Pierce & Company Keep Spurs In Corral Celtics Win 98-90

Posted by Jeff Sack under Main

Paul Pierce scored a game high 35 points, as a depleted Boston Celtics roster held off the defending NBA Champions defeating San Antonio Sunday afternoon 98-90. Boston was without forward Kevin Garnett for the seventh straight game. Boston also got big contributions from Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo, Eddie House, and Glen “Big Baby” Davis.

After the contest Celtics coach Doc Rivers told reporters that the “Big Ticket” would be out through the All-Star game recovering from his straining an abdominal muscle. NBA Commissioner David Stern issued a press release later on Sunday saying that Detroit Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace would replace Garnett on the All-Star roster. Boston was also without starting center Kendrick Perkins who has a balky left shoulder, Perkins said the shoulder popped out of the socket and then back into place, he is listed as day to day.

Spurs took the lead at the end of the first quarter, as they were up 23-20. Although Boston trailed for most of the second quarter,?Pierce hit a 22 foot jumper with six seconds left in the period. Boston?had the advantage as the two teams went to their respective locker rooms at the half up by 2 points?43-41. The two opponents were tied at 48-48 as Tim Duncan laid it?up and in with 8:22 remaining in the third.?But Boston would break ahead, and have a comfortable lead of 68-61 by the end of the quarter. San?Antonio had one more rally left in them, as they closed to?within 2 points as?Ime Udoka laid it up and through the cylinder making it an 83-81 contest, with 3:59? left in the game.?The 2 teams traded?hoops though 89-87, but then the Green Team put some distance between themselves and the?Spurs going?ahead 94-87. San Antonio had nothing left in the tank.

Pierce led all scorers with 35 points, he also had 6 rebounds, 2 steals?in the win. Ray Allen scored 19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, Eddie House came off the bench scoring 10 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist. Rajon Rondo had a double-double, but not in the traditional way, he scored just ?5 points, but had a game high 12 assists, and grabbed 11 boards, “Big Baby” had a nice?game off the bench especially defensively on Duncan, Davis scored 9 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, 1 assist.

Duncan recorded a double-double for the?Spurs scoring 22 points, grabbing a game high 14 boards, 6 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal. Manu Ginobili, in for starter Tony Parker who?has missed six straight games with a sprained left ankle, scored 21 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals,?1 block. Michael Finley came off the bench and scored 19 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal.?The Celtics?beat San Antonio?in Boston for the first time this decade! In fact their last win against the Spurs in the Bay State came January 8, 1997. Boston is?now 39-9, San Antonio is 32-17.

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