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RAJON RONDO, JEFF GREEN, KRIS HUMPHRIES POWER CELTICS OVER PISTONS

WEEI - By Mike Petraglia  

Rajon Rondo dished out a season-high 18 assists to go with 11 points and the Celtics rode a red-hot third quarter from the field to post a 118-111 win over the Pistons Sunday night at TD Garden. Jeff Green scored 27 while Kelly Olynyk provided a big first-half spark off the bench, scoring 13 of his 18 points in the opening 24 minutes.

Kris Humphries added his sixth double-double of the season, scoring 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting, while grabbing 10 rebounds. The Celtics improved to 22-41, winning consecutive games for the first time since beating Orlando, Philadelphia and Sacramento to open February. Josh Smith led Detroit with 28 while Greg Monroe added 22 for the Pistons, who fell to 24-39.

As was the case in Friday’s win over the Nets, the Celtics took a lead after the first quarter and were in command most of the way. Jared Sullinger’s layup with 31.3 seconds left in the first gave the Celtics a 24-22 lead, an advantage they would not relinquish.

Green scored 11 of his 27 in the second quarter as the Celtics took 57-49 halftime lead.

The Celtics came out blazing hot in the third, making 11 of their first 16 shots to open a 17-point lead. After shooting just 2-for-14 from long range in the first half, the Celtics drilled 8-of-12 from long range to put up 31 points in the first nine minutes of the quarter. The Celtics, thanks to 68 percent (15-of-22) shooting, scored 38 points in the quarter taking a 95-84 lead into the fourth.

The 38 points was the third-highest total in any quarter this season, behind the 42 in the first quarter against the Pistons on Dec. 18 and the 39 against the Bucks on Dec. 3.

While the Celtics were on fire offensively, they were leaking oil badly on defense, allowing 35 points as Detroit kept the game within range by shooting 60 percent from the field.

The 73-point quarter was a throwback to the old days of the ABA when little defense was played and open shots were the norm.

Green’s ill-fated behind-the-back pass to Will Bynum set up a Pistons fast break layup and three-point play on the other end as the Pistons drew to within eight, 95-87, in the opening 90 seconds. The two teams went back and forth. Josh Smith hit a three with 4:43 left to cut the Boston lead to nine before Jeff Green answered on the next possession.

Another Smith three cut the lead to eight, 111-103 with 2:53 left. Will Bynum hit two free throws with 2:29 left to make it 111-105. Rondo found Humphries under the basket for a nice reverse layup to make it 113-105. Bynum converted another pair of free throws with 1:10 left to make it a six-point game. His two free throws with 48.2 seconds left cut the lead to four, 113-109.

The Celtics will leave Monday after practice for a game at Indiana Tuesday night. They return to Boston to play the Knicks on Wednesday night at TD Garden. Head coach Brad Stevens indicated before the game that Rondo will likely not play in the second game of back-to-backs the rest of the season and is expected to sit out the Knicks game if he plays Tuesday night.
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Rapid Reaction: Celts 118, Pistons 111

By Chris Forsberg | ESPNBoston.com

BOSTON -- Rapid reaction after the Boston Celtics defeated the Detroit Pistons 118-111 on Sunday evening at TD Garden:

THE NITTY GRITTY
Rajon Rondo handed out a season-high 18 assists, bringing his career total to 4,101 and pushing him past Bill Russell for fifth all-time in Celtics history. Rondo added 11 points and did not commit a turnover. Jeff Green hit four 3-pointers as part of a 14-point third-quarter outburst and finished with a team-high 27 points overall. Kris Humphries started fast and overcame foul trouble while chipping in a double-double (20 points, 11 rebounds). Kelly Olynyk added 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting off the bench, while Jared Sullinger kicked in 14 points (and the pair of young bigs combined for 14 rebounds). The entire Detroit starting frontcourt had double-doubles including Josh Smith (28 points, 11 rebounds), Andrew Drummond (18 points, 22 reobunds), and Greg Monroe (22 points, 14 rebounds).

TURNING POINT
The Celtics were up eight coming out of halftime, but stretched things out a bit behind Green's third-quarter exploits. He hit consecutive 3-pointers and Jerryd Bayless added another triple as Boston's lead ballooned to a game-high 17 points midway through the frame. The Pistons closed within four (with the ball) in the final minute, but Boston was able to hold on.

LOOSE BALLS
After committing a season-high 28 turnovers in Friday's win over the Brooklyn Nets, the Celtics watched Rondo, Phil Pressey, and Jerryd Bayless combine for 28 assists with zero turnovers. The Celtics had 38 helpers overall on 47 field goals. The Celtics committed just seven turnovers for the game. ... Boston took a whopping 97 shots, but shot 48.5 percent from the floor overall (including 56 percent from inside the 3-point arc). ... Joel Anthony was a healthy DNP. ... Avery Bradley, who is eyeing a Friday return, sat on the bench in street clothes.

