Boston’s three-headed monster, the one that has dominated the sporting landscape for the better part of this decade, is close to becoming extinct.

Last summer, the Red Sox stumbled out of the American League pennant chase and was forced to watch the hated New York Yankees win the World Series.

Then last month, the Patriots were eliminated by the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild-Card round of the NFL playoffs and will have to watch the Indianapolis Colts, their AFC nemesis, play in the Super Bowl.

Now, the Celtics are waving the white towel faster than you could say “M.L. Carr!” losing 11 of their last 18 games since Christmas Day and recently got stung on national TV by The Black Mamba and the rival Los Angeles Lakers.

Loyal fans in Beantown still claim that the window of opportunity to win championships is still open for their beloved teams. However, the one opponent you can’t overcome is Father Time and the Red Sox, Patriots and Celtics have all fallen victim to his wrath.

The Celtics were one of the heavy favorites to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy when the season started, opening as a 2-1 pick to advance through the Eastern Conference playoffs and 4-1 to win the NBA championship according to BetUS.com.

But lately, the 2008 champs have begun to show some wear and tear, losing six of its last 10 games and, in a four-day span last week, the Celtics suffered a regular-season sweep by the Hawks, blew a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter against the Magic and lost at home by a point to the Lakers.

And to complete the cycle of bad luck, All-Star forward Paul Pierce, strained his left ankle against the Wizards Monday and is now day-to-day.

“Boston remains one of the most overvalued teams in the league,” said Covers.com experts Sean Murphy, who dropped Boston two slots from No. 6 to No. 8 in his latest NBA power rankings.

“They have done a fairly good job taking care of business against weaker opponents, but when stepping up in class, they’ve been awful,” says Murphy. “Those are the spots you really want to focus on if you plan on fading the Celtics.”

Head coach Doc Rivers said that his aging team needs to play with a sense of urgency. But if Rivers is pressing on the gas pedal now and building a ton of mileage in February, the Celtics could be running on empty come May and June.

“I can’t say that I see them as a championship contender this season,” Murphy said. “In my opinion there are at least three teams better than them in the East: the Cavs, Magic, and Hawks. Even the Raptors are making a push, and although they’ve struggled against the Celtics this season put them in a seven-game series and I think they would give them a run.”

Before the Celtics can begin to look ahead to playoff matchups they have some serious health issues that need to be addressed, mainly the status of Kevin Garnett. The 33-year-old All-Star forward has been in and out of the lineup the past two seasons and his troublesome right knee is about as stable as the U.S. economy.

Garnett is without question the linchpin that holds the Celtics title hopes. When he’s healthy, the Celtics have a championship swagger. But when he’s hobbling like Willis Reed, Boston becomes very vulnerable.

“I think this team really lost its momentum at the end of last season when KG went down and missed the playoffs,” Murphy explained. “Everything came together for them two years ago, and now they’re having a really tough time getting back their mojo, so to speak.”

Garnett has amassed more than 40,000 minutes during his 15-year NBA career. That’s more minutes than what Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Dominique Wilkins and David Robinson each logged during their entire careers.

“KG has been around for a long time, and while he is still an elite player, I don’t think we’re ever going to see him play at the level he did earlier in his career,” Murphy said.

Ray Allen, the third cog of Boston’s Big Three, is struggling to match last season’s numbers. Through 46 games, the 34-year-old shooting guard is averaging 15.7 points per game (the lowest since his rookie year) and is making just 34 percent of his 3-point shots, the worst of his 14-year career.

Allen is a free agent after this season and, according to Murphy, there’s a good chance the Celtics are not going to bring him back next season.

Could this be the last time we see Boston’s Big Three wearing the Celtics uniform?

“They’ve already gotten their rings and I think you can clearly see that this is the beginning of the end for the star trio in Boston,” Murphy said.

This article also appears on Covers.com.

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Even though there are still 79 games on the schedule, the Boston Celtics have posted three impressive victories thus far.

