Celtics remain hot despite losing Shaq
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Despite losing starting center Shaquille O’Neal to a hip injury in the first quarter, Boston cruised to its fifth consecutive win Friday, crushing the Utah Jazz, 110-86, at the TD Garden.
There’s no telling how long O’Neal will be out for, but the Celtics (33-9) could survive this latest injury woe if they continue to play the way they’re playing. Kevin Garnett led a balanced attack with 21 points while Paul Pierce finished with 20 and Turkish rookie Semih Erden scored a career-high 14 in place of O’Neal.
The Celtics broke this game open early and led by double figures throughout the second quarter. Glen Davis chipped in with 15 points off the bench and the Celtics clamped down defensively on Utah’s Deron Williams, who entered Friday averaging 22.1 points per game, but finished with only five against Boston.
Friday was a rare laugher for the Celtics, who beat Detroit by four points Wednesday courtesy of a late jumper by Ray Allen and edged Orlando by three points Monday.
The Jazz dropped to 27-16 with their third consecutive loss while Boston will shoot for its sixth consecutive win tonight at Washington.
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