WHAT IT MEANS
The Celtics (22-41) have now won two straight and closed out this five-game homestand at 3-2 overall. Boston will hold onto the NBA championship belt as it heads to Indiana to meet the East-leading Pacers on Tuesday night. The Celtics are right back at TD Garden to host the Knicks (Wednesday) and Suns (Friday) later this week.

112288

WHAT THIS GAME MEANS....WE'RE PLAYING OURSELVES OUT OF A LOTTERY POSITION IN WHAT HAS BEEN A VERY LONG AND DEPRESSING SEASON!


112288

Lottery position isn't everything. There have been a lot of crushing disappointments with high draft picks. Remember Len Bias? And if we had drafted Greg Oden?

I'll take winning any day. You just had to see the joy on the Celtics faces last night after the game. Winning builds a winning culture and that is more important than lottery picks IMO.
I have confidence in Danny to find a way to get the players we need, either through the draft or through trades.

No one should expect the Celtics to go out there and not try to win.

The players do not care about who could be drafted.

Fans however see pinpong balls

Rondo had 18 assists and no TO's first time in 25 yreas. That is where this story begins and a chapter should be written about KO and JG and KH.

Dboss

screw a couple of ping pong balls, we are getting a pretty good pick regardless. i'll take the win

I do not see the connection of Len Bias and Greg Oden and ping pong balls. Makes no sense what you are trying to thread together the 2.

They were the real deal as far as professional athletics and if they played without dying or getting knee surgery they would be yearly All Stars and spoken about in the same manor as LeBron James.

You will be thinking differently if we select 8th or 9th as opposed to 4th.

As far as building a winning attitude, that begins next year as half the guys will be gone and off the team by contract termination or trade.

Boy I'll sit back during the summer and relish these 2 wins against the Nets and Detroit and say wow what a team...we showed these teams how to win!   Ya right!

112288

I agree with 112288.

We only have so many chances to suck, so if were bad lets be bad enough for a legit shot at Embiid or Wiggins/Parker, do you want a franchise type player or a 3rd scoring option type tweener?

So the players are suppose to loose............come on get real. Tell Rondo and Sully that. Or the 15,000 plus fans at the game.

Why don't we just forfeit every game?

right now we stand to get a pretty good pick. And as the Net sink into oblivion in the future, as they will, we'll get more high end picks.

There is a logjam of teams with 22 wins right now. whether we rise above some of them or sink below who knows. Unless traded we'll get anywhere from a 4-7th pick, plus a late teen one too.

I'll take any win any way we can achieve them, and let the lottery pick fall where it may.

beat

NO I NEVER SAID THAT BEAT......BUT YOU CAN GET CREATIVE BY PLAY MORE ROOKIES THEN VET'S .......AND DO NOT TELL ME IT IS NOT BEING DONE NOW IN THE NBA!

WE ARE TIED FOR 5TH IN THE LOSS SECTION WITH 3 OTHER TEAMS AND COULD SINK TO 8TH OR 9TH.  WE NEED AN IMPACT PLAYER IN EITHER 3 POSITIONS AVAILABLE - CENTER, POWER, FORWARD, OR POINT GUARD. AFTER #4 PICK, IT GET TO BE SLIM PICK'ENS TO GET AN IMPACT PLAYER AT ONE OF THOSE POSITIONS.

112288

PS  I was not shouting as I realized after that I typed in caps and was too lazy to retype.  LOL
112288

Count me in with Bob, Beat and Berlin.

I would never presume to speak for anyone but myself.  But I can't conceive of my ever rooting for my team not to win.  Period!  If I were to do that even one time, I would consider myself less of a true fan when the team returned to glory and I jumped back on the bandwagon.

Moreover, I'd consider myself a rank amateur if I joined a world of conjecture that would involve rooting against my team.  In contrast, I enjoy being an expert in in the art of being a dyed-in-the-wool Celtics fan.  I have no bandwagon to hop back on when it's convenient because I never hop off in the first place.

I realize there are many ways to define a fan, including potentially wanting to get high draft picks.  I just feel the tradeoff of wanting the Celtics to lose to have a higher probability (but not a guarantee) of getting a more favorable draft pick is not acceptable—to me.

Drafts are always a crap shoot.  It's perfectly appropriate to consider lessons named Bias, Duncan, Oden, and Bowie.  But one sure thing is that the Celtics over the rest of the season—armed with (1) some continuity, (2) a greater sense of momentum, (3) added coalescing, (4) a more positive attitude, (5) a more realistic outlook on what Danny actually has to work with and what his greatest needs are, (6) some battle-tested young players, and (7) a coach who has learned what it takes to convert an NBA team of mediocrity into a team of promise—will have used this season (despite all the bumps in the road) to develop the team on a positive note.  I believe that's more important than supporting a losing cause in the quest for some balls of the ping pong variety.

This is obviously not a prediction, but nothing would make me happier to know that the Celtics are two games into a 21-game winning streak and a spot in the playoffs.

But that's only me.  Everyone (including myself) has the right to his/her opinion and freedom to express it on this forum.

Sam

112288

Where did I say you said it? Show me the quote.

