Sports of Boston » Semih Erden

Celtics Send Erden, Harangody to Cleveland For Draft Consideration

John — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 21:19:58 +0000

After trading Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to Oklahoma, Boston made a deadline deal with the Cavaliers, trading Semih Erden and Luke Harangody for a 2nd Round draft pick.

Erden hasn’t played much in a month with his injury problems, so trading him, as much promise as he showed this season, clears up space on the roster that isn’t being wasted. Harangody was pretty much just there for huge point differentials in order to not risk the health of the starters. Although you’d hope for more than just a 2nd Rounder for the two, something is better than nothing.

Cleveland is just desperate for bodies, so they were willing to invest in some. Boston needs healthy bodies, so getting a draft pick allows them to get youth on an otherwise mostly old team. Youth usually brings durability, so this deal was another good move for Boston. Plus, with three roster spaces open and more cash available after selling off Marquis Daniels, Boston now has room to look elsewhere for a free agent big man to help the newly acquired Nenad Krstic at center until the O’Neals get back.

Celtics Power Past Warriors Out West

John — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:07:49 +0000

The Celtics had lost six games in a row in Oakland. They were injured quite badly. And at times, it looked like the streak would become seven. But not to be deterred, the Celtics exploded in the second half to defeat the Golden State Warriors 115-93. Delonte West and Semih Erden returned, but Kendrick Perkins left just 1:29 into the second half after hitting his non-surgically repaired knee against Stephen Curry; Perk did not return, so keep an eye on him.

The game started innocuously enough; even though Paul Pierce started things off with a bad pass turnover, Rajon Rondo scored the first bucket. Boston didn’t waste much time in opening a 19-10 lead, either. The Warriors then stabilized themselves, and traded layups, jumpers and free throws with the Celtics. After 54 seconds of scoreless action, including two unproductive offensive boards from the Warriors, Boston preserved their nine-point lead with 1:25 to go in the quarter. However, the Warriors went on a huge tear, and scoring eight straight to end the quarter and cut Boston’s lead to 31-30.

Golden State completed the tear to take their first lead 13 seconds into the next quarter. Boston recovered enough to retake a three-point lead shortly thereafter, but after some back-and-forth, Golden State resumed their rush over the weary Celtics. With 4:27 left, Boston trailed 52-45, their largest deficit of the night. But that was all Boston was willing to put up with on the night/morning. Except for a defensive three seconds free throw, Boston scored the next nine points to take the lead 54-53. Golden State tried to reassert themselves, but after Kevin Garnett hit a couple from the charity stripe with .9 seconds left, Boston tied the game at 60 at the half.

Although the offense for Boston remained consistent, the defense cut Golden state from 60 to 33 points when comparing halves. The Warriors’ scoring was few and far between. Boston went up by two. Then four. Then eight. Then after 2:48 of scoreless Celtics time, and another 1:22 and 1:26 of such time, Rondo’s three gave the Celtics a 10-point lead, 88-78, with 1.0 seconds left in the 3rd.

Golden State cut the lead to four points; Boston didn’t score for the first 2:46 of the 4th quarter. But Boston took the opportunity to really ratchet up the pressure when Golden State didn’t score between the 9:05 and 4:58 marks. By that point, the Warriors “cut” the lead to 12. Boston led 110-90 with 2:25 left. And just for the sake of putting the cherry on top, Avery Bradley hit a jump shot with 20.7 seconds left (and Luke Harangody got a rebound with 12.9 left) to give Boston their biggest lead of the game.

C’s Stud of the Game: Kevin Garnett

It’s a tough call against Rondo, who was four rebounds away from a triple-double, but he also turned the ball over five times to Garnett’s one. Garnett also threw in two blocks and was himself four assists away from the triple-double.

C’s Dud of the Game: Semih Erden and Delonte West

In a combined 29:35, the two returning Leprechauns scored zero points on 0/5 from the field (0/2 from beyond the arc). Not much happened with them.

