December 27, 2007
10:30 PM EST (TNT)
Key Arena (Seattle, WA)
Announcers: Kevin Harlan-Quinn and Doug Collins All Cars ; Evil Ernie Johnson, Omygod You Killed Kenny Smith and Barkley Worse Than His Bite (in-studio) ; David Aldridge Too Far (sideline reporter)
Celtics Starting Lineup: Rayden, I've Got a Rajon Rondo, Perk'd Off, Kevvy G, Da Troof
Sonics Starting Lineup: Damien "Thorn" Wilkins, Earl drwatson.exe, Chris "Suck My" Wilcox, Kurt "The Ones We Love" Thomas, Kevin Duranting and Raving
If I would have told you last season that tonight's matchup against the Sonics would be a historically relevant game, you probably wouldn't have believed me ... However, look at the facts:
- This might be the last time the Celtics play a game in Seattle (since the team's current owners seem hellbent on moving the franchise to Oklahoma City)
- This will be the C's first opportunity to see Kevin Durant (one of the players that they were supposed to wind up with had the ping pong balls bounced in their favor) live and in person
- Last but not least, this will be Ray Allen's return to the place he called home for four and a half years of his career, where I'm sure he will receive a hero's welcome.
FIRST QUARTER
The first part of tonight's TNT double-header ran a bit long (Cleveland defeated Dallas 88-81), so we join the first quarter already in progress ... Luckily, it's at the 10:25 mark, and no one has scored yet.
However, that quickly changes, as Allen makes a behind-the-back pass to KG, who pulls up and knocks down the 18-foot jumper over Durant (2-0 9:58).
Watson answers with the basket, then Ray tries to work the baseline around Wilkins, but has his shot blocked by Wilcox. Perk is able to recover the loose ball, though, and finishes with the two-hand slam (4-2 8:57).
Wilkins then misses, and Perk grabs the rebound. He passes to Rondo, who makes his way up the floor, and gives the ball to Garnett. Not missing a step, KG gives it right back to Rajon as he's slicing down the lane for the layup attempt; that misses, but he gets his own rebound and kicks it out to Pierce, who wants to take the three-point shot but is covered by Durant. Instead, he drives to the basket and (with the rookie still on him) kicks it out to a wide-open Garnett for the jumper (6-2 8:25).
At the other end, Durant misses the three-point attempt, and KG pulls down the rebound. He again passes to Rondo, who takes it back the other way, then finds the trailer Garnett and he pulls up for another 18-footer that finds the bottom of the net (8-2 7:47).
It's a five-point Celtics lead, when Watson misses the three-point shot with 5:35 on the clock (Seattle's just 3-for-10 from the floor); Rajon gets the rebound and makes an outlet pass to Pierce, who tries to score over Durant but comes up short on the layup attempt (ouch) ... Boston's now just shooting 29 percent (4-14 FG), with Paul missing his first four shots, as the Sonics regain possession and Durant winds up being covered the Garnett. Without fear, the younger Kevin pulls up over the older Kevin and nails the jumpshot (11-8 4:51).
Both teams are off to a slow start, although KG does hit the turnaround "jay" over Thomas to get the lead back up to five (that gives him nine points on 4-for-6 shooting). Wilkins then scores, but Allen quickly answers with the layup off a nice pass from Garnett (15-10 4:02). Durant and Pierce trade baskets, then Thomas makes a nice pass inside to Watson for the easy score (17-14 2:44).
Pierce knocks down the three-pointer (5 PTS, 2-6 FG), then Watson tries to pass inside to Durant, but Ray slaps the ball out of bounds with 2:08 remaining in the quarter. KG takes a seat at this point (Scotty 2 Hotty comes in to replace him), while old friend Wally Szczerberus makes his first appearance of the night ... However, on Wally's first possession he mishandles the pass from Watson and fumbles the ball right into the first row (d'oh!).
Boston regains possession, and Pierce fakes another three-point attempt to get Durant up in the air ... The rookie bites on it, so Paul drives to the basket while the rest of Durant's teammates try to make up for his error and collapse around The Truth. Undeterred, Pierce gets the ball to Perkins, who scores over Nick Collinson-Farrell with the hook shot (22-14 1:46).
