Celtics Comeback On Pacers 103-94 | North Station Sports

Celtics Comeback On Pacers 103-94
December 22, 2009 by Lee Herman

(Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Boston Celtics (22-5) have finally solved the Indiana Pacers (9-18).

After an atrocious first half in which Earl Watson scored 18 PTS and the Pacers went into the locker room up 15 on the Celtics, the fire was finally lit under the guys in green.

The D stepped up and Watson didn’t score another point after the first half as Boston clawed back from its biggest halftime deficit of the season. It seemed like the only player the Celtics couldn’t contain was Troy Murphy. Murphy had a monster game with 24 PTS and 18 REBS. His double double basically kept the Pacers in the game going into the fourth quarter.

Ray Allen was the man tonight, mixing it up on the boards with Kevin Garnett sitting out tonight’s game to rest a bruised leg for the upcoming game against the Magic. Ray led all Boston scorers with 23 PTS and pulled down 7 REBS with a block. Kendrick Perkins had a solid game scoring a tough 19 PTS and surviving a series of muggings that must have left him taking stock in his valuables after the game.

Paul Pierce had an ugly 21 PTS going 4-15 from the field, scoring his first bucket with nine minutes left in the game. He did go 12-13 from the line though so it’s not like he was just firing bricks left and right. Pierce was trying to create his own offense by driving the lane into three defenders at a time. Paul made up for his lack luster shooting by getting all of his made baskets in the 4^th and coming away with five steals.

Rajon Rondo did a little bit of everything tonight finishing up with 15 PTS, 9 ASTS, 6 STLS and a block. Rasheed Wallace filled in for the ailing KG nicely with 9 PTS and 13 REBS in his first game as a starter this season. Sheed was dinged up late in the game with what was described at a shoulder stinger that kept him from contributing to the offense too much. Speaking of not contributing to the offense, Brian Scalabrine played 22 minutes and scored two points and collected three boards. Not a great ratio of minutes to scoring for Scal.

Somehow the Celtics overcame that fifteen point hole by shooting an abysmal 38% from the field. The real reason the C’s won was by hitting 37-40 from the line while Indy on attempted 24 free throws. Boston only used three bench players while the starters took the brunt of the minutes. Even though they have two days off before the Christmas game, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen playing almost 40 minutes of this game can’t be good, especially when having to travel. We can only hope that the warm Orlando air will freshen these guys up.