Game Notes:

Scoring Leaders: Kevin Garnett (BOS 24), Paul Pierce (BOS 23), Dorell Wright (GSW 19), Rajon Rondo (BOS 19)
Field Goal Leaders: Kevin Garnett (BOS 11/16), Rajon Rondo (BOS 9/12), Paul Pierce (BOS 9/13)
Three Point Leaders: Paul Pierce (BOS 3/5), Dorell Wright (GSW 2/5), Ray Allen (BOS 2/5)
Free Throw Leaders: David Lee (GSW 7/7), Ekpe Udoh (GSW 4/4), Acie Law (GSW 3/5), Stephen Curry (GSW 3/5)
Rebound Leaders: Kevin Garnett (BOS 12), Glen Davis (BOS 10), Kendrick Perkins (BOS 7)
Assist Leaders: Rajon Rondo (BOS 15), Kevin Garnett (BOS 6), Acie Law (GSW 5), Paul Pierce (BOS 5)
Steal Leaders: Andris Biedrins (GSW 3), Glen Davis (BOS 3), four others with two
Block Leaders: Ekpe Udoh (GSW 3), Vladimir Radmanovic (GSW 2), Kevin Garnett (BOS 2)
Foul-outs: none
Technical Fouls:David Lee (GSW, 9:36 left in 1st), Kendrick Perkins (BOS, 9:36 left in 1st)
Turnovers: BOS 18, GSW 11

Wizards Defeat Celtics in Washington

John — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 03:46:08 +0000

I don’t like it any more than you do. With both O’Neals, Shaq and Jermaine, out with knee troubles, the Celtics needed to come out strong. They did the opposite, and due to a hungry John Wall and Co, their own complacency and a few bad calls here and there, the Celtics lost to the Wizards 85-83. That’s not what you want from a team that quickly jumped out to a 16-point lead. Or from a team that beat these same Wizards (albeit without Wall) by 31 points earlier in the season.

Boston was already up 24-11 when Glen Davis took his 43rd charge of the season, to extend his NBA lead. With multiple 16-point leads in the quarter, Boston ended the 1st up 35-20, and looked well on their way to a victory. But not so fast…

Washington was inching a little closer in the 2nd when, with 6:50 left in the half, Paul Pierce was called for a 5-second violation. For those of you who don’t know about that particular type of violation (and you shouldn’t), you can’t dribble with your back to the hoop for five seconds in a row. Ray Allen even missed a technical free throw 52 seconds later, which is always a bad sign for the Celtics.

With Washington slowly but surely progressing, Kevin Garnett stole the ball from Rashard Lewis with 2:07 left, but Glen Davis missed a shot after 19 seconds. Boston managed to keep the lead at 10 heading into the half, but you could tell Boston was starting to crack.

Washington got the lead to six before Ray Allen’s three put Boston up 63-54. Glen Davis helped out by taking yet another charge, but was called for blocking in a blatant blown call with 7:23 left in the quarter. Washington cut the lead all the way to 63-62 before Kevin Garnett gave Boston its first points in 3:48 with a jumper. Boston re-opened a six-point lead, but Washington tied it at 70 with 26.9 seconds left; the last tie was 2-2. Boston did sneak in a bucket before the quarter’s end, but still.

Boston led 77-76 following John Wall’s jump shot with 8:42 remaining in the game, and for the longest time, neither team could buy even a point. For 3:53, both sides kept missing shot after shot until Davis was called for a shooting foul on Washington’s alley oop attempt. The problem was that Davis’ foul was clearly on the catch; no shooting motion or attempt whatsoever occurred. Javale McGee made one of two to keep Washington not ahead.

Then, with 2:35 remaining, Wall gave Washington its first lead of the night, 81-79. He also banked in a three with 57.7 seconds left to put Washington up 84-81. Boston got within one, and then Rajon Rondo stole the ball with 18.8 seconds left, allowing Boston to attempt the last shot of the game, the potential game-winner. Pierce missed it with 1.7 seconds left, and by the time the timeout-less Celtics were able to foul (.4 seconds left), it was much too late.

C’s Stud of the Game: Hard to Say…

Several Celtics had one good stat each, but nobody did anything special to stand out.

C’s Dud of the Game: Everyone

When the Celtics get an opponent they should beat easily, they always seem to phone it in. It always makes the game close, and makes the Celtics lose from time to time.

Tommy Talk:

“Yi went, ‘Yo!’” – Tommy Heinsohn, after Garnett ran past Yi Jianlian for an alley oop with 58.9 seconds left in the 2nd.