Wally then misses the outside shot, but Collinson grabs the offensive board and finishes with the two-hand slam (22-16 1:31). Not to be outdone, Allen drives past Wally and goes right down the lane for the layup (24-16 1:13); he's been quiet thus far in his return (4 PTS, 2-5 FG).
Ex-Celtics draft pick jeffgreen.co.uk comes into the game during the final minute, while Szczerbiak steps out of bounds trying to get a three-point shot off (not a good start to the night for ol' Wally). That's Seattle's fifth turnover, as the Celts regain possession ... However, Pierce can't score on the finger roll, and Perkins tips the loose rebound out of bounds.
The Sonics gets another shot with 42 seconds left in the quarter (while good buddy Del Monte West comes into the game for Watson) ... He makes the nice pass to Collison, and he misses the outside jumpshot, but Durant takes the offensive rebound. He tries to go back up for the quick shot, but Perk is right there to block that stuff out of bounds!
That leaves 23.5 seconds left in the quarter (with 22 ticks on the shot clock), so the Sonics can go for (close to) the final shot ... Parker Posey comes in to replace Kendrick, while Delonte dribbles down the clock with Rajon covering him; he's almost able to come up with the steal, but West recovers and throws up a deep three-point attempt as the buzzer sounds. Miraculously, it goes in (24-19 :02.1)!
Posey can't get a shot off in the final seconds, as Delonte's final heave gets his new team within five points (24-19) of his old team ...
SECOND QUARTER
The Celts start the quarter with Hugh Laurie, Posey, Pollard, Pierce, and Allan Tony ... Meanwhile, Wally misses another shot and House grabs the rebound. He dribbles up the floor, then takes the pick from Pollard (taking Delonte out of the picture) and pulls up for the deep jumper (26-19 11:32).
Green scores, then Tony drives to the basket and draws the foul on Mickael "Ring My" Gelabale, which puts him at the line for two free throws (28-21 11:00).
Green then tries to score again, but frontrims the shot and Allen comes away with the rebound. He takes it upcourt himself, then passes inside to Pierce, and he's hit from behind by Collinson. That earns him a trip to the charity stripe, and two more foul shots gives Boston the nine-point edge (30-21 10:31).
Wally's finally able to make a shot (Seattle is 11-for-25 from the field), while at the other end Pierce misses the pullup jumpshot over Green (Boston is now 11-for-24) and Delonte collects the rebound. He heads back the other way, and finds Wally for the deep jumper (his foot was on the line) to get his team back within five (30-25 9:46).
Two more free throws by Pierce get that up to seven, then West draws the foul on House and makes two of his own (32-27 8:57); those are the Sonics' first free-throw attempts, which pales in comparison to the Celtics' totals (9-12 FT). Somewhere, Tommy is smiling ...
During those free throws, Paul takes a seat (as Ray comes back into the game) ... Meanwhile, the former Sonic misses a three-point attempt, and Wally grabs the rebound. He makes the outlet pass to Delonte, who takes it strong to the hoop and draws another foul on House.
Now Garnett's back out on the floor (Pollard takes a seat), as West steps to the line and makes both free throws (32-29 8:02) ... Now the home team's starting to heat up, as Wally knocks down the three-pointer to tie the score at 32 apiece with 7:30 remaining in the half. Posey answers with a trey of his own (that's Boston's first field goal in the last 4:20!), then Tony fouls Green from behind, sending him to the line where he makes one-of-two free throws (35-33 6:32).
Garnett and Johan Petro Where the Pets Go! trade baskets, then Rondo (back into the game for House) finds Posey in the corner ... He airballs the three-point attempt (!) and Gelabale grabs the rebound. He passes up the floor to Delonte, and he spins around Posey before taking it right at Allen for the layup (37-all 5:26)!
