BOSTON CELTICS AT CLEVELAND CAVALIERSNovember 27, 2007
7:00 PM EST (Comcast SportsNet)
Quicken Loans Arena (Cleveland, OH)
Announcers:
Mike An-Gorman-agement and
Tommy "Want to Touch the" Heinsohn ;
Gary PoonTanguay and
Donny Darko (in-studio) ;
Greg "Old Saint" Dickerson (sideline reporter)
Celtics Starting Lineup:
Rayden, I've Got a Rajon Rondo, Perk'd Off, Kevvy G, Da TroofCavs Starting Lineup:
Pavlovic's Dog, Daniel "Titty" Gibson, SeeOurZydrunas, Drew Gooden Plenty, Cuckoo LebronzaLebron James has been on quite a tear heading into tonight's game against Boston ... In his last six outings, he's averaged a near triple-double (37.5 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 9.5 APG); not too shabby.
As for the Celts, they come into tonight's matchup against the defending Eastern Conference champs a little banged up ...
Allan Tony will be unavailable tonight (thigh injury), while the other Allen - you know, the one with the game winning shot against the Bobcats - actually sprained his ankle during that contest. He missed practice and was a game-time decision, but will start tonight.
FIRST QUARTERAt the start of the game, Lebron makes the nice pass inside to Zydrunas, but Garnett bats it away and Pierce comes up with the loose ball. He takes it upcourt himself, then gives it to Rondo who slices down the lane before passing off to Perkins for the easy layup
(2-0 11:21).
Ilgauskus hits the outside "jay" to tie the score early, then KG tries to make the spin move around Gooden but is called for travelling. Cleveland regains possession, and Pavlovic is left wide open for the three-pointer
(2-5 10:28).
Ray then tries the fallaway jumper over Pavlovic, but comes up short; Gooden grabs the miss and passes to Lebron, who dribbles upcourt and finds Gibson in the corner for the deep jumper
(2-7 9:59).
At the other end, KG is double-teamed down low, and loses the ball out of bounds. That makes it Cavaliers' ball, and Zydrunas takes the opportunity to hit the pullup jumper right in Perk's grill
(2-9 9:33).
Celts are off to a slow start, as Kevin tries to take it to the rim against Gooden but can't knock down the shot; Zydrunas controls the rebound, then gets the ball upcourt to James. He passes to Gooden, who posts up on Perk and just blows by him for the easy layup
(2-11 9:03).
Glenn Rivers M.D. has seen enough and calls for time ... When play resumes, Pierce knocks down the pullup "jay" over Lebron to break Cleveland's 11-0 scoring run. However, at the other end, Gooden is again left wide open and hits the 15-footer
(4-13 8:25); the Cavs have started this game making six of their first seven field goal attempts!
This is getting bad, as Ilgauskas hits the shot over Perk with 7:11 on the clock to make it a double-digit deficit. Garnett then misses the oustide jumper (Boston is just 2-for-8 from the field), and Zydrunas controls the rebound. He passes to Lebron, who dribbles upcourt, then slices down the lane between two defenders ... However, his layup attempt is blocked by KG, and Ray (recovering the loose ball) takes it back the other way, where he pulls up over Gibson for the three-point basket
(7-15 6:33)!
Ilgauskas answers with another jumper (he's already got eight points on 4-for-5 shooting), then Perkins misses the hook shot and Big Z corrals the loose board (Cleveland is now outrebounding Boston 10 to 3). He makes the fullcourt pass to Lebron, who easily eludes Rondo and finishes with the two-hand slam
(7-19 5:07); that was actually James' first points of the night (2 PTS, 1-3 FG, 4 AST), not the Cavs necessarily need his help thus far.
The C's are forced to call another timeout, and when play resumes
Parker Posey is in for Perkins, and immediately hits the trey
(10-19 4:44).
Gooden is then called for the travelling violation, as Boston regains possession and Pierce passes inside to Garnett who buries the turnaround jumper over
Ira Noobie (12-19 4:10).
Now we're cooking, as two free throws by Kevin cut the deficit down to five with three minutes to go in the quarter (the Men in Green have now scored seven straight points) ... Meanwhile, Lebron is forced to put up an awkward three-point attempt to beat the shot clock, which is wide right but Gooden grabs the offensive rebound (dang!) and passes back to
The Devin Miss M who drives down the lane and scores over Garnett
(14-21 2:15).
