It was an ugly game to start. It got much better in the second half but…
If you are looking for a good example of a ‘gutting it out’ game, bookmark this one.
It took some strong second half defense and Paul Pierce’s 14 fourth quarter points to pull this one out. Pierce scored 19 second half points after going 0-7 for 2 points in the first half. But it wasn’t that easy. It looked like it was going to be another single digit scoring game for the Celtics’ captain.
Ray Allen led the Cs with 23 points, and with Garnett out with a lingering muscle bruise on his right thigh, Perkins stepped up with 19 important points. But it was Pierce’s 4th quarter burst that decided the game. He finished with 21 points.
On a night nothing seemed in sync offensively for the Cs, Pierce missed his first ten shots, including some open jumpers and a few lay ups. While you have to give Dahntay Jones’ defense some credit, Paul’s timing was just off. That is until he willed his focus back, as he done so many times before…late in the 4th quarter.
With the score tied at 86 with just over 4 minutes left in the game, Pierce scored 7 straight and 11 of the next 13 Celtic points to pull away 99-90 with just under a minute left.
But the precursor to that was a third quarter rally that brought the Celtics back to a 77 tie heading into the fourth. Rajon Rondo’s 5 assists, Kendrick Perkins’ 13 points and 3 blocks and Ray Allen’s 11 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists led that rally. The Celtics outscored Indiana 35-20 coming out of the break.
The Green Team shot a season low 30% in the first and trailed the Danny Granger-less Pacers by 15 at 57-42 at the break. They out scored the Pacers in the second half 61-37.
Whether it was Garnett’s absence or thoughts of getting home for the holiday, or both, the Celtics were playing ugly in the first half.
With 10 second half steals and 15 overall, you could say they stole this one from the Pacers. Rajon Rondo led with 6 while Paul Pierce added 5 more.
Rondo was active all game in the passing lanes but paid little defensive attention to his counterpart, journeyman Earl Watson. Watson has surprisingly won the starting job from T.J. Ford. Watson was often left unattended and made the Celtics pay by scored 18 first half points, including 3 of 5 from the arc. Once the Celtics decided to win this game with defense, he went scoreless in the second half.
That gut check, willful fourth quarter rally by a previously misfiring Paul Pierce mustered the Celtics to finally turn back the stubborn Pacers. The Celtics had gone ahead 86-81, when Troy Murphy hit a three pointer and another jump shot to tie it up again. That was when Pierce took off his Clark Kent glasses and put on his Superman costume to save the day. Paul added 6 rebounds to his points and steals line stats.
After trying to be the facilitator in recent games, Paul Pierce was actively searching out his shot. He went 4 of 15 shooting and was a season high 12 of 13 from the free throw line. He was trying to draw contact and get to the line, as the shots weren’t dropping.
Rajon Rondo played an aggressive game, taking and making more jump shots and finished with 13 points and 9 assists to go with his 6 steals.
Ray Allen added 7 rebounds and was 9-9 from the free throw line. Those are the second most attempts of the season for Ray.
The Celtics shot 36 of 39 from the free throw line, which, I think, is a season high for both makes and attempts. With such poor shooting accuracy all night (they finished at .38%), that is the reason they reached 102 points on the evening.
Rasheed Wallace hurt his shoulder (they called it a stinger) but played through the pain and cornered 13 rebounds and 3 steals and deflected a number of other passes. By seeing him play on a nightly basis, I am seeing just how good he is at steals and deflections from behind.
As noted, Kevin Garnett did not play. Danny Granger did not play. Even with everything Garnett does for the Celtics, you would have to say the bigger loss and adjustment would have been for the Pacers. With Granger they are not a good team. Without him they are simply worse.
Yet they led the lethargic Boston Celtics by 15 points at half time 57-42.
It took some strong Celtic defense and Rondo, Perkins and Ray Allen to turn this back into a game. Then Paul Pierce closed it out.
In a cautionary move, and to allow a lingering muscle bruise in one leg to heal better, Doc Rivers and Danny Ainge decided to keep a protesting Kevin Garnett out of this game for his first DNP of the season.
With their emotional leader sidelined, the Celtics took a while to get some energy, intensity…and defense going. In fact, it was the second unit, in the first half, with Tony Allen (4 pts.) and Brian Scalabrine (3 rebounds, 2 assists and energy that was lacking from the first unit) that woke up the Celtics play. Then Eddie House became the first Celtic to find the range with 10 first half points on 4 of 4 shooting.
As Donny Marshall noted on air, there have been statistically backed theories that House scores most and best when the lead is already in hand. While that could be true, House contributed a number of key baskets to important rallies last season in particular. Last night, he was the only one hitting in the otherwise dismal first half.
Troy Murphy had a big game with 24 points and 18 rebounds to lead the Pacers.
Garnett is expected to play in the Christmas Day game against Orlando.
Stats of interest:
After starting with 4 turnovers in the first quarter, the Celtics finished with just 10 on the night.
Ray Hibbert blocked 6 shots.
The Celtics won despite shooting .380% to .446% on the night.
The biggest stat:
Points off Turnovers: Celtics 32, Pacers 13
The Celtics next play in Orlando against the Magic on Christmas Day. It should be a good one.
Merry Christmas to all Christians and happy holiday to everyone!