The Celtics defeated the Cavaliers on opening night 95-89, and their last two victories have been blowouts. They limited the Bobcats to 59 points and took apart the Bulls 118-90 on Friday night. That’s 101.6 points per game while limiting the opposition to a paltry 79.3.

Ray Allen and Paul Pierce continued their torrid shooting against the Bulls, a carry-over from the epic seven-game series between the two teams last season. Pierce was 5-of-7 from threes (22 points) and Allen was 2-of-3 (20 points).

But that highly competitive series is a thing of the past and the Celtics made sure to send a statement to the Bulls that this Celtics team is far different from the one that struggled against them in the postseason.

For one, Kevin Garnett is back and, so far, the bum knee that sideline him in last season’s playoffs is not an issue. New Celtics Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels have also bolstered the Boston bench.

Coach Doc Rivers says he wants to monitor Garnett’s minutes this season to ease him back to health. Well, Rivers hasn’t had to extend KG too much with these one-sided games as the Big Ticket has played less 30 minutes per game.

I know the NBA title can’t be won in the first week, but the Celtics are off to a great start and it’s hard to ignore that.

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Doc Rivers recently sat down with the Real Training Camp crew for NBA TV and gave his state-of-the-Celtics address. He talked about the health of his All-Star forward Kevin Garnett, the addition of forward-center Rasheed Wallace and his expectations for this upcoming season.

On the health of KG: “He looks great. He’s got shin problems and that has bothered him a little, but other than that he’s played great. He’s better than what I thought he’d be.”

On Rasheed Wallace: “Rasheed is a grown man. I’m not gonna change Rasheed. I’m not even gonna try. Rasheed Wallace is a great team player. We love his personality and it’s a good thing for us.”

On his defense: “If we defend, we got a chance to win. We’re gonna score points, but if we don’t defend we’re not winning. We’ll win a lot of games but we won’t be a winner. And we’re trying to be a winner here. That’s the only reason why we’re together; that’s the only reason why we went out and got Rasheed and Marquis Daniels. That’s our goal, to be the last team playing and the only way you do that is with defense.”

Rivers added: “We want to be a great defensive team. We felt like the last two years we have been. But there’s another level that we can get to. Bottom line is this…when you talk football and you say ‘best defensive team to ever play?’ You think ‘85 Bears. We want to be there someday. We want to be in that argument. We want to be better than first. I don’t know what that number is, but we want Usain Bolt First.”

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Through the first 29 games last season, the Boston Celtics were on a phenomenal 27-2 run and seemed poised to challenge the 1996 Chicago Bulls’ record of 72-10 mark. But something happened to the Celtics’ bullet train that derailed their championship aspirations and date with history.

On Dec. 25, 2008, the Celtics lost to the Lakers 92-83 and that’s when the wheels started to lose some air. Cedric Maxwell said that last year’s Celtics started so fast they were gunning for 70 wins, which pushed the team into exhaustion and began to wear down.

With All-Stars Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rasheed Wallace, Celtics GM Danny Ainge has built a formidable unit in Boston.

Then an injury to All-Everything forward Kevin Garnett forced the Celtics to play the postseason without their emotional leader and anchor on defense. The BIG THREE was reduced to THE BIG TWO. The result: A seven-game war with the Chicago Bulls, which they eventually won but not without a price. The Celtics were so drained, particularly Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, by the first-round series that fatigue became a huge factor in the next series, losing to Orlando in seven games.

Getting eliminated by the Magic in the Eastern Conference semifinals was a sign that the Celtics needed to add another important piece to their roster.

Enter Rasheed Wallace.

Wallace enters his 15th NBA season, not exactly the fresh legs the Celtics were hoping for but what he brings to the table is a championship pedigree and some much-needed frontcourt help in case Garnett slips and falls again. Wallace is a top-notch post defense despite his advanced age, and he is a threat to score from anywhere on the court. His ability to hit the 3-ball will open up the court for Pierce and point guard Rajon Rondo, who became an absolute star during the playoffs. If anything, Wallace’s post defense will allow KG to become a free safety.