Allen is then called for too many steps (Boston's third turnover), as the Cavs regain possession with a chance to extend their advantage ... However, Ray steals the pass from James (Cleveland's fourth turnover) and finds
Hugh Laurie - just into the game - who dribbles upcourt before passing back to Allen. He's behind the three-point line with nobody on him, so he just pulls up and buries it
(17-21 1:34)!
At the other end, Gooden tries the turnaround jumper over Posey; the shot misses, but Brown is able to sneak in for the offensive board and is fouled by Pierce (his second). That sends Devin to the line, where he makes both free throws to make it a five-point game
(17-23 1:11).
Paul and Kevin take a seat at this point (Rondo comes back in along with
The Scals of Justice) ... Rajon tries to make an immediate impact by taking it to the basket for the layup attempt, but Lebron is right there to meet him with the big-time rejection. Devin grabs the loose ball and takes it upcourt, then he passes back to James, who drives down the lane and is fouled by Posey while scoring the bucket!
However, Lebron is slow to get up (Posey hit him across the head so hard that his headband went flying off) ... Cleveland calls a timeout to give Bron-Bron a chance to recover, but he's able to make it to the free-throw line and sinks the foul shot to complete the (belated) three-point play
(17-26 :51.0).
Allen buries another three-pointer (Heinsohn: "Let's ride Ray for awhile!"), then Brown misses the outside shot and Posey grabs the rebound. He passes off to Rondo, who slowly brings the ball upcourt for a chance at the final shot ... Rajon ends up going for the fallaway jumper over Lebron, but misses badly (I think he was fouled), so the quarter ends with the Celts down six
(20-26).
A tough outing for the C's thus far, as the lone bright spot appears to be Allen ... Despite his injury concerns, he leads the team with nine points and is perfect from behind the three-point arc (3-3 3PTers)
SECOND QUARTERRondo, Posey, Allen, House, and
Scotty 2 Hotty are in to start the second quarter, as Lebron remains on the bench (he might still be a little groggy) ... Meanwhile, Posey misses the three-point attempt, but House grabs the offensive rebound (Boston's first of the night) and passes to Ray, who drives down the lane and finishes with the layup
(22-26 10:59).
Zydrunas scores, then Allen misses the outside jumper and Pavlovicc grabs the rebound. He goes coast to coast and takes it all the way to the basket, where he's fouled by Rondo and proceeds to make one-of-two from the line
(22-29 10:16) ... In retaliation, Ray drives down the lane (to draw in the defense) before kicking it out to a wide-open Posey for the trey
(25-29 9:57)!
Ilgauskas is then called for the travelling violation with 9:39 on the clock, as Pierce comes back into the game to replace Allen (he's played the entire game thus far) ... It's Celtics' ball, but House misses the shot and Newble grabs the rebound. He passes upcourt to Pavlovic, who finds
Mailer-Damon Jones spotting up behind the three-point line.
However, that shot is wide of the mark, and Pollard controls the loose carom. He gets the ball upcourt to Pierce, who tries the pullup jumper but is wide of the mark. Pavlovic pulls down the board, as we take it back the other way, and Brown winds up being fouled by Pollard underneath the basket while going for the shot; that sends Devin to the line, where he makes both foul shots
(25-31 8:35).
Lebron comes back into the game during the stoppage of play, while Pierce makes a nice pass inside to Pollard for the layup to get Boston within four. At the other end, Lebron takes it down the lane and Scotty commits another foul (his third in just five minutes), so he heads back to the charity stripe and makes both free throws
(27-33 8:01).
Pollard takes a seat as Garnett comes back into the game; Pierce then goes in strong over Newble for the layup
(29-33 7:50).
Undaunted, Lebron hits the turnaround jumper over Posey (that was a difficult shot, I'll admit) ... At the other end, Pierce misses the shot and Ilgauskas grabs the rebound. He gets the ball to Damon, who quickly passes upcourt to Lebron, but he slips and falls in the paint. However, the refs bail him out and call the foul on Posey (I call bullshit on that one); that gets him another trip to the line, and James sinks both free throws
(29-37 7:10).
Perk (back into the game for House) hits the hook shot over Gooden to keep the Celts within striking distance, then Perk does his part on the defensive end as he slaps the ball out of Pavlovic's hands. Rondo picks it up and takes it back the other way, where he finds Pierce underneath the basket. Gooden commits the foul, so Paul heads to the line and makes one-of-two free throws
(32-37 6:28).
