Is this team bipolar or what? The Celtics tuned up the Clippers with 59 points in the first half. The offense was crisp, efficient and just plain smart. The defense was solid and the Clippers helped by playing sloppy. The combination resulted in a 19 point halftime lead.
The second half was the exact opposite. The defense evaporated. The offense stopped. No movement. Sloppy passing. If not for some clutch buckets by Jason Terry and Paul Pierce, along with a questionable decision by Vinny Del Negro to not foul on the final possession, the Celtics might have lost this game.
But they won it, 106-104. Grind it out, baby. 4-0 since Rajon Rondo’s injury.
The Green:
Jason Terry’s 17-footer with 1:01 remaining stretched the lead from 3 to 5 points. Terry had 13 points, 6 assists on 5-7 shooting. Get JET more shots, please.
Paul Pierce (22 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 6 TOs) sealed the game with a 26-footer right in Matt Barnes face. I thought Del Negro should have instructed his team to foul on that last possession. Even if Pierce rims out that trey, the Clippers would have needed a clean rebound to have more than .8 seconds for their final shot.
Leandro Barbosa led the bench brigade with 14 points in 21 minutes.
The Gross:
The offense in the 4th quarter was hideous. No movement. Sloppy passing. 7 turnovers in 12 minutes.
Greenlights:
Jason Terry feeds Chris Wilcox for dunk
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8EfUfimp-w]Paul Pierce finds KG for open layup in halfcourt set
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzEWEk1h6a0]The Grid:
- The Celtics won the battle of the benches; 52-29
- Brandon Bass led BOS with 8 rebounds
- The Celtics outscored LAC 26-10 in the 2nd quarter
- BOS made 11-18 3 FG
- The Clippers had 6 dunks in the 1st quarter