Game Notes:

Scoring Leaders: Rashard Lewis (WAS 18), Kevin Garnett (BOS 17), three others with 16
Field Goal Leaders: John Wall (WAS 7/12), Rashard Lewis (WAS 7/13), Kevin Garnett (BOS 7/13)
Three Point Leaders: Paul Pierce (BOS 2/4), Ray Allen (BOS 2/8), John Wall (WAS 1/1)
Free Throw Leaders: Rashard Lewis (WAS 4/4), JaVale McGee (WAS 4/5), Nick Young (WAS 4/5)
Rebound Leaders: Semih Erden (BOS 11), Rashard Lewis (WAS 11), Paul Pierce (BOS 8,)
Assist Leaders: Rajon Rondo (BOS 9), Mustafa Shakur (WAS 5), John Wall (WAS 4)
Steal Leaders: Rajon Rondo (BOS 2), seven others with one
Block Leaders: JaVale McGee (WAS 3), Mustafa Shakur (WAS 2), four others with one
Foul-outs: none
Technical Fouls: Andray Blatche (WAS, 5:58 left in 2nd)
Turnovers: BOS 12, WAS 12

What’s Going on With Boston’s Big Men?

Nicholas Moore — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 16:14:21 +0000

A lot of news is popping up recently about the Celtics frontcourt. Guys are all over the map as far as health, and it seems that for the entire season so far, the Celtics haven’t quite cemented a definite frontcourt rotation. With Jermaine O’Neal leaning towards knee surgery that could sideline him for 2-3 months, the Celtics need their forwards and centers healthy now more than ever. Here’s a couple of possible situations that the Celtics will be dealing with over the remainder of the season.

Jermaine O’Neal Will Not Factor into the Rest of the Season

He isn’t getting any younger, and this latest injury, whether he has surgery or not, pretty much means the end of any major production from J.O. He’s got a history of being injured a lot, but for small amounts of time. This knee problem probably isn’t going to go away, and he’ll have to deal with it one way or another. Two or three months brings us up towards the end of the season if he opts for surgery….what’s the point in easing him back in to the rotation during the playoffs?

The Celtics Defense Will Improve

Even with Jermaine O’Neal out indefinitely, Kevin Garnett is slated to return as soon as Monday, with Kendrick Perkins’ return on the near horizon. The Celtics defense is already statistically one of the best, but with Kevin Garnett averaging over nine rebounds a game before his injury, and Perk being one of the best defenders at his position in the league, I think the Celtics’ defense will see a spark in the very near future.

Semih Erden Will See More Minutes (for the Time Being, Anyway)

Is Semih Erden an awesome player? Not really. But he’s got the game’s fundamental’s down, and has used the time he’s been given well for what he is, a project player. Although not a guarentee, until both KG and Perk are back in the lineup, there’s no reason for Doc Rivers not to give him more short-term playing time. The Celts need it just as much as Erden does right now.

The Return of Rasheed Wallace?

Rumors are already circulating that ‘Sheed wants back in the Celtics’ rotation. This is a pretty unlikely situation. The Celtics already have their roster maxed out, which means they’d have to essentially give up something to get him. And the logic of replacing an aged, injured big man with a retired, injury-prone big man is, well, stupid.

All in all, I think we’re heading in the right direction, as long as Garnett and Perkins can retain their health. I’m expecting better production with some healthy players, although O’Neal’s presence will be missed. It remains to be seen how efficient Garnett and Perkins are right out of the gate, but all of these changes will definitely make for an exciting remainder of the season.

Celtics Survive Bobcats in Boston

John — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 14:52:08 +0000

With Kevin Garnett out and Michael Jackson’s brother Jermaine (O’Neal) out as well, the rest of the team needed to step up. And they stepped up enough to beat the Bobcats 99-94. Things started as a slug-fest; Boston could only managed a four-point lead early, but Charlotte kept it close. Some clutch shooting, including three pointers, put Boston up 18-12, but Charlotte eased their way back into a 22-22 tie. On Semih Erden’s third foul of the 1st quarter, Charlotte took the lead for the first time, but Boston tied it at 24 at the end of the frame.

It didn’t take Charlotte long to build a five-point lead (their biggest of the night), but it didn’t last too long. Just as Charlotte did earlier, Boston fought their way back into a tie, at 34. Neither team led by more than two for the rest of the half; they traded buckets, and like Rafa and Federer, forced their way to another deuce, tied at 42 at the half.