Now let's fast-forward to three minutes left in the game, as it's still a five-point deficit ... Whoops, make that three, as Garnett knocks down the outside "jay"
(42-45 2:30); Boston has picked up their shooting somewhat, making 7-of-16 field goals in the quarter.
Perkins then fouls Lebron underneath the basket, but Bron-Bron can only make one-of-two free throws ... At the other end, KG makes the nice pass inside to Kendrick, and James (in a bit of a role reversal) has to give the foul to prevent the easy basket. So, Perk steps to the line where he makes the first free throw but misses the second.
Luckily, Rondo is able to beat Gooden to the offensive rebound (that's embarrassing for Drew), and the big man ends up being called for the foul (his third); that sends Rajon to the line, where he also makes one-of-two foul shots
(44-46 1:59).
Gibson then misses the three-point shot (Cleveland is just 5-for-12 from the field in the quarter), and Pierce grabs the rebound. He takes it upcourt and passes inside to KG, who's double-teamed so he kicks it out to Ray who is open behind the three-point line. Unfortunately, the shot misses and Ilgauskas comes away with the loose board.
The Cavs have a chance to give themselves a little breathing room, but Gibson wins up missing his own three-point attempt, and Allen pulls down the 'bound; he then makes a fullcourt pass to a hustling Rajon, who finds Pierce open from behind the arc ... That shot winds up missing as well (!), but Ray grabs the offensive board and kicks it out to Garnett, who quickly passes back inside to Perk for the layup to tie the game
(46-all :48.7)!
Now the team looks energized, as Gibson has his layup attempt blocked by Perkins out of bounds with two seconds left on the shot clock ... Lebron inbounds to Newble, who tries to quickly bank his shot in, but it's no good and Rondo comes away with the rebound.
Celts are looking for the final shot, as Pierce is defended by Lebron, so he gives the ball up to Allen. He drives to the basket against Brown, and Newble reaches in for the ill-advised foul with 0.7 seconds left on the clock.
Ira's hit knocked Ray to the ground, so Rondo tries to come over and help him up ... However, Devin is standing in his way, and (as Rajon tries to get around him) a bit of a tussle ensues. Hmm, not sure what Brown's problem is, but he gives Rondo a little shove (I guess he was "invading his personal space" or something) and Rajon lets him know that he doesn't appreciate that.
The refs step in to separate the two, as Brown is slapped with a technical foul (wow, that makes Devin look foolish) ... So, Ray gets one free throw attempt for the tech (which he makes), then steps to the line and makes both of his "regular" foul shots.
Wow, a three-point play to end the quarter ... Cavs lost their cool at the end there, as the Celts are up 49 to 46 at halftime.
As for Ray Allen, he still shows no ill effects from his injury, scoring 16 points on 5-for-11 shooting.
THIRD QUARTERRay scores yet again to open the quarter (he can't be stopped!), then Gibson tries for the pullup jumper over Garnett - not a wise choice - and Pierce grabs the miss. He sends the ball upcourt to Rondo, who gives it up to KG, and he tries to work his way inside against Gooden. His shot comes up short, but he's able to get his own rebound and passes to Perkins underneath the basket, where he's hacked by Zydrunas. That puts Kendrick at the line, and he makes both foul shots
(53-46 10:56).
Boy, this crowd has gone deathly silent right now ... However, things perk up as Gooden hits the jumper to cap an 8-2 Cleveland run
(55-54 7:49). Pierce breaks the streak with a 20-footer, but Lebron answers with an outside "jay" of his own
(57-56 7:20); James now has 16 points on the night (5-13 FG).
Celts are looking flustered again, as Paul is called for the travelling violation; the Cavs regain possession, and Gibson makes the nice pass inside to Gooden who scores on the layup
(57-58 6:47).
Rondo then misses, but Perk tips the loose rebound out to Allen, who passes to Garnett in the paint. He tries to back down Gooden, but instead kicks the ball out to Pierce, who swings it around to Ray in the corner and he buries another trey
(60-58 6:14); that's 21 points now for The Jesus (4-6 3PTers)!
However, Pavlovic scores to tie the game, while at the other end Ilgauskas blocks a layup attempt by Perkins, and Lebron comes away with the loose ball. He makes a fullcourt pass to a hustling Pavlovic, who's fouled by Allen to prevent the easy basket, so he proceeds to make one-of-two from the line
(60-61 5:44).
