Category: Boston Celtics Blog

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Rajon Rondo puts up triple-double, Celtics edge Hawks

rajon rondo

Paul Pierce overcame a miserable shooting game with a key jumper in overtime and Rajon Rondo finished with a triple-double with 20 assists, 10 points and 10 rebounds to lift the surging Boston Celtics to an 88-86 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.

Kevin Garnett had 22 points and grabbed 12 boards before fouling out with just under 3 minutes left in OT, and Brandon Bass, who also hit a jumper in OT, scored 21 points.

It was Rondo’s 19th straight game with double digits in assists.

Jeff Teague led the Hawks with 21 points and Josh Smith had 20 with 11 rebounds. The Hawks had won eight of 11 since losing to Boston at home on March 19.

It was the Celtics’ 11th win in 14 games. Pierce finished with 14 points…

Boston guard Ray Allen was sidelined by a sore right ankle that had him out a few weeks ago. He had played the last five games after being sidelined six by the troublesome ankle.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Celtics rise up to beat Heat in Miami

paul pierce

A week ago, the Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat with defense. This time, they did it with offense.

Paul Pierce scored 27 points, Kevin Garnett added 24 points and nine rebounds, and the Celtics made their first eight shots of the fourth quarter to hold off the Heat 115-107 on Tuesday night.

Rajon Rondo posted double-digit assists for the 18th straight game, extending the NBA’s longest such streak in 20 years with an 18-point, 15-assist effort. Brandon Bass added 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Avery Bradley scored 11 for the Celtics, who shot a season-high 61 percent.

LeBron James finished with 36 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Miami, which got 20 from Dwyane Wade and 18 from Mario Chalmers. Chris Bosh finished with 13 on 5-for-13 shooting.

The Celtics beat Miami 91-72 in Boston on April 1, a game the Heat called “unacceptable” after establishing season-lows in scoring and shooting.

— Reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press

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Antoine Walker announces retirement from basketball

antoine walker

Antoine Walker is hanging ’em up.

The former Celtics forward, who had been playing for the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League, announced his retirement in the locker room on Saturday night, according to the team.

Walker, who played 12 seasons in the NBA, is reportedly expected to make a formal retirement announcement in the coming days.

The 35-year-old’s most notable playing days came as a member of the Celtics from 1996-2003. He was named an All-Star three times while forming a potent duo with Paul Pierce.

— Reported by Ricky Doyle of NESN

Celtics defense shuts Pacers down

paul pierce

The Indiana Pacers beat Oklahoma City on Friday night, proving that they indeed are one of the league’s up-and-coming teams.

A day later, the Boston Celtics showed the Pacers what the next level looks like. Paul Pierce scored 24 points to help the Celtics beat Indiana 86-72 on Saturday night.

The veteran-laden Celtics did what winning playoff teams do. They controlled the tempo, played stifling defense and made timely shots all night. Indiana matched its lowest point total of the season…

Ray Allen added 19 points, Kevin Garnett scored 15 and Rajon Rondo had 12 assists for the Celtics.

Allen came off the bench for just the second time this season. He made 5 of 11 3-pointers, including 3 of 5 in the second half. He had missed six games with an ankle injury and has been back for just three games…

Danny Granger scored 20 points, David West had 16 and Hibbert added nine points and 17 rebounds for Indiana. The Pacers had won four in a row and had scored more than 100 points in five consecutive games. Indiana shot 35 percent from the field, made just 5 of 22 3-pointers and committed 19 turnovers.

— Reported by Cliff Brunt of the Associated Press

Deng, Noah lead Rose-less Bulls past Celtics

luol deng

Luol Deng scored 18 of his 26 points in the second half and Joakim Noah added 17 points and nine rebounds to rally the Chicago Bulls to a 93-86 win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night.

The Bulls again played without Derrick Rose, out due to a strained groin for the 12th consecutive game. Chicago, which has been without Rose for 22 games this season, improved to 15-7 in his absence—including 8-4 during the latest stretch.