Then Boston got things going. They built a couple of five-point leads of their own, and stretched it to eight on Paul Pierce’s three. Charlotte knocked it all the way back down to one, 62-61, but then they committed a cardinal sin by fouling Nate Robinson when shooting a three. Krytonate made all three charity shots to put the lead back at four. In the middle of a battle of free throws, Marquis Daniels hit a layup to help keep the lead past a bucket, 69-66, heading into the final quarter.

Shaq started off the next quarter with a +1. I don’t know why people keep committing lane violations against him, but Shaq hit the second chance to push the lead to six. Thanks to a couple of threes from Ray Allen, and even one from Rajon Rondo, Boston took a double-digit lead 87-76. Boston even took a 12-point lead 1:09 to go, which was fortunately not enough time left, because Charlotte went on a mini-run. They hit a three with 1:00 to go, but didn’t foul, assuming the game was already over. Two free throws and a three later (sandwiching 1/2 at the line by Rondo), and Charlotte was within five with 15.8 seconds to go. But they were fortunately willing to wave the white flag at that point and let Boston walk away with the win.

C’s Stud of the Game: Shaquille O’Neal

It’s tempting to give it to Rondo (who was four rebounds away from a triple-double), but between injuries and foul trouble, the Big Plug played 35:13. A game-high 23 points and five blocks helped out too.

C’s Dud of the Game: Semih Erden

Erden only played 8:24, but aside from the kinda pointless +/- stat (-8), the only figures he racked up were 0/1 from the field and five fouls.

Game Notes:

Scoring Leaders: Shaquille O’Neal (BOS 23), Gerald Wallace (CHA 20), three others with 19
Field Goal Leaders: Shaquille O’Neal (BOS 10/12), Rajon Rondo (BOS 7/11), Paul Pierce (BOS 7/14)
Three Point Leaders: Ray Allen (BOS 4/6), Paul Pierce (BOS 3/7), D.J. Augustin (CHA 2/4)
Free Throw Leaders: Gerald Wallace (CHA 8/10), D.J. Augustin (CHA 7/7), Ray Allen (BOS 5/6)
Rebound Leaders: Tyrus Thomas (CHA 9), Boris Diaw (CHA 8), Kwame Brown (CHA 7)
Assist Leaders: Rajon Rondo (BOS 13), D.J. Augustin (CHA 6), Shaun Livingston (CHA 3), Marquis Daniels (BOS 3)
Steal Leaders: Tyrus Thomas (CHA 2), six others with one
Block Leaders: Shaquille O’Neal (BOS 5), five others with one
Foul-outs: none
Technical Fouls: none
Turnovers: BOS 11, CHA 10

Triple Play: Twelve Three Pointers Helps End Celtics’ Losing Streak

Matt Goisman — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 13:13:30 +0000

For the first half of the game, Paul Pierce was the Celtics’ primary offensive weapon, scoring 21 points to keep Boston ahead of the Sacramento Kings. Pierce didn’t play much in the second half (he finished with 25 points), but he didn’t have to. A 33-18 third quarter built an insurmountable Celtics lead, powering Boston to a 119-95 thrashing of Sacramento that snapped a Celtics two-game losing skid while extending the Kings’ road-losing streak to 12 games. The Celtics shot 52.1 percent, shooting 26 more times than the Kings (96-70) and draining twelve three-pointers.

Starters and Reserves Contribute Equally

As the Celtics built their lead larger and larger, Doc Rivers decided to give his bench players extra minutes and extra opportunities. They did not disappoint him, finishing the game with 56 points, just seven points fewer than the starters. Every reserve Celtic scored, and four reached double digits. Nate Robinson led the way, scoring 10 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter. Robinson also connected for four three pointers, tying Ray Allen (14 points, five rebounds, a steal and a block) for most in the game.

The other three reserves to score in double figures were Marquis Daniels, Semih Erden and Von Wafer. Erden fouled out after 33 minutes of play, a team-high. But Erden’s fouling out was emblematic of his aggressive play, which got him 10 points and nine rebounds, including two offensive boards. In the third quarter, Erden trailed Pierce on a driving layup, which Pierce missed. Erden jumped through defenders to slam it home.

