The Boston Celtics will try and avoid losing three straight at home for the first time this season as they host the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. The Celtics have a five game lead over Detroit with just 12 games left to play for the overall #1 seed in the East so they are not too worried but they would like to play better than they did on Monday when they lost 95-90 to Philadelphia. The Celtics blew an 11-point fourth quarter lead on Monday. "These games are crucial to us, too," Kevin Garnett said. "We are trying to establish something, and a rhythm going into the playoffs. So these are big games for us, too, just as it is for all the other teams coming in here." SBG Global reports that early NBA betting has the public taking Celtics at Home.

Phoenix is coming off a tough 110-105 loss in overtime to the Pistons on Monday. Amare Stoudemire had 33 points and Steve Nash added 23 and nine assists. The Suns are just a game and a half out of first place overall in the Western Conference. "This would have been huge for us in the Western Conference, but it obviously wasn't in the cards," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "Now we have to go to Boston and try to get one there." Phoenix is 22-5 against the East this season and defeated Boston at home 85-77 last month. The Suns have won their last five games in Boston.