Well, so much for a repeat. According to Boston media sources, Celtics Coach Doc Rivers told WEEI radio this morning (via the ASSOCIATED PRESS) that star forward Kevin Garnett isn’t going to be ready for the team’s first round series with the Chicago Bulls. In fact, Rivers is saying that smart money has Garnett missing the entire playoffs.

(This scene won’t be reenacted this spring.)

That sounds you hear is that confident bubble of pride surrounding the city of Boston bursting — and the city of Cleveland rejoicing — all at once.

“He’s not going to be ready. After watching him practice, there’s no way,” Rivers said. “The way I saw him move today, I don’t know if he’ll be ready.” 

The Celtics are still a playoff caliber team without Garnett, but they’re certainly not a squad capable of defending an NBA title. In fact, missing Garnett is precisely the kind of blow that will convince the young Bulls that they can actually steal this first round series if they get lucky with a win in Games 1 or 2. After Garnett went back on the shelf in April, the Celtics still won 10 of 11 games down the stretch. Yet there’s a substantive difference between winning regular season games against teams that may or may not have a postseason future, and winning playoff games against the likes of LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.

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Sometimes, when we have exciting exhibition baseball games or tight NBA contests, we worry that we’re too focused on winning and losing or on a particular team. We fear we’re losing sight of the most important element of sports: the umpires and referees. Thankfully, two brave men reminded us that we care about the events on the field of play because of them.

First, NBA ref Bill Kennedy established his author-i-tah by ejecting Doc Rivers with less than a minute left in a two-possession game against the Bulls apparently because Rivers wouldn’t turn and face him like a man and actually walked away from confrontation.

We believe the first technical in the third quarter was for sneezing without covering his mouth, though we can’t verify. Tommy Heinsohn and Boston bloggers took it as well as they could.

Then Kenji Johjima was sent packing by the Tossin’ Wendelstedts (youngun’ edition) for leaving his bat at home plate mid-inning after a questionable strike three (and does Hunter know any other kind?). Hunter waited for Kenji to return to the dugout, pointed at the bat a few times like a disappointed paternal figure, and then tossed him casually. Midseason form.

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Austin Rivers, son of Celtics coach Doc Rivers, is quite the basketball standout of the Orlando area. So it should please many Gator fans in and around central Florida that the Winter Park product has announced his intentions to play for Billy Donovan’s squad.

But Austin will have to wait a few years before packing his alligator bags for Gainesville - he just finished his freshman year of high school.

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• Inspired by very special “Saved By The Bell” episode, Clay Travis of CBS SPORTS suggest sports bloggers & the mainstream media end their feud once & for all with a quiz bowl showdown.

(Buzz Bissinger & Will Leitch butt heads in a Battle of Brawny Brains! With special guest referee - Mr. Belding! [OK, maybe not.])

• THE 700 LEVEL proudly presents pics of “The People’s Champ” Freddie Mitchell living it up royally among some female subjects.

• Tom Ziller of AOL FANHOUSE is happy to share all the things Doc Rivers did wrong in Game 3.

• HOME RUN DERBY is so bored with the San Francisco Giants, they’d rather spend their time at AT&T Park watching the wind try to tip over a full beer.

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• THE SPOILER discovers that David Beckham has a drinking problem:

• DC SPORTS BOG takes in the sight & sounds of Santana Moss’ birthday extravaganza.

• DEADSPIN reports from the battlefront that Red China is facing a new invasion - by the Red Sox Nation.

• BIG LEAGUE STEW is sad to see the passing of Bo Diddley, co-star of one of the bestest sports commercials ever.

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KING CARTOONS has this wonderful graphic recently provided by ESPN detailing a performance by Rip Hamilton:

(Oh, did we mention, it’s SPONSORED BY FLOMAX)

Game changer? We were actually thinking more along the lines of diaper changer. Those cubicled kids at ESPN need to cook up some graphics for Red Kerr and Heinsohn if they really want market penetration.

Speaking of unwitting endorsers, Mark Murphy of the BOSTON HERALD reports on the pill popper Dr. Feelgood of the Boston Celtics: Coach Doc Rivers. Read more…

When Wednesday evening began, the San Antonio Spurs could have fallen anywhere from 3rd to 6th place in playoff seeding. But now that all 82 games have been played, the brackets are now officially set.

(Sorry, Pacers, Knicks, Bucks, T-Wolves - Better luck next year!)

Another NBA regular season is down the drain (much like Isiah’s future with the Knicks), and it’s time to get some serious ballin’ going on.

So, who gets to face who?

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• MR. SUNSHINE saves it for later, as Dan Patrick’s radio show will be broadcast in many markets on tape-delay:

• ALLBALLS takes a break, as they enjoy these amusing halftime spectacles.• WIZZNUTZZ via DEADSPIN knows a chicken box signed by Manute Bol & Spud Webb has to be finger lickin’ good.

• JEN’S FREE THROWS teases us with a first look at Venus Williams’ new ‘do:

• WAGGLE ROOM checks their report card, as teen golf sensation Tadd Fujikawa is letting his grades slip a bit.• PART MULE knows the Celtics are so good, Doc Rivers doesn’t even need to coach them.

• MONDESI’S HOUSE digs up a classic photo of a collegiate Dan Marino and his Pitt hitmen:

• LARRY BROWN SPORTS checks their wallet, as it now costs a family of four nearly $500 to attend one Lakers game.• And if you decide not to head to Staples Center, you can always use that cash to buy the most expensive video games made.

• He can bring his own makeup: RIVALFISH scores news that Dennis Rodman wants to be a WNBA coach:

The Worm should be able to provide proper motivation to his players.• CONSTRUDA discovers Tim Hardaway trying to make amends for his earlier anti-gay remarks.

• THE BOTTOM LINE hates Notre Dame, but even they aren’t having fun anymore with the suck of the Irish.

• DEADSPIN can hard-ly wait for the NBA season to start, as Doc Rivers looks excited to be coaching the Celtics:

• NATION OF ISLAM SPORTSBLOG knows every answer is IMPORTANT!, as they interview Stephen A. Smith.

• HOME RUN DERBY is juuust a bit outside, as they present Game 4 of the Indians-Yankees series, as called by Harry Doyle.

• The LOS ANGELES TIMES knows Mark Kelso has a good head on his shoulders, as the former Buffalo Bill with the enlarged helmet is helping design a new model to keep migraines to a minimum:

• MIAMI SPORTS BLOG takes off the gloves, as Joey Porter and Kellen Winslow Jr. get ready to match wits again this Sunday at Browns Stadium.

• SIGNAL TO NOISE doesn’t find the humor in “The Fighting Skip Holtzes“.