Why Larry Bird was a better scorer than Paul Pierce

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:56 GMT

Who is the better scorer, Larry Bird or Paul Pierce?

There's been a big push lately to give that nod to Paul Pierce. Not just for passing Bird as the Celtics #2 all-time scorer, but for his versatility. The Truth has a great mid-range game (hello, right elbow jumper). He can shoot the three ball. He can also attack the basket and get to the rim.

Larry Bird was a phenomenal shooter. One of the best of all time. His mid-range game involved backing down an opponent and shooting the fade-away. Bird was not a slasher. Putting the ball on the floor and getting to the hoop was not a strength.

What's a debate without statistics? Let's look at points per game, shooting percentage and individual scoring:

	Bird	Pierce
PPG	24.3	22.1
FG%	49.6	44.8
60 points	1	0
50 points	3	1
40 points	43	18

With Bird having so many 40+ games, yet a 24.3 ppg career average, we wondered if he was prone to more bad games.

	Bird	Pierce
15 points or less	62	202
10 points or less	16	72

I'm not a statistics expert, but I believe these numbers disprove that argument.

Even prior to this little statistical experiment, I thought Bird was the better scorer. He was more explosive than Pierce. He would reach that zone more often than Pierce.

Pierce has more ways to score, but Bird is the better scorer. Make sense?

Bass-Master of His Domain

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:55 GMT

….it's not every day you use TWO bad puns in a headline that don't really make sense! Huzzah!

Brandon Bass has been only slightly less than awesome this season. He's just the type of young and athletic player the Celtics have been looking for the past couple of years, so it's not hard to understand why he's the go-to big off the bench. The C's can count on him for a consistent and effectual spot start and Q5M sub for Kevin Garnett.

This is part of the reason why I was so surprised when Bass missed the Grizzlies game last week with a knee injury. Here's Doc Rivers explaining Bass' absence:

“I actually think it's just the accumulation of the games. He had some swelling in it, so we're just going to sit him.”

Pretty innocuous, although it seems a little strange that Bass would miss a biggish game against a good Western Conference team (despite the terrible record) to rest a minor injury with the Bobcats on deck. As we now know, Bass was back on the floor on Tuesday and looked no worse for wear.

Well, almost no worse for wear. There was a moment in the first quarter where Bass completely blew a defensive rotation and Paul Pierce used all of his teeth to chew him out. I wanted to ask both of them after the game about the play and about Brandon's progression as a team defender but then Pierce had to go and break a record. Apparently, no one wants to talk about the minutiae of team defense when someone scores 21,797 for his career…

EXCEPT ME!

But I am obviously in the minority. I'm probably also in the minority when it comes to trying to ~~over-~~interpret what Doc meant when he said, “it's just the accumulation of the games.” If Bass had a knee injury, he had a knee injury. What I can't shake is that usually we know about all injuries, even little nagging ones. We didn't get any indication Bass was playing through something until we found out he was scratched. That, plus the fact that this little respite came after two straight games where Bass let his emotions get the best of him.

First, in the Celtics blowout win against Toronto Bass got pulled to the ground by his jersey while trying to get a defensive board. While on the ground, Bass showed his displeasure by grabbing the legs of the puller (Amir Johnson) before realizing that no one has ever looked tough holding on to someone's ankles. I asked Brandon about this play after the game and he gave a great response:

It's really hard to keep your cool when you get hit midair, which is a big part of why I wanted to check in with Bass about this play (and also because big dudes get hit a lot and being a big dude by normal people's standards, I can sympathize with Bass).

I took his answer and was satisfied. It's nice to get perspective from a guy who bangs downlow night in and night out. But then Bass broke my heart by getting a technical in his very next game against the Knicks after he chest bumped Amar'e Stoudemire. I felt betrayed. Where was the levelheadedness of the guy in the video? Each of these are most-likely isolated incidents, but when you factor in the day off for knee swelling for the very next game it makes you think.

Despite the previous 600 words, I'm not trying to make something out of nothing. I swear. This is more of a “something to keep in the back of your mind” as you continue to watch Bass for the rest of the season. Furthermore, I asked Eddy Rivera of MagicBasketball about Bass and he relayed that Bass “definitely has his flaws. As a person, though, he's a stand-up dude.” So I defer to Eddy's expertise as he covered Bass for a lot longer than I have been. I will agree that our locker room encounters have been nothing but pleasant. And even if the missed game was just a chance for Bass to get collected -to rest, to get his nose in the playbook- that's not such a bad thing.