“He’s so versatile, the way he shoots the ball, his IQ, and he’s going to give Kevin [Garnett] a break and we’re not going to rush him along too much. He looks like the Rasheed of old,” Pierce said of Wallace.

“We’re very focused,” Pierce continued. “You could see this is a very serious group from Day 1 in training camp. We’re out here like somebody stole something from us. You can see it in everybody’s eyes. Everybody came back in great shape and ready to go.”

With the addition of Wallace, the Celtics can field a dynamite five in Garnett, Allen, Pierce and Rondo to finish games. Kendrick Perkins will end up starting at center, but expect Wallace to be the closer when it matters.

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Orlando Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu scored 25 points and had 12 assists against Boston in Game 7. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

On a day when the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics, the two marquee franchises of the league, were pushed to a Game 7, the player who came up huge was not named Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest, Paul Pierce or Dwight Howard.

When the Orlando Magic needed someone to turn the lights out at TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Coach Stan Van Gundy – who has been heaviliy criticized for losing Game 5 to the Celtics – did not call on Howard’s number or Rashard Lewis’ number. Instead, Van Gundy put the ball in the hands of Hedo Turkoglu.

Turkoglu scored 25 points, making 4-of-5 threes, grabbed five rebounds and had a career-playoff high 12 assists to lead Orlando to a 101-82 victory in Game 7 and ended Boston’s reign as NBA champions. When the Celtics made a push in the fourth quarter to close the gap, similar to what they did in Game 5, Turkoglu made sure history was not going to repeat itself.

“The thing that I probably liked the most about it is, through a good part of the second half. It looked very, very similar to Game 5. But we looked we had learned from it and we continued to play, and Turk was outstanding down the stretch,” Van Gundy said.

Turkoglu, one of the best fourth-quarter players in the NBA, made nine of 12 shots from the field Sunday night in 36 minutes. Last year, he hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to defeat the Celtics during a regular season game in Orlando.

Howard was solid (12 points and 16 rebounds) and so was Lewis (19 points). But make no mistake about it, the Magic was able to overcome Boston’s fourth-quarter comeback and earned a trip to the Eastern Conference finals because of Turkoglu. Playing point forward, the 6-foot-10 Turkoglu not only made the big shots but he also created shots for his teammates. The Celtics lost a playoff series for the first time after leading 3-2.

They call Turkoglu the Michael Jordan of Turkey. After his clutch performance in Game 7 at the new Boston Garden, they might start calling him Hero Turkoglu.

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Magic center Dwight Howard called out Coach Stan Van Gundy after Orlando fell 92-88 to Boston in Game 5. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Dwight Howard is showing his age in these NBA playoffs. In the first round, he threw a malicious elbow to the head of Philadelphia’s Samuel Dalembert that resulted in a one-game suspension. Then in Game 5 against the Boston Celtics, the 23-year-old All-Star center threw Boston point guard Rajon Rondo to the floor out of frustration and later threw his coach under the bus.

The Magic pulled a disappearing act in the final six minutes of Game 5 in Boston and allowed the Celtics to rally and outscore them, 17-3, late in the fourth quarter. The Magic’s inability to close cost them the game, as the Celtics won 92-88, and it most likely cost them the series.

After the game, a defeated and disappointed Howard complained about not getting enough touches on offense and blamed Coach Stan Van Gundy for failing to put the correct lineup on the court.

“The coaches have to recognize what’s working on the floor. Stick to it. Even if it’s half your starters on the floor. Not just the guys you have put the most trust in. You have to have trust in everybody,” Howard said.

“The reason why we were winning is because we moved the ball, we ran, got easy shots. Our coach has to recognize when he has a certain group out there and they are getting the job done, we have to leave those guys on the floor. We are going to make mistakes, but I think you have to go with what works.”

Then, Howard added more fuel to the fire by praising Celtics Coach Doc Rivers. “Their coach left the guys on the court who got the job done,” Howard said. “That’s what championship teams do.”