West and Szczerbiak have now combined for 16 of Seattle's 23 bench points (Boston's bench thus far has only contributed seven points) ... Meanwhile, Ray has his shot blocked by Gelabale - another bench player - for the Celtics' first turnover of the night; Delonte collects the loose ball, taking it coast to coast and going in for another layup attempt. However, KG comes onto the scene and rejects that shot!
Now Rondo has control of the loose ball, as he heads back the other way and finds Allen open behind the three-point line; he pulls up and drains the shot (which gets a couple cheers from the crowd) to put the C's back ahead (40-37 4:27).
At the other end, Gelabale tries to score on the layup, but KG comes up with another block (!) and the ball ends up going off Mickael's knee and out of bounds! Boston regains possession, as Garnett winds up being double-teamed in the paint, so he passes inside to Perkins for the layup while being fouled by Green (42-37 3:53) ... however, he misses the free throw (nuts).
Kurt Thomas returns to the game, while Wally knocks down another jumper to bring the Sonics within three. Ray then misses the shot, and Thomas hauls down the carom; he gives the ball to Delonte, who again pushes it up the floor, and draws the foul on Rondo. Boston is over the limit, so West gets two free throws to get Seattle within one (42-41 3:01).
After a Celtics timeout, Pierce is fouled and makes two free throws of his own ... At the other end, Durant misses the shot over Ray, and Perkins grabs the rebound. He gets the ball upcourt to Rondo, who then passes to Pierce; he tries to back down Wally and winds up missing the shot, however Perkins is able to pick off the offensive board. He tries to go back up and lay it in, but Wilcox blocks him from behind as the shot clock expires!
That gives the Sonics another opportunity to inch closer, however Rondo puts a halt to that as he strips Delonte of the ball (nice); he passes up ahead to KG, who goes in for the layup but West - hustling to try and catch him - ends up fouling him from behind. Garnett hits the floor hard (replays also show that Delonte got him in the back of the head with his forearm), though he's able to get back up and makes one-of-two free throws (45-41 2:01).
Durant then misses another shot (he's now 3-of-10 for six points) and Pierce comes away with the rebound. He passes upcourt to Rondo, and he finds KG for the turnaround jumper over Thomas (47-41 1:37) ... watch out, you've made him mad now!
Wally hits a three-pointer with 42.5 seconds left (he's been an offensive force in the second quarter with 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting), then Garnett misses the shot and Delonte takes down the rebound. He motors up the floor for the 2-on-2 fast break, where he gets the ball to Durant, who eludes Rajon and finishes with the strong one-handed slam (47-46 :23.3)! West hasn't been too shabby himself, as that gives him six assists in the quarter (to go with eight points).
The crowd comes alive after that one, as Glenn Rivers M.D. calls for time ... When play resumes, House misses a three-point attempt; Garnett grabs the offensive board, but can't score as the buzzer sounds, leaving the Celtics' lead at just one (47-46) at halftime.
The Celts are shooting just 36 percent from the field (16-45 FG), and aren't getting full production from the "Not Big Three" ... Garnett is certainly pulling his weight (14 PTS, 6-12 FG, 7 REB), but not so much from Pierce (11 PTS, 2-11 FG) and Allen (7 PTS, 3-9 FG).
THIRD QUARTER
At the start of the quarter, KG backrims the jumper (Boston has now missed 10 of their last 11 shots!), and Wilkins grabs the rebound. He passes up ahead to Durant, who finds Wilcox at the top of the key; Garnett is covering him, but he just explodes right past him and finishes with the one-hand slam (47-48 10:45)! Whoa, how did that happen?
KG then shoots up an airball (!) and Wilcox controls the rebound, as the Sonics have a chance to build on their newfound lead ... However, Wilcox can't capitalize, as he misses the layup attempt and then tips the loose rebound out of bounds. Boston regains possession, and Pierce is left open for the three-pointer (50-48 9:47).
Durant answers with a trey of his own (yikes), then Rondo misses the pullup jumpshot over Wilkins and Thomas controls the rebound. He passes to Watson, who quickly takes it up the floor, then gives the ball back to Kurt standing at the free-throw line. He pulls up for the shot, but it clanks off the rim and Allen grabs the 'bound.
