The Celtics opened their quest for Banner 18 with a dramatic 95-89 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The big difference in this game was the Celtics bench. They turned a double-digit deficit into a 6-point halftime lead.
Paul Pierce (23 points, 11 rebounds) was clutch in the fourth quarter (10 points), nailing an 18-footer with a minute left to give the Cs a six point lead.
Other observations:
The Cavaliers started strong…building a 13-2 lead.
Celtics second unit played strong in the 2nd quarter. Add in some offense by Paul Pierce and the Celtics lead 51-45 at the break.
LeBron James may be the best ever at blocking shots on the break. He rejected a Rondo dunk attempt in the 1st, and got Ray Allen in the 3rd.
I didn't see explosiveness from KG. He seemed to get beat on rebounds and loose balls. He got burned on an alley-oop and missed a wide open dunk midway through the 4th. He finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Celtics bench outscored Cavs bench 26-10. Wallace had 12 and Daniels had 7.
Minutes breakdown – Ray (42), Pierce (38) and KG (33). Are you happy with those numbers?
After the jump, photos from the game.
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