Howard finished with 12 points on 5-of-10 shots from the field and 2-of-3 from the line. He grabbed 17 rebounds but failed to block a shot for only the second time in the series.

“I would just say it’s tough to win all season when you play inside-out with people who got you off to a good season. I think I’m capable of scoring in the post,” said Howard, who was outscored by Glen “Big Baby” Davis, 22-12. Howard made one basket in the fourth quarter.

“I don’t’ want to say it’s all about offense. But when you have a dominant player, let him be dominant,” Howard said. “I have to do it defensively where I have to be more aggressive and offensively I have to get the ball. I don’t think you are going to win a lot of games when your post player only gets 10 shots.

“It’s tough to get yourself going and get a lot of shots without a lot of touches. We have to do a better job with that.”

Van Gundy said the Magic has no one to blame but themselves for playing not to lose at the end.

“We just quit playing,” Van Gundy said. “We looked like we were trying to run the clock out, walking the ball up the floor, playing halfcourt. It’s not the way we wanted to play it.”

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Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett are shouldering too much of the burden on offense and defense for the defending world champions. (THE BOSTON GLOBE)

Something is definitely wrong with the Boston Celtics.

Though the defending NBA champs are still a major driving force in the East, the Celtics’ high-powered engine is beginning to leak and their once tireless energy on defense is showing some wear-and-tear. Coach Doc Rivers also hinted the team is severely missing two key cogs from last season’s championship run: James Posey and P.J. Brown.

Both were outstanding bench players during the 2008 NBA playoffs, and their absence has exposed the Boston bench and forced Rivers to rely more on Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, who is beginning to show signs of fatigue.

Garnett may not admit it, but he’s not the same player. The effort and the intensity is still there but KG’s offense has fallen dramatically and his rebounding has become just average. KG still wants to push forward, but his gas tank is running close to empty.

To compound matters, The Big Ticket recently got punched out of the lineup when he injured his knee against the Denver Nuggets. He will be sidelined two to three weeks.

The loss of KG, coupled with the way the bench has disappointed this season, GM Danny Ainge rolled the dice by acquiring point guard Stephon Marbury and forward Mikki Moore. Instead of adding younger legs to an aging roster, Ainge took on two old individuals who know nothing about winning.

Marbury’s selfish acts are well documented. He’s all about himself. When he arrived in New Jersey, the Nets got bad. When he was traded to Phoenix, the Suns became average. When he landed in New York, the Knicks went into the tank.

Moore is a journeyman who has never played for a contender. His best years were spent in Sacramento when the Kings were far removed from playoff picture.

The loss of Posey – who signed with New Orleans during the offseason after Ainge refused to sign him to a longer deal – has had a more dramatic impact on the Cs. Boston was hoping 6-1 guard Tony Allen would stem the loss of the 6-10 forward, acting as the Celtics’ sixth man. But Tony A. has been a huge disappointment. He has struggled from the field all season and, for someone who is known for his defense, Allen has not been able to impose his will on that end of the court. Last season, Posey gave the Celtics solid defense and timely shooting off the bench.

Brown is retired and seems perfectly satisfied with one championship ring on his finger. Boston’s small front line could definitely use Brown’s size and experience (6-11, 255) in the interior, something 6-6 Glen “Big Baby” Davis and 6-6 Leon Powe will never be able to provide. Big Baby and Powe are both overmatched inside and neither is capable of stopping the other team’s post player.

Though he has vastly improved his offense this season, starting point guard Rajon Rondo is far from a finished product. Rondo is still limited offensively, relying too much on that one-handed runner. It will also be interesting to see how he responds to having Starbury in his ear (as if the kid from Kentucky does not get enough lip service from KG, Doc and Pierce).

After starting the season 27-2, Boston is only 17-11 since and 1-3 against its two main competition for the Larry O’Brien trophy: Cleveland and the L.A. Lakers.

If the Celtics wish to return to the NBA Finals, their bench will need to play better and take pressure off The Big Three. The question is, “Are they capable?” We’ll soon find out.

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