Now the C's have a chance to build some momentum, as Garnett drives down the lane and collides with Thomas while scoring the layup ... The refs eventually call Kurt for the foul (whew, that could've gone either way), so KG makes the free throw to complete the three-point play (53-51 8:43).
However, two foul shots by Durant tie the score at 53 apiece. Garnett then tries to pass the ball inside to Perkins, but Watson slaps it out of his hands; Thomas picks it up, and makes the outlet pass to Durant. Rather than making a move to the basket, though, he pulls up and misses a three-point shot ... KG secures the rebound and gives the ball to Rondo, who takes it back the other way and finds Ray open in the corner; he pulls up and buries the trey (56-53 7:31)!
Announcer Kevin Harlan wonders if that shot might be a "momentum changer" ... Sure enough, Wilkins misses and Garnett gets himself another rebound. He finds Allen up the floor, who tries to drive to the basket but has his shot blocked by Thomas out of bounds. That means it's still Celtics' ball with 12 seconds left on the shot clock, so Pierce inbounds to Perkins, and he swings the ball out to Rondo. He gives it back to Paul, who has Durant on him; Garnett sets a pick to get the rookie off Paul's back, and he responds by draining a three-pointer of his own (59-53 6:52).
Seattle needs a timeout, and when play resumes coach PJ Carlesimo-Says sticks with his starters (Delonte and Wally remain on the bench) ... Not sure if that's a wise move, but Durant is able to bury the outside shot (59-55 6:24) as the Sonics are now 3-for-11 shooting in the quarter.
At the other end, Pierce misses the shot, but KG grabs the offensive board and is fouled by Thomas trying to score on the putback. He steps to the line, and makes one-of-two free throws (60-55 6:03).
It's a six-point lead with 3:30 remaining, when Watson misses the jumpshot and Posey (just into the game for Perk) takes down the rebound; he makes the fullcourt pass to Rondo, who passes inside to Garnett where he's covered by Thomas. He tries to back down Kurt, but coughs up the ball (Collins: "Garnett's a little fatigued right now") and Durant picks it up for the turnover.
He dribbles the length of the floor before exploding past Pierce and going in for the layup ... Not only that, but Posey reaches in and commits the foul, so Kevin steps to the line and makes the free throw to complete the three-point play (65-62 2:58).
West and Szczerbiak come into the game at this point (while Garnett takes a seat in favor of Pollard), while Scotty is called for the offensive foul setting a screen on Collinson. Seattle regains possession, and Delonte sends an alleyoop pass inside to Wilcox, where he's fouled by Pollard; he makes one-of-two from the line to get the Sonics within a bucket (65-63 2:37).
Pierce fixes that with the three-pointer (he now has 11 points in the quarter), then Durant steps out of bounds for the costly Seattle turnover ... Celts regain possession, and Paul takes it right at Durant as Kevin hits the deck (rookie don't get foul calls against multiple-time All Stars) and Pierce finishes with the layup (70-63 1:46)!
Durant answers with the basket off a nice pass from Delonte, while at the other end Pierce misses the 18-footer and Wally grabs the rebound. He gives the ball to West, who takes it up the floor before passing back to Szczerbiak; he's fouled by Rajon, and makes both free throws (70-67 :51.6).
Neither team scores again in the quarter, as the score remains 70 to 67 (Celtics) heading into the final stanza ... Boston still isn't shooting that great (24-66 FG), while Seattle is right behind them (24-59 FG).
FOURTH QUARTER
House and Collinson trade hoops to open the fourth, then Eddie gives an upfake to elude Delonte and drains the deep jumper (foot on the line, damn!) while being fouled by Wally. So, he steps to the line and makes the free throw to complete the three-point play (75-69 10:43).
At the other end, Green is fouled by Pollard underneath the basket, so he earns a spot on the charity stripe, but airballs his first free throw (yikes, that was about six inches to the right of the rim)! That was pretty bad, however he does make the second (75-70 10:35).
Pierce then buries another jumper (26 PTS), but Delonte quickly answers with a basket of his own (77-72 10:05).