The Incessant from the Fertile Crescent was especially big underneath the basket. After Allen picked off a pass in the second, he passed it to Daniels, who drove into the lane, passing it off at the last second to Erden, who dunked it, putting the Celtics up 37-31.

Pierce also found Erden under the basket for a layup and foul in the first quarter. Erden missed the free-throw, but Luke Harangody grabbed the offensive rebound and found Daniels for the layup, putting the Celtics up 23-19. Harangody had a solid all-around game, scoring two points, grabbing four rebounds and dishing out three assists in 22 minutes. On defense, he stole one pass, blocked one shot and drew two charges.

The starters were led by Pierce and Allen, but Glen Davis also contributed with 12 points and two steals. The Celtics stole the ball 16 times, with every player but Robinson stealing at least once.

The Celtics had no trouble moving the ball around the court on offense. They collected 29 assists on their 50 made shots, winning the assist battle 29-19. They also won the rebounds battle 38-37, most notably by collecting 12 offensive rebounds. The Celtics’ size advantage allowed them to dominate in the paint, where they scored 56 points.

Another Game, Another Rondo Double-Double

Rajon Rondo scored 10 while dishing out 13 assists for his 14th double-double of the season.

Rondo seems far more comfortable passing the ball than shooting it himself, which is fine for an offense that has so many lethal scorers. In the third quarter, Rondo pushed the ball up the court on a fast-break following a Davis steal. Allen trailed him, and Rondo pushed up just enough to give Allen a clear three-point shot, which Allen hit without hesitation. Later on defense, Rondo knocked the ball free, and it rolled to Harangody, who threw a deep pass to Rondo. But instead of scoring an easy layup, Rondo waited several seconds for Daniels to catch up, and Rondo handed it to him for an easy dunk.

Although Rondo passed up that easy bucket, he was otherwise unafraid to take shots. When Shaquille O’Neal drew double-coverage from the post in the third, Rondo cut underneath the basket for the quick pass and easy bucket. When the Kings defense started playing off him in the third, he drained an 18-foot jumper without a second thought. And when time was winding down in the second quarter, he banked a shot high off the backboard for a driving layup with 0.6 seconds left in the game, getting to the line in the process.

When the Celtics are clicking, Rondo doesn’t have to score. They can score from anywhere on the court using their other four starters. O’Neal can body up underneath the basket, backing down opposing centers for close-range layups or dunks. Boston’s power forwards can either post up or shoot the mid-range jumper. Pierce can slash through the lanes, drawing contact and getting to the line even when he doesn’t score. And Allen is either hovering in the corners, or constantly moving without the ball until he can, where he is absolutely deadly. He will finish this season with the most three-pointers in NBA history, needing just 35 to break Reggie Miller’s record of 2,560.

As long as the Celtics continue to be able to shoot from all over the court, they won’t need Rondo to do anything but find the open man. Which is what he does best.

2nd Half Leads Celtics Past Hawks

John — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 15:05:15 +0000

In beating the Atlanta Hawks 102-90, the Celtics originally looked like they might have a tough time of things. Rajon Rondo is out indefinitely (a couple of weeks, probably) with a sprained ankle, and Shaq was still a cautious scratch. Boston only was 8/11 on free throws, to Atlanta’s 19/24. Though Boston began their 12-game winning streak in Atlanta, on November 22, 99-76, the Hawks kept them honest early on at the TD Garden. In fact, no team led by more than three points in the 1st quarter. In fact, the exciting part of the quarter was when Al Horford was called for a technical foul. He racked up a loose ball foul on Kevin Garnett, then the little guy Nate Robinson stuck up for K-Gar. Horford’s jawing got him the T.

The Hawks stretched things out to a seven-point (33-26) lead in the 2nd after Boston’s mini defensive lapse, though Glen Davis alone brought Boston back to within two (36-34), though Davis’ Flagrant 1 call and Robinson’s bad pass pushed the lead back to seven (41-34). The score was 43-38 before a 2:29 stretch without any scoring for either side. In that last 1:27 of the quarter, Boston scored the last six to lead 44-43 at the half.

Boston open up a six-point lead (53-47) in the 3rd (after some back-and-forth and a Mike Bibby technical) before Atlanta tied the game at 53. Boston opened up an eight-point lead (64-56) later on thanks to some good stops before Atlanta started another back-and-forth. Boston opened up a couple of 10-point leads before Atlanta scored the quarter’s last two buckets to cut the Celtics’ lead to 75-69 going into the final 12 minutes.

