Celtics get revenge on Raptors, win 110-101
Just a quick recap of tonight’s game. Jay is at his five-year high school reunion tonight, while my focus will be on writing a game preview for the Notre Dame-USC football game at my new site, Slapthesign.com.
Rajon Rondo picked up right where he left off, returning to the court after missing three games with a strained hamstring and dishing out 14 assists–eight coming in the first frame.
Boston had a comfortable, double-digit lead throughout most of the game, though the Celtics were outscored 34-24 in the fourth quarter. The Raptors cut the defecit to single-digits a few times, but this game was never in doubt as Boston won its third consecutive game, 110-101 at the TD Bank Garden.
Kevin Garnett played with phenomenal energy all game long, propelling the Celtics with 26 points and 11 rebounds. Shaq also looked energized and as spry as I’ve seen him recently, going up for a few alley oops and even driving past Bargnani from the elbow all the way to the tin on one play. Shaq scored 16 points and pulled down nine rebounds.
Paul Pierce added 18 points, while Ray Allen made three three-pointers on his way to 17 points. He also dished out eight assists. Glen Davis scored 18 points off the bench, including 10 fourth quarter points. It was great to see Davis play well offensively after his recent slump.
Linas Kleiza led the Raptors with 18 points. Jose Calderon notched a double-double with 12 points and 15 assists.
Everyone seemed to play well, but Rondo was the catalyst. Rondo’s excellent passing became contagious and the Celtics moved the ball crisply and unselfishly. With Rondo back manning the point, the offense took on a whole other dimension it lacked when Robinson was running the show.
Rajon, its mighty nice to have you back.
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Celtics Blog | Tommy King | November 26, 2010
celtics, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, raptors, Shaquille O'Neal
Not impressed and when are they going to start winning games vs sub .500 teams by more than 10 pts on their own home-court? Out-rebounded again (-9) and really bad on the defensive end where the Raptors got 17 offensive rebounds. How the f*** does that happen? Hey PP, can you get more than 2 rebs in 39 minutes (had 0 for the first 29 mins)??? Maybe if you boxed out and tried to rebound better the subs on the bench could get in when it hits a 20-pt lead instead of choking that away in the 4th qtr. No Bradley or Harangody and these are the teams they could be getting some experience with easier (not in Doc’s limited world view). MD/SE/NR 33 mins and 2 rebs. Raptors bench had 22 rebs. Ours had 6 rebs. Yeh, I know it’s a win, but come’on are you feeling good beating a .375 team by 9 at home and being out-rebounded and beat badly in the 4th qtr (also gave up 32 in the 2nd qtr)? Or would you prefer they play harder and actually use more than 9 players in what should have been a blowout.? Maybe I just expect more? Go Cs…
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@james dude, hit a blunt
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James, the game was a blowout–the Raptors never had a chance to win. The fourth quarter was routine for an NBA game. If a team is up 20, they let down a little and the other team scores a few buckets, no big deal. In an 82 game season its impossible to go all out, all the time. If we did, we’d be burnt out by the end of the season. Its being smart about when you let up. Its not ok for a whole game, but for 6 minutes of a quarter when you’re up 20? no big deal. The Lakers do the same thing, so do the Spurs. The only problem is the habit to let up BIG TIME for entire games against lesser competition. Thats a bad trend, but I didn’t see that tonight. They did what they needed to, got the win, never gave the Raptors hope. On to the next one.
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Well, because they “let up” they use their starters more and not allow the bench to develop (not that Doc would ever think of that). I’m sure the game was never in doubt but those other teams you mentioned use their bench and younger players get developed. I know they can’t go “all out” but can PP get more than ZERO rebs in his first 29 minutes against a weak team? Maybe he can go all out in the first half? Maybe SE can get a rebound considering he’s 7′ in his time on the court? The Cs rebounding sucks and needs vast improvement. Thanks for the comments. Go Cs…
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I agree with james on this. Pierce was looking plain bored until the 3rd quarter. However, don’t blame it all on him. The bench failed to keep it together, which was why we gave the lead away. The bench just seemed confused when it comes to running plays. No ball movement, no picks, no movement. However, they’ve shown that they know how to run an offense (several good passes to Semih during the 2nd half). So what’s going on? I hope they get it together soon, because we really need the bench.
And yes, they shouldn’t be winning a .375 team by a single digit. At least a 15 point lead. Are they trying to set a good record during the season but still try to conserve enough energy for the playoffs? I hope so. Else, I can only say that they get complacent after winning a couple of games. Big baby especially. His shooting has been horrible for the past few games.
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