EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP)—Boston’s Big Three against New Jersey’s Great Eight had the look of a mismatch.
Instead, the Celtics had to work hard to keep the injury-decimated Nets winless.
Rajon Rondo(notes) and Paul Pierce(notes) each scored 16 points, and Boston bounced back from its first loss of the season with an 86-76 victory Saturday night.
It was a struggle though, as the Celtics could never pull away from a Nets team that barely had enough players to start a game.
AP - Nov 7, 10:38 pm EST
AP - Nov 7, 10:36 pm EST
AP - Nov 7, 10:21 pm EST
“I didn’t think we had a lot in the tank. I could see that, that’s why I sat our starters long stretches today,” Boston coach Doc Rivers said. “I was just trying to milk the game as long as I could get it and then play at the end, and we had enough to win.”
Ray Allen(notes) came alive after three dismal quarters to score eight of his 12 points in the fourth quarter for the Celtics (7-1), who lost 110-103 to Phoenix on Friday night, allowing 20 more points than in any previous game.
Their defense was back Saturday—and it needed to be, because the Celtics couldn’t shoot for most of the night. Boston finished with an NBA season-high 20 steals, five by Rondo, scoring 19 points off New Jersey’s 24 turnovers.
Kevin Garnett(notes) shot 3 of 13 but added nine points and 13 rebounds for the Celtics, who beat the Nets for the 10th straight time, their longest winning streak in the series since claiming 11 in a row from 1980-82.
“We expect that short-handed guys are going to come out and play hard. We didn’t take them for granted, they just played hard and executed,” Pierce said. “We’re playing a team that’s desperate. They haven’t won. They’ve got everything against them.”
Brook Lopez(notes), the only regular starter available, scored 23 points, and Rafer Alston(notes) had 20 for the Nets (0-7), who likely ran out of gas in the fourth quarter while playing with only eight players.
“Our theme going in was ‘none of us is strong as all of us’ and it literally come to fruition. In a seven-game stretch, go figure,” Nets coach Lawrence Frank said. “Our guys got a great deal of pride and they’re trying to win. It’s a credit to the character in that locker room.”
Starting forward Chris Douglas-Roberts(notes) tested positive for swine flu and Courtney Lee(notes) has a strained left groin, leaving the Nets with the NBA minimum amount of players in uniform.
“Well, we’re down to the great eight,” Frank said before the game.
That was good enough for 3 1/2 quarters until Allen, who was 1 of 7 through three periods, knocked down a pair of jumpers for an 80-72 lead with 4:09 to play.
“I think we got good looks,” Allen said. “In our last couple of games we’ve been getting good looks and we haven’t been knocking them down. It’s just building ourselves into our rhythm throughout the course of the season.
The Nets scored the first five points and led by as much as eight before the Celtics tied it at 18 after one. Neither team had any flow in the first half, with the Nets committing 15 turnovers but Boston converting them into only six points.
Rivers looked disgusted by some of his team’s sloppy plays, including one long pass attempt by Rondo that resembled a tee shot getting caught in the wind, hooking left until it flew out of bounds and landed by the Boston bench.
Josh Boone’s(notes) layup gave New Jersey a 40-39 lead at halftime.
The Celtics seemed to be seizing the game in the third, when two straight layups by Rondo after Boston steals made it 52-45. Garnett’s three-point player later gave the Celtics an eight-point advantage, but they stalled again and the Nets rallied for a 61-59 heading to the fourth.
“We were right there,” Lopez said. “We all showed we can be competitive.”
Garnett and Allen were a combined 3 of 18 through three.
NOTES: The Celtics were without reserve Marquis Daniels(notes), who was excused for personal reasons. … The teams entered as the NBA’s best and worst in scoring differential. Boston was plus-14.7, while the Nets were minus-12.1. … Boston has won seven straight in New Jersey.
