Celtics Persevere, Slide Past Bucks 98-89

Celtics Persevere, Slide Past Bucks 98-89
December 8, 2009 by Lee Herman

Another game came down to the wire against a sub .500 team in the Bucks in front of a strangely subdued Celtics crowd. Maybe the Boston faithful were expecting a blow out or maybe the threatening weather had dampened spirits. Whatever the case, all that was changed heading into the fourth all tied up.

Despite their continued inability to box out, Boston (17-4) mustered past Milwaukee (9-11) in a game that was closer than the final score would indicate.

Andrew Bogut worked Kendrick Perkins on the offensive end and dragged the Bucks kicking and screaming within striking distance time and time again. He finished 11-17 for 25 PTS and 13 REBS but it just wasn’t enough as Kevin Garnett started making a case for back to back player of the week honors.

The Celtics continued to ride KG’s hot hand who scored 25 PTS of his own and was one rebound short of a double double. Boston let the Bucks hang around all night long by giving up second chance points, getting outrebounded 44-35 and giving up 14 offensive rebounds.

Rajon Rondo had a double double with 11 PTS and 13 AST, one rebound shy of posting a triple double. On the defensive end, Rondo kept star rookie Brandon Jennings off balance for most of the night limiting him to 17 PTS on 7-19 shooting. As much as a scoring threat that Jennings is, he needs to learn to look for the open man instead of always trying to hit the circus shot.

A stat that explodes off the sheet is the Celtics ripping 17 steals from the Bucks. Rondo led the way with 5 and everyone that played besides Tony Allen and Shelden Williams notched a steal. To be fair, they played only five and one minute(s) respectively. TA made his first appearance this season after undergoing ankle surgery in the off season and looked decent and mobile on the defensive end. He managed to draw a foul on an offensive possession and was called for a ticky tack charge on another.

All Boston starters ended the game in double digits for the second straight game and Rasheed Wallace poured in 13 off the bench, contributing clutch threes down the stretch.

Though not a blow out, it was still a good win at home and ran the win streak to eight before starting off on another three game roadie. Let’s hope that Tom Thibodeau can teach his boys how to box out on the defensive end before things get too out of hand.

Tommy Quote Of The Night: He (Paul Perce) parted the Red Sea, got out of Egypt and arrived at the Promised Land.

Game pictures strangely absent at time of posting.