It'll be interesting to watch the big man rotation going forward. Kevin Garnett continues to play like it's 2005. Chris Wilcox has proved to be a consistent energy player off the bench, something the Celtics have lacked for the past couple of years. And we'll keep hearing about JaJuan Johnson's garbage time dominance as he continues to languish on the bench.

Then there's also the little rumor going around that the Celtics are looking to add to their already crowded front court. I wouldn't read too much into that.

Your Morning Dump... Where Kobe loved playing for the Celtics

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:32 GMT

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

“Of course I do. I remember being terrified of going to work out for the Celtics. I was such a Lakers fan growing up, I was like scared. Like, am I doing the right thing by working out with the Celtics? And then I’m in there with Dennis Johnson and I’m speaking with him and I’m just learning so much from him. It was a great workout, man. I had a blast.”

Herald: Kobe finds much to talk about with C's, Lakers

Of course the Celtics can win a player over with their history and aura... and this was back when ML Carr was coaching. Imagine what he'd think coming in and working out for Doc Rivers. It'd be better than playing for Mike Brown, that's for sure.

I do wonder sometimes what would have happened had the Celtics drafted Kobe instead of Antoine Walker? Would they stil have been in a position to draft Chauncey Billups and Ron Mercer the following year? And would they have been bad enough to land Paul Pierce the year after that?

Of course, Philly, Toronto, Memphis (then Vancouver), Milwaukee, Minnesota, the Clippers, New Jersey, Dallas, Indiana, Golden State, Cleveland and Charlotte (which drafted, and traded Kobe) can all go through the same "what if's" considering Kobe was the 13th pick in the 1996 draft.

Personally, I'm happy with our own former Lakers fan won over by the city of Boston. Even with the struggles, this still worked out just fine for us. And Lakers fans have to live with the knowledge that Kobe Bryant loved it here in Boston... even though the moment was fleeting. And had he been picked by the Celtics, he would have relished it and embraced it. I mean... look at those photos. That smile says it all.

On Page 2: Doc celebrated last night harder than when he won the title

That's Ausin Rivers burying an NBA-length 3 to beat arch-rival North Carolina last night. And check out Doc Rivers at the :13 mark just going absolutely ballistic.

I'm not kidding when I say he celebrated that more than when he won the title here in Boston. And I'm OK with that. You're looking at the unbridled joy of a father watching his son excel. With the championship, there was all kinds of pressure on him to do it and the win was as much relief as it was excitement.

But this... this was just pure jubilation. I can watch that over and over again... and I don't even like Duke. Check out what Doc said about it after the game... and how he compares it to Boston/LA.

The rest of the links:

CSNNE: Gasol: "[trade rumors are] part of the reality of what we do" | Pierce: Another title is my next goal | ESPN Boston: Here comes the Lake (not Blake) show | Bill Simmons' top 10 Celtics | Roots down, Stiemsma can settle in | WEEI: The All Star cases for Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo | Herald: Actor finds Bird to be quite a character | Aging Lakers, Celtics, set for toe-to-toe tussle | Globe: Mirror images, with a few cracks | Celtics picking up steam | Celtics, Lakers heading in opposite directions

Photo Gallery: Celtics vs Bobcats

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:30 GMT

Here are some photos via Hoop China from the Celts' 94-84 win over Charlotte last night. I was at the Garden, and it was such a fun evening. I've followed Paul Pierce since his very his 1st-game, and it's been a pleasure to watch him become one of the all-time great Celtics. Bonus "Ultimate Truth GIF" after the jump...

Taking Stock: C's - Bobcats

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:30 GMT

After every game, we'll take stock of how each individual performance affects the player's overall value.

Starters

Rajon Rondo: A 14-to-1 assist to turnover ratio is pretty damn good. Most of his passes were crisp and he played under control the entire night. No signs of rust from the wrist injury.

Paul Pierce: I generally don't hand out praise to a player who misses 12 of 18 shots, but Pierce nearly recorded a triple double (8 rebounds, 9 assists). I'll also cut him slack for playing under tremendous, Larry Bird-induced pressure.

