Balanced Attack Helps Celtics Win 11th Straight Game

By KC Downey in Celtics, Featured ⋅ December 15, 2009 at 8:27am ⋅ Post a comment

Ray Allen (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

Six Celtics scored in double figures on Monday night. Six Grizzlies also scored in double figures. The Celtics shot over 50% from the field. So did the Grizzlies. Memphis even shot better than the Green from the line (90.9% – 76.2%). So, how did the Celtics come away with their 11th straight win, in a 110-105 final? Three reasons.

That’s three-pointers of course, as the Celtics went 10-20 from beyond the arc, and can thank a late Ray Allen three with his team clinging to a two-point lead with seconds left on the shot clock. The Grizz, meanwhile, went a putrid 1-13 (7.7%) from long distance.

“We improvised a little bit,” Allen said of gathering up the ball with about 4 seconds left on the shot clock. “Then I looked up [at the basket] and it was like 3 [seconds], and I said: ‘This has got to go up.’ That’s one of those things where when you are aware of the clock, you know what kind of shot you’ve got to get up.”

Paul Pierce led the team with 19 points, while Rajon Rondo (9 assists) and Ray Allen each finished with 18 points. Allen finished a prolific 5-6 from beyond the arc, which proved to be the difference in the game.

Rudy Gay led the way for the Grizzlies with 23 points, but he also finished 0-5 from three-point land. O.J. Mayo pitched in 21 points, while Zach Randolph added 20 points and five rebounds.

Game Notes

The Celtics improved to an NBA-best 12-1 on the road.
Rasheed Wallace filled the statsheet off the bench for the Celtics, going for 15 points, four rebounds, one steal, and two blocked shots.
No. 2 pick Hasheem Thabeet finished with a career-high eight rebounds and four blocks off the bench for the Grizz.
The Celtics go for their 12th straight win on Friday against the 76ers.