A basket by Drew makes it a three-point deficit with 4:30 on the clock. Perk is then called for the offensive foul setting the screen on Gibson (Doc immediately pulls Kendrick in favor of Posey), as Cleveland regains possession ... but not for long, as Rondo steals the bad pass by Zydrunas, then gets the ball upcourt to Pierce who finds KG underneath the basket for the two-hand slam
(64-65 4:04)!
Still, Lebron hits a three-pointer (Cleveland is 9-for-10 from the field in the quarter) to keep the crowd excited, but at the other end Garnett knocks down the fallaway jumper over Ilgauskas
(66-68 3:07); Boston is now 7-of-15 shooting in the third.
This is getting to be a tight race, as Gooden and Pierce trade baskets, then Lebron makes the great bounce pass inside to Drew who scores over KG
(68-72 2:04) ... incredible, Gooden has now made all seven of his shots in the quarter (18 PTS, 9-11 FG)!
Doc makes some substitions in the closing moments (Scals, House, and
Glen "Macrosomia" Davis are all in) ... However, Gooden drains the turnaround "jay" with Davis right in his face to put the Cavs up six
(68-74 :54.9).
Ray then misses a three-point attempt, but "Big Baby" grabs the offensive rebound and passes out to House, who finds Posey alone in the corner. Gibson goes to cover him, but James gives the little upfake to get "Boobie" up in the air, then drives to the basket where he is fouled by Brown while scoring the layup!
He steps to the line for a chance at the three-point play, but misses the free throw ... However, have no fear, "Big Baby" is here, as he secures the offensive board and scores on the putback
(72-74 :24.8)!
That puts an end to the scoring in the quarter, as we head into the final stanza with Boston just down two ... However, the defense seemed to be out on break during those previous twelve minutes, as Cleveland shot an unbelievable 75 percent from the field (12-15 FG) in the third! It goes without saying that the Celts CANNOT allow something like that to happen again if they want to win this game.
FOURTH QUARTERPosey, House, Scals, Davis, and Allen are in to start the final quarter ... Another basket by "Big Baby" (he muscled his way into the paint against Zydrunas) ties the score at 74 apiece, while at the other end Scalabrine blocks the three-point attempt by Brown (!) and House grabs the loose ball. He takes it back the other way, then gives the ball to Davis, who tries to make the bullet pass inside to Scals but it goes off one of the Cavs and out of bounds with four seconds left on the shot clock.
Eric "Fleece as White as" Snow is subbed in at this point for the first time, as he tries to stymie House on the inbounds pass. However, Eddie is able to get the ball to Scals, who buries the outside jumper just before the buzzer sounds
(76-74 10:38)!
Ilgauskas then misses the outside shot, and Posey controls the rebound (it's time for the C's to make their run, I can feel it) ... He passes upcourt to House, who passes inside to Scalabrine. However, Brian gives it right back to Eddie behind the three-point line and he buries it
(79-74 10:00)!
Cleveland calls for time, and when play resumes Lebron comes back into the game ... Meanwhile, Davis is called for the defensive three-second violation, so Zydrunas is elected to shoot the free throw (really?) and he makes it with 9:46 remaining; that makes it a four-point game, but it's still Cavs' possession and James makes his presence felt by draining the outside jumper
(79-77 9:31).
Lebron's return to the floor seems to have his teammates re-energized, as Gooden strips Scals of the ball; James picks it up and goes coast to coast before being hacked by Posey underneath the basket, so he steps to the line and makes both foul shots to tie things up again
(79-all 9:14).
Garnett comes back into the game at this point (Davis takes a seat), when House misses the three-point attempt and Ilgauskas grabs the rebound. He gives the ball to Lebron, who dribbles upcourt before pulling up for the three-point shot of his own; that too misses, but Gooden snares the offensive board and passes back to James, who pulls up over Pierce and buries the jumper
(79-81 8:37).
Lebron then picks off the pass by Posey (he actually pulled Pierce away from the ball by the jersey to cause the turnover, but the refs wouldn't call it) as we head back the other way ... He passes to Zydrunas, who kicks it out to Gibson wide open behind the three-point line. His shot misses, but Pierce fouls Big Z going for the loose rebound. That means it's still Cavaliers' ball, and Gibson slices down the lane for the layup
(79-83 8:02).