Ray Allen: While he made just 1 of 5 from beyond the arc, Ray did nail 7 of 9 from inside the arc.

Kevin Garnett: Another great offensive game. 22 points in 27 minutes is a ratio I'll take every game. Missed a couple of bunnies. Seems like he's overly concerned of having his shot blocked around the hoop.

Jermaine O'Neal: 8 rebounds and 1 block in 19 minutes. He also played flexed his tough guy muscles on a couple plays.

Bench

Brandon Bass: 13 points on 5-8 FG. The only bench player to make a serious contribution.

Mickael Pietrus: Missed 5 of his 7 shots with 3 turnovers. Still love his energy.

Avery Bradley: More ball-hawking defense. A perfect 2-2 from the field.

Chris Wilcox: 4 points, 4 rebounds, 3 rebounds in 17 minutes. Not his best output, but decent numbers.

Sasha Pavlovic: Did you see that three pointer that barely caught backboard?

Greg Stiemsma, E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson: Not much to report in a combined 6 minutes.

Coaching

Doc Rivers: Aside from Pierce's 37 minutes, he kept everyone's court time down.

Overall

Should the Celtics have beaten Charlotte by more than 10 points? Yes, but this was a classic trap game (Lakers looming) with a major distraction (Bird's scoring mark).

CelticsHub Reader Input Required For Lakers 5-on-5

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:47 GMT

Regular readers of the site will know we tackle five Celtics-related questions each Thursday with our friends from ESPN Boston. This week, we'd like to try an experiment and include our readers in the process. We're looking for your responses to each of the following questions.

Please send them to celticshub@gmail.com no later than 8 a.m. ET Thursday morning and we'll include a sampling tomorrow afternoon in the 5-on-5.

Please keep responses to 50 words or less. You can answer some or all of the questions in whatever manner you see fit.

Here's what we'll be addressing tomorrow:

1. If Paul Pierce had played the first half of his career with Shaq instead of Antoine Walker, how would we regard him today?
3. JaJuan Johnson had a great game against Memphis. Where does his season go from here?
3. Which Celtics will be named as all-star reserves Thursday night?
4. The Lakers and Celtics have nearly identical records. Which team is a more viable championship contender?
5. Prediction time: what happens Thursday night between the Celtics and Lakers?

VIDEO: Pierce Surpasses Larry Bird on All-Time Scoring List

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:00 GMT

During last night's game there were several segments highlighting Paul Pierce before, during and after the moment he surpassed Larry Bird on the Celtics all-time scoring list. Take a look at the video below to see a compilation of the best segments. Also, I want to extend a huge congrats to Paul, one of the greatest Celtics of all time which is saying quite a bit for this storied franchise. Just an amazing accomplishment but I agree with Paul: we all want to see you win one more championship!

Perk tears apart LeBron for dunk tweet

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:22 GMT

Shortly after the dunk, James tweeted, “Dunk of the Year! @blakegriffin just dunked on Kendrick Perkins so hard!!! Wow! I guess I’m No. 2 now. Move over #6.” James was referring to his alley-oop dunk he threw down after jumping over Chicago Bulls guard John Lucas III a day earlier.

“You don’t see Kobe [Bryant] tweeting,” Perkins said. “You don’t see Michael Jordan tweeting. If you’re an elite player, plays like that don’t excite you. At the end of the day, the guys who are playing for the right reasons who are trying to win championships are not worrying about one play.

“They also are not tweeting about themselves talking about going down to No. 2. I just feel [James] is always looking for attention and he wants the world to like him.”

Yahoo! Sports - Perkins rips LeBron James for dunk tweet

Kendrick Perkins absolutely emasculates the Chosen One. This is the verbal equivalent of stuffing James into a locker.

You won't find a guy with a better self-less approach to the game:

“If I was in the same position, in the same rotation, I’m going to jump again and again and again,” Perkins told Yahoo! Sports. “I don’t care. A lot of people are afraid of humiliation or don’t know how to handle embarrassment or would even get embarrassed. I don’t care.

“I’m the same Perk you’re going to see. I’m still going to sign autographs the same way. I ain’t going to change. The people that move out the way and stuff are the people who have insecurity problems.