Atlanta cut the lead to two (77-75) before Boston opened it back up to nine (84-75). Atlanta tried to use free throws to get back into the game, but Boston pushed their lead to 91-80. Ray Allen’s three gave the Celtics as much as a 14-point lead (100-86) before the game settled down to it’s final score.

C’s Stud of the Game: Kevin Garnett

14 boards and 17 points in 31:54? Three assists and two steals for good measure? Garnett was a huge help, and pretty accurate from the field (8/10).

C’s Dud of the Game: Avery Bradley

In 4:29, Bradley did not attempt a shot; he did get a steal, but racked up a foul and a turnover to go with it.

Game Notes:

Scoring Leaders: Marvin Williams (ATL 26), Jeff Teague (ATL 18), Glen Davis (BOS 18), Ray Allen (BOS 18)
Field Goal Leaders: Marvin Williams (ATL 9/15), Kevin Garnett (BOS 8/10), Jeff Teague (ATL 8/11), Glen Davis (BOS 8/15)
Three Point Leaders: Paul Pierce (BOS 2/5), Ray Allen (BOS 2/6), Nate Robinson (BOS 2/7)
Free Throw Leaders: Marvin Williams (ATL 7/9), Zaza Pachulia (ATL 6/6), Damien Wilkins (ATL 3/4), Paul Pierce (BOS 3/4)
Rebound Leaders: Kevin Garnett (BOS 14), Glen Davis (BOS 10), Al Horford (ATL 7)
Assist Leaders: Paul Pierce (BOS 10), Mike Bibby (ATL 8), Ray Allen (BOS 6)
Steal Leaders: Ray Allen (BOS 4), Jeff Teague (ATL 3), Nate Robinson (BOS 3)
Block Leaders: Semih Erden (BOS 1), Al Horford (ATL 1), Marvin Williams (ATL 1)
Foul-outs: none
Technical Fouls: Al Horford (ATL, 4:25 left in 1st), Glen Davis (BOS, Flagrant 1, 5:43 left in 2nd), Mike Bibby (ATL, 9:31 left in 3rd)
Turnovers: ATL 18, BOS 12

Celtics Skin Bobcats on Road

John — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 03:22:40 +0000

It wasn’t a pretty game, but mostly for the Bobcats, who lost to the Boston Celtics 93-62. That’s the lowest number of points allowed by the Celtics in a game all season. With Shaquille O’Neal out one more game with a sore calf, Semih Erden filled in, and played 40:42. Charlotte started out good early, but quickly did nothing afterwards.

Charlotte jumped out to an early 6-0 lead, which was their biggest of the night. Boston missed three shots and turned the ball over twice (including an 8-second violation) before Erden put in a dunk. It was a considerable amount of time before fluidity returned to the game; both teams traded consecutive, air ball threes before Boston took the lead (for good), 15-14, with 2:54 left in the 1st.

Despite not making a field goal between the 9:27 and 3:26 remaining marks in the 2nd (that’s 6:01, more than 1/8 of game time), Charlotte still stayed within single digits. In fact, Paul Pierce’s first (and only) field goal of the game came with 5:27 left in the half, and Ray Allen’s first came with 3:10 left. Pierce’s free throws with 2:47 left gave Boston it’s first double-digit lead. One of the few bright points was when Glen Davis took a charge with 2:03 left in the half (his 27th taken charge by Mike Gorman’s count), which helped Boston take a 42-32 lead into the locker room.

Charlotte finally scored its first (and only) three of the game 1:15 into the 2nd half, courtesy of Gerald Wallace. But then Boston finally got cooking. A 9-0 run put them up 53-37 with 6:05 left in the 3rd. Trading buckets with Charlotte put Boston up 64-47 going into the final frame. At that point, Charlotte was held to a 37.0 field goal percentage, and Boston led by 17 despite a 38.9 FGP of their own.

From there on out, it was all Boston. The name of the game was steal and force turnovers, which allowed even the lowest members of the Celtics’ bench to come in safely. Only Luke Harangody (5:42) and Avery Bradley (3:58) played less than 12 minutes. In the last eighth of the game, Marquis Daniels gave Boston their first 20-point lead (74-53) with 6:34 left. Nate Robinson hit two quick threes to put Boston up 80-55. And finally, with 57.9 seconds left, Semih Erden hit an alley oop to give Boston a 30-point lead, 91-61.