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If anything is embarrassing, it's your lack of reading comprehension. I'm not going to continue to argue and state a THIRD time what you didn't read or understand the first and second time. Anyone else (even Celtics fans, except maybe Jen) who reads what I wrote knows what I meant about 15-1 and knows I wasn't referring to last season. Of course the Lakers didn't roll through the playoffs last season. They were challenged by both Houston and Denver and I was happy to see it. They had it way too easy the previous playoffs. They needed to get smacked in the mouth and learn that nothing would be given to them -- and they did. The Lakers team grew up last season and won't be a pushover for anyone. Anthony, I don't expect you to understand or even be able to read what I just said so just ignore it. But you might want to try watching a little more Hooked on Phonics and Sesame Street and a little less Celtics basketball.
As far as you complaining that Lakers fans are using excuses, I find it ironic since all I've heard from Celtics fans since last year is KG was hurt this or KG was hurt that. Talk about excuses...
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Actually I need to correct myself. The Lakers went 15-1 in 2001, not 18-1. I don't know why I wrote 18-1... I must have been thinking of the 2007-2008 New England Patriots. Sorry, wrong sport.
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If I was your English teacher, I'd be embarrassed of you. If you actually read what I said and what was said by the person I was responding to (Jen - which I wrote in my message), you'd understand what I was talking about. She said that the Lakers championships from 2000 on were tainted because of what Tim Donaghy said in his book. I said "Hahahah. I'm sure the Lakers really needed help from the refs when they rolled through the playoffs/Finals at 18-1." I was referring to 2001, where the Lakers didn't lose until Game 1 of the NBA Finals against Philadelphia, and promptly went on to win the next four to win the series. My point was that I don't think a team that goes 18-1 through the playoffs needed much help from the refs. Sorry if that went over your head.
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So since these guys are refs that manipulate games, and they reffed the Celtics during their Finals, then the Celtics championship* is tainted too. Hahaha, I love when stupid Celtics fans try to take down another team and end up taking their own team down. Thanks for mentioning Tim Donaghy... if you hadn't, I wouldn't have done the research to see how tainted the Celtics 2008 Championship* actually is. Like you said, you don't have to believe me, Ask Tim Donaghy. Hahahaha. Pure genius.
So congrats, Celtics - 2008 NBA Finals Champion *
Enjoy your tainted 17th Championship!
Hahahaha
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Oh, and in case you think your fellow Celtics fans are angels, here are some links to chew on. Maybe you can ask someone to read and explain it to you:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2008/06/police_arrest_1.html
http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=1316
http://www.necn.tv/Boston/Sports/14-arrested-as-Celtics-celebrate-championship-/1213789760.html
http://www.bpdnews.com/2008/06/unruly_fans_arrested_during_ce_1.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LY7wKGpfe4U
http://multimedia.boston.com/m/20292616/celtics-fan-arrested-after-win-dies-in-hospital.htm?col=en-vid-pod_bcom-ep#q=nba
Yep, none of your so-called terrorists in Boston at all... Owned again... Hahahaha
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"I'm sure the Lakers really needed help from the refs when they rolled through the playoffs/Finals at 18-1, not having to win in 6 and 7 games in every series like a certain recent Finals winner"
Umm.. If I remember correctly this last playoffs the Lakers won the Finals in 6 games and they went to 7 games with the Houston Rockets. So that means that they lost 5 games combined right there. And you sit there and say they rolled through the playoffs/Finals at 18-1. Get your facts straight buddy. And if your gonna gloat about your team, at least get the facts straight. If I was a Lakers fan, I'd be embarrassed of you.
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You CHEAT to win Titles, all LAkers titles from 2000 are FRAUDULENT and have big Fat Asteriks* on them. Don't blame me, just ask Tim Donaghey, he'd like to release a book and tell you all about it.
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As far as I'm concerned, any titles before the NBA/ABA merger are insignificant -- they don't have any relevance in the modern era. Just as no one today cares about those old AFL/NFL championships before the Superbowl was created in football. Notice how people only talk about Superbowls won?
I do find it interesting that while the Celtics won the title the last season before the NBA/ABA merger, it took them 5 seasons to win one after the merger and they've won only 3 more titles after that... with the last two separated by over 20 years of futility. Funny what a little competition does, huh?
But whatever... we'll play by your rules. Phil Jackson already took Auerbach's victory cigar and record and in a few years the Lakers will have the Celtics record for most NBA titles... And most of them will actually come in a era where there were more than 10 teams playing. ROFL.
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