“That’s my job. How will my teammates look at me if next time I just back out the way and just let him dunk when I’m supposed to be defensive-minded, a shot-blocker? That would be a coward move on me. He’d just have to dunk on me again.”

Even Perkins admits Griffin’s dunk was “nice; a nice finish.” He also remembers the advice his former Boston Celtics teammate,Kevin Garnett , once gave him: To be an effective post defender, you have to risk getting dunked on.

Just another reason to love the Beast.

Greg Stiemsma's Contract To Become Fully Guaranteed

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:47 GMT

The C's gave their 26-year-old rookie a vote of confidence before Tuesday's game. By not waiving the seven-footer, Stiemsma's contract will become fully guaranteed on Friday, allowing the shot blocker to breath a little bit and perhaps unpack some boxes for good in Beantown. Here's Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston with some reaction from Stiemsma and Doc Rivers

“It feels real good. It's a satisfying feeling,” Stiemsma said. “Any little stuff like that can give you a little boost during the season. I don’t get caught up in that business side too much. But I do enjoy the positives when they come, so it feels good.”

Rivers, who raved about the chemistry of this year's team, said Stiemsma not only contributes to that positive vibe, but has the skill to be an impact player.

“He can play,” Rivers said. “That’s the main thing. If he couldn’t play but was a great guy, we’d probably send him on his way. But he can actually play and he’s a big guy that can play. And we’re just hoping we can keep developing him to make him a better player.”

Paul Pierce Unfiltered Postgame After Passing Larry Bird

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:10 GMT

It was an emotional night for the C's captain as he further cemented his place in Celtic history after passing Larry Bird in the all-time leaderboard for second most points in franchise history. Here's Pierce comments in full on his achievement, along with reaction from his coach and his teammates on a memorable night at TD Garden:

On Passing Larry Bird: “It was a relief. So much was hanging over me the last couple of days just hearing about it. Knowing that you got a game to play and so many people talked about it and talked about it. I mean that for me, its a great feat knowing that you are going to be up there with all the great Celtics, ya know Larry Bird is probably onoe of the most important players that ever played in this franchise. Just to be up there and have your name up there with them is a great honor.”

On His Video Tribute: “I actually saw little glimpses of it, Doc was talking in the time out, ya know you just try to focus in on the game and you just soak it in, soak it all in after the game. I’ll probably soak it in a little bit more once I go home and sit down and realize what’s really going on. Right now its just, its so fresh in my head right now that the game is over.”

On his standing ovation: “We have great fans. They’ve seen it all from my younger days, from my trials and tribulations, to this point today and its just a great honor just for them to be able to stand up and give me that type of ovation. Being a Celtic for all these years and understanding what it means to be a Celtic and the ups and downs you go through and just to come to this point in your career it really means so much just the support that they have given me over the years.”

Why did he stay loyal to Boston? “Just having confidence in the ownership and Danny. Just knowing how great this franchise can be, knowing the history, knowing that once this franchise gets back to where it needs to be and if I’m a part of it there’s no other franchise like this in all of basketball. You knew eventually it would turn around. I’ve just always been the optimist just knowing eventually ‘the next year, the next year’ that’s what I always kept saying to myself that it would eventually turn around and it took one summer for us to turn this thing around and I’m just thankful that just my patience was able to pay off.”

On passing Bird, while growing up a Lakers fan: “Well growing up in Englewood I would of said I wouldn’t of been a Celtic, I’m not gonna be a Celtic if somebody was to say it at the time. That’s incredible. In my mind one of the top 5 players that ever played the game. I’m not gonna sit here and say that I’m anywhere near his accomplishments, but just to be mentioned with him with this organization is a great honor.”

Was he forcing it at all in the first half? “I’m not gonna lie, it was just hanging over my head too much, I mean how could it not. With every deep breath that the crowd was taking, every shot that went up you kind of just felt that it was hard to really ignore it and really focus on the game and then coach said ‘hurry up get it out the way.’ It was a relief once I hit the one three so I could just really focus and concentrate on the game.”

Where does this rank for him in career achievements? “Its really hard to think about it right now. I haven’t had a chance to really sit back and think about my career and all the accomplishments I’ve had. It has to be right up there. There’s nothing better than winning a championship, but I’m going to sit back and let it sink all in and put a ranking on it.”

