Celtics hop right back on track
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Even with point guard Rajon Rondo missing his fifth consecutive game due to injury, Boston rallied to beat the Pacers, 95-83, thanks in large part to a strong fourth-quarter finish Tuesday in Indianapolis.
Paul Pierce finished with 21 points and Ray Allen chipped in with 19 as the Celtics outscored the Pacers, 29-16, in the fourth to erase a one-point deficit and get back in the win column following a loss to Orlando on Christmas that snapped their 14-game winning streak.
The Celtics improved to 4-1 without Rondo and maintained their edge as the best team in the Eastern Conference with a 24-5 record. Boston’s reserves played a key role in sparking the second-half comeback. Marquis Daniels finished with 12 points off the bench in addition to five rebounds and four assists while Glen Davis added 14 points. Kevin Garnett contributed with a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.
Boston opened the fourth on an 11-0 run, starting with a jumper by Daniels. Davis and Allen combined for seven points during that stretch, including a free throw by Allen after Pacers head coach Jim O’Brien got whistled for a technical foul. Allen’s jumper at the 8:39 mark gave the Celtics an insurmountable 77-66 lead. The Pacers (13-16) pulled to within seven points with 1:10 remaining, but Pierce finished the game with a transition dunk and a 3-pointer with 16.7 seconds to go.
Brandon Rush led the Pacers with 17 points and seven rebounds. The Celtics will look to start a new win streak tonight in Detroit against the struggling Pistons, who’ve lost two in a row and are 10-21 on the season.
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