Two free throws by "Big Baby" (he's already back into the game, as Doc is trying to counter Cleveland's big men) cuts the deficit down to two, while at the other end Lebron misses the three-point basket but Zydrunas grabs the offensive board and kicks it out to Gooden, who buries the jumper over Davis
(83-87 6:40); man, Drew is now an eye-popping 10-for-12 from the field!
It's starting to fall apart now, as Rondo rebounds a missed three-point attempt by Allen, but his putback attempt is blocked by Ilgauskas out of bounds ... It's still Celtics' possession, however Pavlovic strips Ray of the ball and KG winds up fouling him trying to get it back.
That gives Cleveland a chance to extend their lead, but Pierce tips the ball away from Lebron and Allen is able to recover. He heads back the other way to start the Boston fast break, as he passes to Rondo who gives it right back to Ray and he takes it into Zydrunas' chest for the layup ... Not only that, but the refs call the foul on Big Z, so Allen steps to the line and makes the free throw to complete the three-point play
(86-87 6:01)!
Pavlovic then misses the three-point attempt, but Gooden tips the loose rebound out to Gibson; he passes back inside to Drew, who tries to drive on Garnett but misses the layup (finally!) and Zydrunas can't tip it in. KG comes away with the rebound and passes up ahead to Pierce, who's bumped by Lebron taking it to the basket. That sends Paul to the line, where he makes both free throws to put Boston back ahead
(88-87 5:18).
However, both teams go cold at this point, combining for seven missed field goals in the next three minutes (Perk even bricks two free throws!) ... A basket by Garnett with 2:40 to go makes it a three-point Celtics lead, but Lebron quickly answers as he takes the pass from Gooden and slices down the lane against Pierce for the layup
(90-89 2:20).
After a Boston timeout, Ray scores on the floater over the outstretched hand of Ilgauskas
(92-89 2:01).
James then misses the shot, and Allen controls the rebound; he gets the ball upcourt to Rondo, who passes to Pierce, and he (in turn) gives it up to Garnett. He tries the outside jumper over Gooden, but comes up short and Zydrunas grabs the rebound.
Now Cleveland calls for time with 1:10 left in the game ... When play resumes, Gibson passes the ball to Lebron; he's double-teamed, so he quickly gives it back to "Boobie" and he swings it around to an open Pavlovic for the three-pointer
(92-all :59.0)!
Ray then tries to answer with a three-point shot of his own; that misses, but Kevin secures the offensive rebound and Doc calls time with just 37.6 seconds remaining ... Allen inbounds the ball to Rondo, who gets it to Pierce at the top of the key. He drives down the lane, then tries to make the bounce pass to KG, but it gets away from him (uh oh).
Luckily, Garnett is able to recover the ball, and gives it up to Allen. Now it's his turn to drive down the lane, but Pavlovic reaches in to try and knock the ball away and the refs actually call it (that's surprising) ... So, that puts Ray at the line with 23.1 seconds on the clock for a chance to give Boston the lead. However, he misses the first free throw (!), then backrims the second!
Now THAT is surprising ... Lebron grabs the rebound and Cleveland calls for time with 22.8 seconds left and a chance for the final shot. When play resumes, Damon inbounds the ball to James, and he holds his ground with Pierce covering him.
Agonizing moments pass by, before Lebron finally makes his move with six seconds to go ... He pulls up over Paul for the jumper, but barely hits the front of the rim (whew!) and Allen comes away with the rebound as the buzzer sounds.
So, with the score knotted at 92-all, that means we're heading into ooovertime ...
FIRST OVERTIMECelts have their starters on the floor to open overtime, as Gooden wins the tap versus KG and Gibson ends up with the ball ... He finds Lebron, who makes up for his previous shot by taking it to the basket and scoring on the layup
(92-94 4:40).
Meanwhile, Boston has trouble setting up their offense, and Allen ends up having his shot attempt blocked by James for the shot clock violation! Cleveland regains possession, and Pavlovic drives down the lane against Ray before scoring on the layup
(92-96 3:47).
No need to panic yet, as KG banks in a shot to get the C's back within two; at the other end, Pavlovic misses the three-point attempt and Perk controls the rebound. He gives it to Rondo, who takes it back the other way, then passes to Allen in the paint. He kicks it out to Pierce, who finds Rondo open in the corner ... however, he airballs the shot (!) and Gooden comes away with the loose board.