You basically wanted us to loose yesterday, right or wrong?

beat

I'm with 112288 on this issue. The draft pick is more important to me then the win. I guess I'm more concerned about 3 years down the road then tomorrow or next year. Just an opinion.

swish

Picks never come with a guarantee. We are going to get a high one and a later one. If we even hang on to them.

I'll take any win any time.

So why bother to be a fan. Nothing next year is a given nor the year after.

As for the bit about playing rooks. Only player that did not see any time was Anthony and that is really no surprise. Minutes were fairly well spread out.

If we loose we loose but I can NEVER root for that outcome, never.

beat

A deep playoff run is not going to happen. The roster, as constructed, will not be able to win much of value. This season is dedicated to clearing cap space and evaluating various assets, and not much else. The losses are just a byproduct of that. If the lottery does net a guy like Embiid or Parker, cool. If not, the Celtics have great flexibility to make a trade for a player they want.





KJ

I expect the Celts to try to win every game.

Please explain to me the rational for losing on purpose?

Dboss

I thought this was a post-game thread (LOL)

I'm with the group that ALWAYS cheers for a Celtic win.  That is my opinion, I guess you're all welcome to yours. There have been many good reasons posted already that detail why cheering for a loss to improve draft position is a fail, I'll add a few.

This draft is NOT just 3-4 deep and then, nothing.  There are difference makers out to pick 10 and maybe even past that.  Exum, Smart, Harris, Ennis, Randle, Hood, Gordon, Vonleh, the list goes on.  I guess time will tell.  T.J. Warren (NC State) has scored more than 40 points in consecutive games.  Warren, who entered the last game averaging 24.2 points and is shooting a league-best 52.8 percent from the floor, is slated to go 16th in the 2014 NBA Mock Draft that I am looking at now.  He ain't chopped liver.

Joel Embiid, the potential No. 1 pick, has back issues that may keep him out of this week's Big 12 tourney.  This has been going on since early February.  How would he last for the much longer NBA season?  There are no guarantees.

There was a nice interview with Sully last night, Abby asked him what was worse, the mental or physical aspect of the long season.  He said the mental part was harder, losing so many games in one year.  Many of the top players just haven't lost this many games in their entire careers, let alone in just one season.  How will they take the losing?

Anyway, about the game that was played last night:

I didn't yell at Kelly Olynyk quite so much as I have in the past.  He has gotten much better on the offensive end.  He even made a dunk or two (instead of missing the bunny).  My one beef with him was that he needs to pay attention to his own man in transition.  He seems to get distracted by the ball handler and often lunges at him.  This takes him out of position and allowed his man (Josh Smith in this case) to get a step on him going to the basket, leading to a easy basket and/or foul.  I hope he watched the game tape and see this.  The pro game is too fast for him to keep doing this.

gyso

Beat you were inferring by stating "So the players are suppose to loose."   Did I want to lose yesterday and Friday....not hard to figure where my weathervane is at!
112288

cowens/oldschool wrote:I agree with 112288.

We only have so many chances to suck, so if were bad lets be bad enough for a legit shot at Embiid or Wiggins/Parker, do you want a franchise type player or a 3rd scoring option type tweener?

Cow,

Do you realize that all three of those guys may stay in school for another year?

Count me in the win if you can category....tanking or intentionally trotting out a mediocre team is not only counter to the Celtics fabric - but it is a proven loser in terms of building a championship team.

As Tommy has said many times, it is more important to build and keep a winning culture - than to play for a high pick.

There is no "franchise" player in this draft - and even if the Celtics went into full tanking mode, they cannot possibly out tank the Bucks, Sixers or Orlando.

Stay the course men.

Outside,

If they stay in school one more year and get picked this year they still belong to the team that picked them this year.....remember Larry Bird!

112288

112288 wrote:I do not see the connection of Len Bias and Greg Oden and ping pong balls. Makes no sense what you are trying to thread together the 2.

They were the real deal as far as professional athletics and if they played without dying or getting knee surgery they would be yearly All Stars and spoken about in the same manor as LeBron James.

You will be thinking differently if we select 8th or 9th as opposed to 4th.

As far as building a winning attitude, that begins next year as half the guys will be gone and off the team by contract termination or trade.

Boy I'll sit back during the summer and relish these 2 wins against the Nets and Detroit and say wow what a team...we showed these teams how to win!   Ya right!

112288

The connection is very simple: your no. 1-4 pick in the draft could also die or have a crippling injury. Which means there is no sure thing in the draft. Ever!

And how you spend your summer is of no concern to me.

112288 wrote:Outside,

If they stay in school one more year and get picked this year they still belong to the team that picked them this year.....remember Larry Bird!

112288

Sorry, I believe that cannot happen any more. They have to declare for the draft and either stay the course or drop out before draft. Bird was a 5-year college guy as well. He went to Indiana right out of college. There is also an age thing (25?) where anyone older that a given age doesn't have to go through the draft process they can be a free agent and sign with who they choose.

Apples and oranges.

The importance of a winning culture:

Celtics

2005-06---- w/l = 33-49, win % =.402
2006-07---- w/l = 24-58, win % =.293
2007-08-----w/l = 66-16, win % = .805

swish