Not to be outdone, Paul knocks down another 15-footer (the Celts are 4-for-4 to start the quarter), then Collinson misses the shot and House grabs the rebound. He brings it back the other way, and finds Pierce under the basket; he has his shot blocked by Green, but recovers the ball and makes the crosscourt pass to Tony.
He then drives to the basket, but Green comes up with another rejection (!) as the ball goes out of bounds; it's still Celtics' ball, as House inbounds to Allen with five seconds left on the shot clock. He gives it back to Eddie, and he pulls up over Delonte and knocks down the shot (81-72 9:02)!
Now the C's are starting to pull away, as Pierce hits another jumper with Durant right in his face (that's thirty for Paul!) to give Boston the double-digit lead with 8:25 remaining. West scores, then Pollards sets the screen on Delonte to free up House, and he takes the opportunity to score another long distance shot (85-74 7:46) ... Eddie is now officially on fire, with 11 points in 10 minutes!
Posey adds a three-pointer to get the Celtics' lead up to 14 at the halfway mark of the quarter (that doubles the bench's scoring output from the first half, 14 to 7) ... However, the Sonics counter with an 8-3 run (capped by Delonte's layup) to get back within single digits (94-85 3:22).
The crowd responds by making some noise, in a last-ditch effort to will their team to victory. However, Garnett answers with the jumper over Thomas (the Celts have made 10 of their 16 shots in this quarter) with three minutes remaining ... A free throw by Durant (off the defensive three-second violation against Boston) puts the lead down to ten with 2:48 to go, as Seattle retains possession and Watson knocks down the 15-footer right before the shot clock expires (96-88 2:32).
At the other end, KG tries to work the baseline against Wilcox and draws the foul (Chris gives him a little extra shove after the play is already dead), but Kevin pays him no mind and calmly steps to the line for two free throws (98-88 2:11).
Durant then misses, and Garnett secures the rebound. He passes upcourt to House, who gets the ball inside to Posey, where he's fouled by Thomas (his sixth). So, Kurt has to take a seat, while James makes two free throws of his own to get Boston at the century mark (100-88 1:54).
I think we can just about put this game in the books ... Celts win, 104 to 96.
FINAL SCORE: Boston 104, Seattle 96
GAME RATING:
16
SLAM DUNK
BOSTON TOP PERFORMERS:
- Pierce: 43 MIN, 37 PTS (11-27 FG, 5-7 3PTers, 10-11 FT), 6 REB, 4 AST
- Garnett: 34 MIN, 23 PTS (8-22 FG), 14 REB (6 OFF), 2 STL, 2 BLK
- House: 18 MIN, 13 PTS (5-8 FG), 4 REB
- Durant: 37 MIN, 25 PTS (10-23 FG), 5 REB
- West: 25 MIN, 19 PTS (6-8 FG), 8 AST
- Szczerbiak: 24 MIN, 14 PTS (5-11 FG), 3 REB
POST-GAME NOTES:
- The Sonics shot 46 percent from the floor (37-81 FG), while the Celts were barely at 40 percent (34-86 FG); however, they made up for it at the three-point line, as they knocked down 9 of 19 from beyond the arc.
- Boston also had just four turnovers total in the game (Seattle had 11).
- With this victory, the Celtics have already matched their win total (24) for ALL of last season!
- Even though we didn't get to see it, prior to the game the Sonics held a nice ceremony where Allen was presented with a plaque to honor his years of community service as a member of the club ... Classy move.
- However, Ray's performance against his former team was nothing to write home about (38 MIN, 10 PTS, 4-13 FG).
- Comcast SportsNet was supposed to air a postgame show, but it (apparently) never made it to air, so there was no Tommy Award winner.
- Speaking of postgame shows, over on TNT Charles Barkley made the following statement after the Boston win: "If [the Celtics] win 72 games, I'll walk from [Atlanta] to Phoenix ... in a speedo!" His colleagues were actually able to talk him down to 67 wins, and if he loses that bet then Charles will walk from the "Inside the NBA" studios to his hotel room wearing speedos while holding a martini. Yikes.
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