Doc Rivers

On Pierce's achievement: “It’s just awesome. I mean, I told the guys you’ve got to have several things: One, is longevity. The second thing is health. And then I said the third – and the fourth – the third thing is you’ve got to be old as hell, because you’ve got to stick around a long time. And then the fourth thing: you’ve got to ball. You’ve got to play some amazing basketball. Here. To do what he did. You know, passing Larry Bird – that’s impressive.”

On Pierce's career: “You know, here’s the part I wish people wrote more about Paul: Paul had a chance to leave us when we were bad. And instead of moaning that he wanted to go to a championship team, he stayed. And he said, ‘I simply want to be a Celtic and I trust that we’re going to win a title some day.’ He had no reason to believe that, at that time. I mean, we were pretty awful. And to me, I wish people talked about his loyalty more, because I think that’s special, especially in this day and time, when everybody’s jumping from team to team. And that’s their right, too, I don’t begrudge that with anybody, but I do think it’s special that Paul Pierce decided that he wanted to be a Celtic for his life. And I think that’s pretty cool. In this day and time, in any sport, I think that’s special.”

Was Paul nervous? “I don’t think Paul’s nervous, ever. I just – he may have been but I just think he just – you know, pressing may be a different word; I don’t even know that. I think our guys were pressing more than Paul. I mean, Paul kept telling them, ‘Just play.’ And they were passing up shots, so it was no fun for me early on because we’ve got to win the game.”

Kevin Garnett on Pierce's career

“Paul’s from a rough neighborhood, from brothers and a loving mother and family, so he always had a sense of character and depth to him. When it came to basketball, he was always in the backyard working. I remember he was always talking about David Robinson. Couldn’t understand that one, but you know, it wasn’t for me to understand. But you saw the drive, you saw what motivated him, you saw what pushed him. Being in LA, other players were considered better than him, and that drove him from day one. We’ve just had a lot of similarities, a lot of things pushing us, a lot of things driving us as young guys. We just so happen to be best friends and have a lot in common. So congratulations to The Truth.”"

Special ticket deal for tomorrow's Lakers game until 7pm

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:00 GMT

The Lakers are in town tomorrow, and it's an obvious must-see game... no matter how each team is doing. At an average price ticket of $163 per seat this is the fourth most expensive game in Boston this season and If you'd like to see it live then we've got a deal for you. Through our ticket partner TIqIQ, you can essentially pick your price via the TiqIQ "make an offer" feature from Score Big. For Thursday night's game, a "2 star" seat that usually goes for $100+ (after all the shipping and handling fees) can be scored for an offer of $74!

It's a deal so good, Kobe Bryant became a Celtics fan just so he could buy the tickets from us. Look how happy he is about it!*

You've got to move on this, though. The ticket deal expires tonight at 7pm ET! Make your offer today right here

*Ok, that's really Kobe at his pre-draft workout with the Celtics. But man, he looks happy to be in that Celtics gear, doesn't he? I wonder if he secretly pines for those days.....

Your Morning Dump... We forget how close Paul Pierce came to leaving Boston

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:39 GMT

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

"Paul had a chance to leave us when we were bad," Rivers said. "And instead of moaning that he wanted to go to a championship team, he stayed. And he said, 'I simply want to be a Celtic and I trust that we’re going to win a title someday.' He had no reason to believe that at that time. I mean, we were pretty awful.

"To me, I wish people talked about his loyalty more because I think that’s special, especially in this day and time when everybody’s jumping from team to team. And that’s their right too; I don’t begrudge that with anybody. But I do think it’s special that Paul Pierce decided that he wanted to be a Celtic for his life. And I think that’s pretty cool. In this day and time, in any sport, I think that’s special.”

Pierce watched the team endure a franchise-worst 18-game losing streak during the 2006-07 campaign, just months before the Big Three was united the following offseason and set into motion the team capturing its 17th world title. But he said he always had faith he could help restore the glory days in Boston.

ESPN Boston

The media is heaping a lot of respect and admiration on Paul Pierce for sticking with the Celtics during the lean years. But the trades for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett came at the nick of time (Check out this story from Adrian Wojnarowski in June of 2007).