The Bulls rallied from 13 points down in the first half and pulled away in the fourth quarter to end its first two-game losing streak of the season. Trailing by 11 at halftime, Chicago outscored Boston 55-37 after the break…

Paul Pierce scored 22 points for Boston, who has lost two in a row after a winning a season-high five straight. Pierce had only one point in the fourth quarter…

C.J. Watson finished with 15 points and Boozer had 12 points and 14 rebounds for Chicago.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Spurs beat Celtics for 9th straight win

Tim Duncan

Tim Duncan had 10 points and 16 rebounds and the San Antonio Spurs won their ninth straight game, recovering to beat the Boston Celtics 87-86 on Wednesday night after blowing a 17-point, first-half lead.

Duncan also stopped Paul Pierce on the final play, forcing him into a step-back jumper that bounced off the rim at the buzzer.

Danny Green scored 14 points and Gary Neal had 13, including a 3-pointer with 2 minutes left that gave the Spurs the lead after Boston went on a 13-4 run to move in front.

Rajon Rondo had 17 points and 11 assists for Boston. The Celtics had won five in a row.

Pierce had 15 points and 10 rebounds, but he couldn’t maneuver into open space after Boston inbounded the ball with 7.9 seconds left. Duncan stayed on him, forcing Pierce to step back near the top of the key for a floater that clanged harmlessly off the rim.

Avery Bradley scored 19 points off the bench for Boston, and Kevin Garnett had 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Ray Allen returned after missing six games with a sore right ankle and added seven rebounds and five points, including a 3-pointer in the final minute that brought Boston within a point.

— Reported by Jimmy Golen of the Associated Press

Paul Pierce, Chris Paul named Players of Week

The Boston Celtics’ Paul Pierce and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, March 26, through Sunday, April 1.

Pierce led the Celtics to a 4-0 week, averaging 25.0 points (nearly six above his season average), 8.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He scored a season-high 36 points, to go with 10 rebounds in a 102-95 victory over Charlotte on March 26. He capped off the week with a team-high 23 points, seven rebounds and three assists in a 91-72 triumph over the Miami Heat on April 1, the Celtics’ fifth win in a row.

Paul guided the Clippers to a 4-0 mark, averaging 21.5 points on 56 percent shooting, while dishing out 11.3 assists per contest. He began the week with 25 points and 10 assists, as the Clippers defeated Paul’s former team, the New Orleans Hornets, 97-85 on March 26. Paul, who ranks third in the NBA in assists (8.8 apg), matched his season high with 15 assists in a 103-86 win over the Phoenix Suns on March 28.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Boston’s Kevin Garnett, Detroit’s Tayshaun Prince, the L.A. Clippers’ Blake Griffin, New Jersey’s Deron Williams, New York’s Carmelo Anthony and Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook.

Rondo has triple-double as Celtics rout Heat

Rajon Rondo

Rajon Rondo had a triple-double and the Boston Celtics handed Miami its biggest loss of the season, pulling away for a 91-72 win over the Heat on Sunday.

The Celtics outscored the Heat 31-12 in the third quarter, turning a 49-44 halftime lead into an 80-56 advantage. They stayed ahead by at least 19 the rest of the way for their fifth straight win…

Rondo finished with 16 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds, reaching the triple-double mark with 8 1/2 minutes to play. It was his 13th consecutive game with at least 10 assists and his fifth triple-double of the season…

The Heat, playing their third game in four days, were led by LeBron James with 23 points but he had no assists for only the second time in his career. Dwyane Wade added 15 points. The Heat continued to struggle on the road, losing for the seventh time in their last 10 games away from home. Miami has the fewest home losses in the league at 21-2 but is only 16-12 on the road.

Paul Pierce scored 23 points, and Brandon Bass added 16 points and 10 rebounds for Boston.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Jermaine O`Neal undergoes wrist surgery

jermaine o'neal

The Boston Celtics announced today that forward/center Jermaine O’Neal underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left wrist today at New England Baptist Hospital. The surgery was performed by Celtics Team Physician Dr. Brian McKeon and Dr. Drew Terrono.

O’Neal, a 6’11” center/forward, appeared in 25 games for the Celtics this season averaging 5.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 22.8 minutes per game. O’Neal recorded a season-high 19 points against Detroit on December 30. He also recorded a season-high 12 rebounds against Indiana on January 14.

The 28-22 Celtics are currently 7th in the Eastern conference.