BOSTON -- Celtics center Kevin Garnett, fresh off joining the league's elite 25,000-point club, made it a point to emphasize his desire to retire in Boston after Thursday's triumph over the Los Angeles Lakers at TD Garden.

Unprompted, Garnett sounded off on his name swirling in trade rumors recently while the Celtics try to overcome the loss of starters Rajon Rondo and Jared Sullinger.

"On a last note, I just want to say that I love my situation here," said Garnett. "I don't know what y'all sources or whoever's making up these bull---- --- articles about me getting traded to Denver and all these other places. But I bleed green and I continue to do that. And if it's up to me then I'm going to retire a Celtic. So I just want everybody to know that, all right?"

Garnett owns a no-trade clause as part of a three-year extension he inked with Boston last season. If he desires to retire a Celtic, he can ensure that. Garnett left the door cracked ever so slightly to allow for a change of scenery should Boston overhaul its roster and leave him no other option but to chase a title elsewhere.

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said Thursday that he believes it's unlikely the team would trade either Garnett or captain Paul Pierce. And Garnett's end-of-interview rant only hammered home Boston's desire to continue chasing a title this season, even after all the injury woes and inconsistent play the team has previously endured.

Boston matched its season-high six-game winning streak with Thursday's victory. The Celtics have won 12 of their last 18 overall to move to 26-23 and are starting to climb up the Eastern Conference playoff ladder, shuffling past Milwaukee and taking sole possession of the seventh seed for the moment.