The Celtics score an impressive 93-76 win over the Nets in Brooklyn on Christmas Day. Boston was in quite the battle for most of the 1st half, but pulled away in the end behind some great defense and a total team effort. Rajon Rondo led all-scorers with 19 points to go along with 5 assists & 6 boards. More importantly, he only had 1 turnover and 3 steals. Although the key scorers in KG & Truth were quiet, with 8 points each, it was their defense and passing that was key. But the story here was the combo of Sully & Green- (more on them in a minute) they combined for 31 points off the bench.
The Green: Jared Sullinger had easily his best game as a pro. He battled with the bigger and longer Lopez all day, and held his own. His 7 rebounds and 16 points were crucial in today’s win. This kid just seems to get better every game. Jeff Green was also great today. Jeff hit a big 3 to put the C’s up 15 with 4 minutes left and quell any last hopes the Nets had. He put in 15 points and went 4 for 4 from the FT line in an aggressive offensive performance. Despite only scoring 8 points, Paul Pierce dished out a season high 10 assists. KG also had a quiet scoring day, but his vocal leadership & energy on defense was huge. He led the way on D with 2 steals, 2 blocks & grabbed 10 boards. Rondo had a nice balance of scoring & passing to notch 19 pts & 6 assists. Jet looked much better, going 4 of 7 from the field and nailing 3 of 4 from downtown for 11 points.
The Gross: It’s Christmas and we won, so my only “gross” of this game will be the 3rd quarter. The Celtics let the Nets go on a 15-2 run and had C’s fans thinking they were in for yet another letdown.
The Greenlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMc1YkViP-E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DOwHT4lx88
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVBnWzf4Tx0
The Grid: (quick stats)
- 17 point defeat was the Nets’ biggest loss at home all year
- Celtics beat the Nets down low- the points in the paint: C’s 46 Brooklyn 34
- Pierce’s 10 assists were the 24th double-digit assist game of his career
- Celtics out rebounded Nets 41-36
- Celtics had 25 assists on 38 field goals
This was a big win for the Celtics. They now head out west for a trip that starts with 2 tough games: first the Clippers and then GSW. Tip-off on Thursday night at Staples is set for 10:30pm EST. Enjoy the rest of your Christmas everyone!
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