but Kim's confidantes swear she is in love and she herself says the Net is the "perfect" fit....even if the two are separated by more than a foot.

Fred Kerber doesn't want to be a party pooper, but he does want you to know just how difficult it will be for the Nets to make the playoffs. It will be very difficult passing four teams to get to the #8 seed...and the Knicks didn't help matters by falling to the Pacers (again) Tuesday night in Indiana. The Pacers hold the #8 seed now.

I don't know if it is nagging injuries, wearing down due to large minutes played, or just a garden variety slump. I just hope we see the Rondo we've come to know and love once the playoffs roll around.

It's already going viral...YES Network cameras caught a young Net fan's reaction as Deron Williams hit the dagger against the Celtics Monday night. As Ian Eagle noted, "It's Jubilation in Newark!"

With Deron Williams or without him, the Nets are a new team. He was back at the Prudential Center on Monday to hit the biggest shot of the game in a huge 88-79 over the Celtics. The Nets shot just 40 percent from the field, but hit 11 of their 25 threes and turned the ball over just 10 times. Lopez led all scorers with 20 points on 9-for-16 shooting.

Of the four teams involved in trade deadline machinations, the Nets are the second most successful, their 4-3 record behind the Nuggets' 7-2 but ahead of the Knicks' 6-5 and the Jazz's 3-7. Moreover the Nets have won four straight, two without Deron Williams...and if they sell out Monday, that's a good thing as well. It's all about Deron Williams.

The Nets have won four straight, two with Deron Williams, two without. if they sell out Monday, they will have played before "home" sellouts four times in the last five games. They are over the past five games, the best rebounding team in the league and are second in scoring. Not enough to move them up in the power rankings though.

The Nets have won four straight, including two without Deron Williams, but all four have been against sub-.500 teams. That's not the case Sunday when the Celtics, sporting the best record in the East, come to Newark for a big game. Big because the Nets haven't won five straight in three years, since 2007-08.