The AP reports: Ray Allen scored 20 points and the Boston Celtics, sparked by an alley-oop dunk from Garnett, pulled away for a 90-77 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night. Garnett played 18 minutes, hitting all five field-goal attempts while scoring 12 points. He added two rebounds and two assists in his third game back since missing 13 with a sprained right knee… Zach Randolph led the Clippers with 17 points and 14 rebounds, while Baron Davis had 13 points, eight assists and seven boards.
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Davis, Celtics blow by Grizzlies in second half
The AP reports: With Kevin Garnett playing limited minutes and Paul Pierce scoring limited points, Glen Davis stepped up for the best scoring night of his career. Davis had a career-high 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting, and the Boston Celtics pulled away in the second half for a 105-87 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night… Ray Allen added 20 points and six assists, while Eddie House contributed 15 points as the Celtics won their third straight overall and fifth in a row over the Grizzlies. Garnett, still playing limited minutes in his second game back from a right knee injury, scored 10 points and grabbed four rebounds in 17 minutes… Hakim Warrick scored 20 points for Memphis, which dropped its sixth straight at home and fourth in a row overall. Rudy Gay finished with 15 points on just 5-of-15 shooting, while O.J. Mayo and Mike Conley scored 12 apiece.
Celtics reassign J.R. Giddens to D-League
The Boston Celtics announced today that they have reassigned rookie guard J.R. Giddens to their NBA Development League affiliate Utah Flash. This is the third time this season that Giddens has been assigned to Utah.
Giddens has appeared six games this season for the Celtics scoring four points in eight total minutes. Giddens has averaged 17.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.27 steals and 1.40 blocks per game in 15 games for the Flash this season.
Pierce scores 36 as Celtics beat Wade-less Heat
The AP reports: The only All-Star healthy enough to play made the difference. Paul Pierce scored 36 points without Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to share the load, Dwyane Wade missed his first game of the season, and the Boston Celtics clinched the Atlantic Division title with a 112-108 overtime victory over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night… “We’re a team, the Miami Heat, with or without D-Wade,” said Michael Beasley, who led Miami with 21 points off the bench… Rajon Rondo had 27 for Boston. Miami, in its third overtime game in its last five, got 19 points from Mario Chalmers and 17 from Jermaine O’Neal.
Leon Powe out two weeks
The Boston Herald reports: In what has become a cavalcade of Celtics injuries, Leon Powe became the latest addition with the announcement he could miss two weeks with a strained left knee. “He’ll be out for a couple of weeks, most likely,” Doc Rivers said before tonight’s game against Miami.
Dwayne Wade out with hip strain
The Palm Beach Post (Chris Perkins) reports: Heat All-Star guard Dwyane Wade won’t play in tonight’s nationally-televised game at Boston due to a right hip injury. According to the Heat the injury is a right hip flexor strain. Wade said he reached the decision about 45 minutes prior to tonight’s 7 p.m. tipoff. Wade said the decision to sit out tonight’s game was “very tough. I can’t even describe how tough it is.”
Salmons, Bulls surprise Celtics 127-121
The AP reports: John Salmons tied a career high with 38 points, and the Chicago Bulls rallied for another surprising victory, beating the Celtics 127-121 on Tuesday night despite 37 points from Paul Pierce… Pierce, Rajon Rondo (26 points) and Ray Allen (17 points) did what they could for the Celtics, who have dropped four of five and have struggled lately through injuries—the most notable being Kevin Garnett’s sprained right knee. The might be without Allen, too, when they play Miami on Wednesday, after he hyperextended his right elbow.
Villanueva scores 19 as Bucks beat Celtics, 86-77
The AP reports: Charlie Villanueva scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, and the Bucks used their defense to hold off the Boston Celtics 86-77… The Bucks shot 32.6 percent, scored 27 points off the Celtics’ season-high 25 turnovers and grabbed 14 of their 21 offensive rebounds in the second half. Richard Jefferson scored 17 points and Luc Mbah a Moute added 15 points and seven rebounds… The Bucks hounded Boston’s two leading scorers into dismal performances. Paul Pierce, averaging 20 points, had 15 on 4-for-15 shooting. Ray Allen, averaging 18.6, scored eight while going 2-for-11. Even Rajon Rondo felt the Bucks’ pressure as he finished with five on 2-for-10 from the floor, off his average of 11.5. Kendrick Perkins scored a career-high 26 points with 12 rebounds, including a career-best nine offensive.
Celtics bounce back with 102-92 win over Memphis
The AP reports: Leon Powe scored a career-high 30 points with 11 rebounds, and Ray Allen added 22 points on Friday night to help the Boston Celtics snap a two-game losing streak and beat the Memphis Grizzlies 102-92… “Since he’s been put in a starting role, he’s been really playing well for us,” said Celtics swingman Paul Pierce, who scored 17… Rudy Gay scored 26, O.J. Mayo had 21 and Marc Gasol had 11 points and 15 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who have lost four consecutive games as they struggle to stay out of the Western Conference cellar… Stephon Marbury had his best game since joining the Celtics, scoring nine points with five assists.
Paul Pierce and Ray Allen free throw shooting bet
The Boston Globe (Marc. J. Spears) reports: It started as a gentlemen’s bet before the season between two ultracompetitive Celtics, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. The issue was free throws. As long as Pierce can stay within 6 percentage points of Allen’s free throw accuracy, he wins. No money was involved. Just pride. At .838, Pierce is just .06 shy of surpassing his career-best mark. But even with that average, he is getting trounced by Allen, who is not only doing the best free throw shooting of his career but seems poised to surpass a longstanding Celtics record and challenge the NBA standard, too. “That dude’s having a super career year, Ray Allen,” Pierce said. “He’s never shot over 92 percent. I thought I’d get within like 6 or 8 percent of him, but he is just running away with it. That’s little stuff we do to push each other. Dang, he’s got his career year. I didn’t know he was shooting 95. He’s killing me.”