Jermaine O'Neal awoke from his three game slumber and led the Celtics to a 96-85 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
O'Neal scored 19 points on 7-9 shooting. He added 7 rebounds. He was a +25. All team highs on the night.
Paul Pierce debuted with 12 points, 5 assists in 23 minutes. He appeared very limber. I noticed no signs of the heel injury. As expected, the Truth had a calming influence on the Celtics.
Brandon Bass (17 points, 7-11 FG) was spectacular. When he's not draining jumpers, he's attacking the rim with controlled athleticism. He's the anti-Glen Davis.
It wasn't all roses. Kevin Garnett was a non-factor, yet again. 8 points, 3 rebounds in 25 minutes. Garnett made two plays that disturbed me. In the 1st quarter, when he appeared to have a semi-open lane, KG dished to JO instead of attacking the rim. In the 3rd quarter, while on the run, KG took a lob pass in the lane. Rather than attack the rim (again), he delivered a shaky bounce pass to Pierce, who bailed him out by nailing a 3-pointer. I realize he's always been unselfish, but I'm starting to wonder if he's losing confidence in his ability.
Greg Monroe (who?) torched the Celtics interior defense for 22 points on 9-12 shooting.
Box score | Recap
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