He passes to Gibson, who slowly brings the ball upcourt (they feel no need to rush things at this point) before giving it up to Lebron at the top of the key. He tries to make the alleyoop pass inside to Gooden, but Drew can't control it and Perkins collects the loose ball ... That gives Boston another chance to inch closer, as Garnett is fouled by Gooden going for the pullup "jay"; Kevin proceeds to take his place at the charity stripe, where he makes the first free throw but misses the second
(95-96 2:07).
Unfortunately, Lebron follows that up by burying the trey to really get the crowd rocking (dang) ... Rondo tries to quickly answer, but misses the shot (Boston is just 1-of-4 from the field in OT) and Gooden grabs the rebound. He gives it to Gibson, who again takes his time bringing the ball upcourt, before passing to Lebron; he really tries to put the dagger in the Celts' collective heart with another three-point attempt, but (luckily) that's wide of the mark.
Rondo grabs the rebound, as Doc calls for time with 1:11 on the clock ... When play resumes, Pierce tries to work the baseline with two defenders on him; he's forced to try and kick the ball out to Ray, but Pavlovic picks it off (ugh). He passes to Gibson, who quickly finds Lebron up the floor, where he drives to the basket and Allen gives the foul. The puts LJ at the line, and he makes both free throws
(95-101 :54.3).
Things are looking bleak, as Ray miss the three-point and Gooden controls the rebound. He hands the ball off to Lebron, who tries to make a fullcourt pass up ahead to Gibson, but Posey (just into the game for defensive purposes) lives up to his reputation by snatching the ball out of the air. He takes it back the other way, then finds Pierce alone behind the three-point line, but he also misses (dammit!) and Gibson pulls down the rebound.
House quickly fouls him to stop the clock, and "Boobie" makes one-of-two from the line to make it a seven-point deficit
(95-102 :29.8) ... After a 20-second timeout, Ray buries the trey with exactly 24 seconds left in overtime. Garnett then immediately fouls Lebron to put him at the line (as the crowd starts an "MVP! MVP!" chant), where he makes both free throws
(98-104 :23.4).
Boston uses their final timeout, and when play resumes Posey inbounds the ball to Pierce. He finds Allen behind the arc, but his three-point attempt is wide of the mark, and Newble grabs the rebound. KG again gives the foul, so it's back to the line for two more free throws
(98-106 :16.5) ... Pierce and Posey both add treys in the closing moments, but it's too little too late, as the Celts fall for only the second time this season, 104 to 109.
FINAL SCORE: Boston 104, Cleveland 109 (OT)
GAME RATING:
10
PULLING A WIGGUM
:
- R. Allen: 49 MIN, 29 PTS (10-25 FG, 5-12 3PTers), 7 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL
- Garnett: 43 MIN, 19 PTS (8-14 FG), 5 REB, 5 AST, 3 BLK
- Pierce: 44 MIN, 16 PTS (5-15 FG, 1-6 3PTers), 6 REB, 5 AST, 4 TO
- Perkins: 31 MIN, 11 PTS (3-6 FG), 5 REB, 3 BLK, 2 STL
- Posey: 20 MIN, 11 PTS (4-8 FG, 3-5 3PTers), 6 REB, 1 STL
CLEVELAND TOP PERFORMERS:
- James: 45 MIN, 38 PTS (11-25 FG, 2-8 3PTers), 13 AST, 4 REB, 2 STL, 2 BLK
- Gooden: 42 MIN, 24 PTS (11-15 FG), 13 REB
- Ilgauskas: 44 MIN, 15 PTS (6-9 FG), 14 REB, 5 AST, 4 BLK
- Pavlovic: 44 MIN, 16 PTS (6-13 FG), 5 REB, 3 AST, 3 STL
TONIGHT'S COG (CELT OF THE GAME):
Ray AllenPOST-GAME NOTES:- It was another night where Boston let an opponent shoot nearly 50 percent from the floor (38-79 FG) ... The C's, meanwhile, were shooting at 43 percent themselves (37-86 FG)
- Last time the Celtics won a game in Cleveland was December of '04 (yikes).
- Rondo had a tough shooting night (3 PTS, 1-9 FG), but did lead the team in assists (6 AST, 0 TO) and was tied for the lead in rebounds (7 REB).
- "Big Baby" was tonight's Tommy Award winner.
- To fill up a roster spot in the absence of T-Allen, the Celts recalled Just Pruitt from the Developmental League, where he played two games for the Utah Flash ... including a 31 point effort (12-23 FG) against the Anaheim Arsenal (nba.com) on Saturday in which he hit the game-winning shot.