Pierce was getting itchy. He was extremely frustrated with the losing. He had spent 9 years in Boston and sniffed mild playoff sucess only once (2002 ECF vs Nets). Had Pierce gone public with his trade demand, I wouldn't have faulted him.

I'm thankful Danny Ainge was able to pull off those moves. I'm thankful Shawn Marion and Jermaine O'Neal refused to play in Boston. I'm thankful Paul had some patience.

On Page 2, the Steamer is guaranted a paycheck.

He is a member of the Celtics, a contending NBA team, and now he has a guaranteed contract for this season.

The deadline to waive players with nonguaranteed contracts came and went yesterday, and no news was good news for Stiemsma, who never was officially notified by the team that he was staying.

Twice waived by NBA teams, Stiemsma’s road to Boston was an unlikely one, and the center is grateful to be sticking around.

“It’s a satisfying feeling,’’ he said. “Any little stuff like that can give you a boost for the season. I don’t get caught up in the business side too much, but I do enjoy the positives. I wasn’t anticipating too much to happen, but you never know.’’

Globe - Stiemsma will stick around

I'm happy for the Steamer. He's faded into the background since bursting on the scene with a 6 block performance in late December.

Remember those crazy people who wanted him to be the starting center?

The rest of the links:

ESPN Boston - Rapid Reaction: Bos 94 - Charlotte 84 | WEEI - Balanced Celtics top Bobcats | CSNNE - Kemba Walker preaching patience |

Highlight Gallery: Pierce Passes Bird

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:07 GMT

The only highlight that matters tonight is Paul Pierce passing Larry Bird to move into second place on the Celtics' all-time scoring list. It happened on a three-ball early in the third quarter.

Doc Rivers on Pierce's accomplishment:

“It’s just awesome. I mean, I told the guys you’ve got to have several things: One, is longevity. The second thing is health. And then I said the third thing is you’ve got to be old as hell, because you’ve got to stick around a long time. And then the fourth thing: you’ve got to ball. You’ve got to play some amazing basketball. You know, passing Larry Bird – that’s impressive.

“Here’s the part I wish people wrote more about Paul: Paul had a chance to leave us when we were bad. And instead of moaning that he wanted to go to a championship team, he stayed. And he said, ‘I simply want to be a Celtic and I trust that we’re going to win a title some day.’ He had no reason to believe that, at that time. I mean, we were pretty awful. I wish people talked about his loyalty more, because I think that’s special, especially in this day and time, when everybody’s jumping from team to team. And that’s their right, too, I don’t begrudge that with anybody, but I do think it’s special that Paul Pierce decided that he wanted to be a Celtic for his life. And I think that’s pretty cool. In this day and time, in any sport, I think that’s special.”

Video: The Boston Garden celebrates Pierce's milestone

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:15 GMT

I was in the stands to witness history tonight as Paul Pierce passed Larry Bird for second on the C's all-time scoring list.

This is how it looked during the timeout when the Celtics got to honor Pierce's achievement... including the tribute video. The Garden was buzzing all night waiting for this to happen. When it finally did, the place when absolutely berserk. That ovation lasted forever.

Congrats Truth.

Recap: Pierce surpasses Bird in Cs win over Bobcats

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:04 GMT

On a night where Paul Pierce climbed another rung on the ladder of team history, the Celtics used a team effort to beat the Charlotte Bobcats, 94-84.

Pierce's three pointer with 10:22 remaining the 3rd quarter (video here) was the 21,792 point of his career. The Garden crowd gave Pierce a standing ovation for a couple minutes. During a post game interview with Greg Dickerson, Pierce admitted he was pressing a bit for the record. While the spotlight was on Pierce's scoring ability, he filled up the stat sheet with 9 assists and 8 rebounds.

As for the game, the Celtics let Charlotte hang around for the first half, but finally stretched the lead to double digits in the 3rd quarter. Ray Allen (17 points) scored 9 straight points midway thru the 3rd.

Kevin Garnett continues to excel offensively - 22 points (10-15 FG), 7 rebounds. Rajon Rondo (10 points, 14 assists, 0 turnovers) looked especially crisp. Charlotte's Kemba Walker had 16 points and 7 rebounds.

I would have nailed the final score in my game preview, if it weren't for two garbage buckets by the Bobcats.

Box score | Recap

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