Starting Line-ups
Kings
- Beno Udrih
- Pooh Jeter
- Francisco Garcia
- Jason Thompson
- DeMarcus Cousins
Reserves: Jermaine Taylor, Donté Greene, Samuel Dalembert, Carl Landry, Omri Casspi, Darnell Jackson, Luther Head.
Inactive: Tyreke Evans.
Celtics
- Rajon Rondo
- Ray Allen
- Paul Pierce
- Glen Davis
- Shaquille O’Neal
Reserves: Avery Bradley, Nate Robinson, Marquis Daniels, Luke Harangody, Semih Erden, Von Wafer.
Inactive: Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, Delonte West.
First Quarter Recap
The Kings got off to a rocky start in Boston. Coach Westphal started two rookies, DeMarcus Cousins and Pooh Jeter, in their first opportunity to play against one of the most storied franchises in NBA history. After shaking off the nerves, the Kings rallied, using the strong rebounding and defense of Jason Thompson, as well as the sharp shooting of Beno Udrih and Francisco Garcia to keep the game close. Paul Pierce came out hot, dropping 15 points (6-8 shooting) and four rebounds in the first. Shotty defensive rebounding by the Kings gave the Celtics plenty of extra chances, helping them take a six point lead into the second.
Kings 22 Celtics 28
Leaders
Kings- Udrih (9) Points; Thompson (5) Rebounds; Udrih (3) Assists.
Celtics- Pierce (15) Points; Pierce (4) Rebounds; Rondo (5) Assists.
Second Quarter Recap
The Kings hung tough early in the second quarter, but continued their first quarter trend of providing second chance opportunities to the Celtics. The Celtics went young, giving Semih Erden and Luke Harangody some extended play. The duo played well enough to help the Celtics extend their lead to 10 at the 7:13 mark. The Kings clawed their way back into the game, using the impressive play of Carl Landry off the bench (11 points) to cut the lead down to two on multiple occasions. Beno Udrih paced the Kings with 14, while the Celtics got a big 19 out of Paul Pierce. After an amazing circus shot to end the half by Rajon Rondo, the Celtics headed to the locker room with an eight point lead.
Kings 49 Celtics 57
Leaders
Kings- Udrih (14) Points; Thompson (7) Rebounds; Udrih (4) Assists.
Celtics- Pierce (19) Points; 3 tied (4) Rebounds; Rondo (7) Assists.
Team Kings Celtics
FG% 48.5% 46.9%
Rebounds 22 21
Assists/TO 9/9 14/6
Third Quarter Recap
The Kings started off the second half in a daze and quickly found themselves down 15 at the 9:30 mark after an uncontested Ray Allen three pointer. The worst part of watching Paul Pierce go off on the Kings, was having to hear him yell “and-1” every single time he shot it- which was often. The Celtics killed the Kings in the third, holding a 20+ point lead for most of the quarter. The Kings gave little to no resistance in the third, getting out-scored 33-18 and trailing by 23 going to the fourth.
Kings 67 Celtics 90
Leaders
Kings- Udrih (16) Points; Thompson (9) Rebounds; Udrih (5) Assists.
Celtics- Pierce (25) Points; Pierce (6) Rebounds; Rondo (13) Assists.
Fourth Quarter Recap
This line-up by the Celtics should tell you all you need to know about the fourth quarter: Nate Robinson, Von Wafer, Marquis Daniels, Luke Harangody and Semih Erden. That group played almost the entire fourth quarter- enough said.
Kings 95 Celtics 119
Leaders
Kings- Landry (17) Points; Thompson (9) Rebounds; Udrih (5) Assists.
Celtics- Pierce (25) Points; Erden (8) Rebounds; Rondo (13) Assists.
Team Kings Celtics
FG% 51.4% 51.4%
Rebounds 37 29
Assists/TO 19/22 15/13
Player of the Game: Paul Pierce. The all-star small forward was way too much for the Kings to handle. Pierce scored 25 points on 10-14 shooting (2-3 3pts) and kicked in six rebounds, three assists and four steals in just 25 minutes of play.
The Difference Maker: Rajon Rondo. The Celtics’ point guard scored 10 points and handed out 13 assists in just 29 minutes. Rondo’s lay-in at the end of the half set the tone for the second half and he easily could have had more in the way of numbers if the Celtics needed him to.
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