C’s Stud of the Game: Semih Erden

Erden was a major presence in the paint, getting blocks and rebounds, and generally tipping the ball on many occasions.

C’s Dud of the Game: Paul Pierce

You’d think Pierce would do more than go 1/9 from the field. He did get four rebounds, two assists, two steals, three blocks, and six free throws, but if you’re not going to score, then at least do something else a lot, and don’t try to “find yourself” mid-game.

That’s What He Said:

“Tonight was a perfect example of how you break down another team’s offense.” – Tommy Heinsohn on Boston’s defense.

Game Notes:

Scoring Leaders: Glen Davis (BOS 16), Ray Allen (BOS 16), Nazr Mohammed (CHA 14)
Field Goal Leaders: Nazr Mohammed (CHA 7/11), Kevin Garnett (BOS 6/10), Glen Davis (BOS 6/12), Stephen Jackson (CHA 6/12)
Three Point Leaders: Marquis Daniels (BOS 2/3), Nate Robinson (BOS 2/4), Ray Allen (BOS 2/4)
Free Throw Leaders: Ray Allen (BOS 6/6), Paul Pierce (BOS 6/8), three others with four
Rebound Leaders: Kevin Garnett (BOS 11), Kwame Brown (CHA 9), Glen Davis (BOS 7), Semih Erden (BOS 7)
Assist Leaders: Rajon Rondo (BOS 8), Stephen Jackson (CHA 7), Gerald Wallace (CHA 5)
Steal Leaders: Rajon Rondo (BOS 5), Marquis Daniels (BOS 3), Gerald Wallace (CHA 3)
Block Leaders: Semih Erden (BOS 4), Paul Pierce (BOS 3), Nazr Mohammed (CHA 2), Kwame Brown (CHA 2)
Foul-outs: none
Technical Fouls: none
Turnovers: CHA 22, BOS 19

No ‘Melo? No Problem for the Celtics

John — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 15:40:05 +0000

Carmelo Anthony’s right knee was inflamed, and so was Denver’s hopes of winning George Karl his 1000th game. In the end, Denver made it close, but Boston swatted them back down, and took the win 105-89. All the way into the 3rd, Denver held their own, but Boston was able to charge forward and lead by as much as 20 with 3:31 left to go; Denver never led in the game.

Boston started very strong, and scored 26 points before the Nuggets even made it to double digits (26-11). Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and even Big Baby Davis contributed to Boston’s 35-21 lead at the end of the first 12 minutes. Boston went up 39-24 in the next frame before Denver started chipping away. 40-31. 42-35. 49-45. And of course, 51-50. Allen and Pierce managed to give Boston the 59-52 lead going into the half, but you can bet Doc Rivers wasn’t happy about blowing a lead that made it up to 19.

Denver tried to keep on the pressure after halftime, and cut the lead to 67-63, but from there, Boston just came out guns-a-blazin’. Garnett goat an “and one,” Ray Allen was fouled taking a three (he made all three free throws), and Garnett hit a jumper to put the lead back at double digits. Boston extended their lead to 13, and 11 at the final intermission.

From there, it was a clinic. Boston kept scoring, with Denver answering only sporadically. Boston pushed the lead up to 20 points, 98-78, before they traded buckets and charity stripe tosses with Denver and settled on the final 105-89 score. In between, Denver’s frustration led to a war of words between Glen Davis and Nene (he just has one name, like Prince or Cher) with 2:32 left, which ended with Nene shoving Davis with his head.

C’s Stud of the Game: Ray Allen

Allen led all other players on both sides in scoring by at least 11 (with the exception of Ty Lawson), and came down with five boards and four assists, to go with three threes and seven free throws.

C’s Dud of the Game: Marquis Daniels

In 17:14 of playing time, Daniels didn’t record even a single point. He only attempted two shots, and despite racking up two rebounds, and assist, and a block, Daniels managed a +/- rating of -9, whatever that means.

Game Notes:

Scoring Leaders: Ray Allen (BOS 28), Ty Lawson (DEN 24), Kevin Garnett (BOS 17), Paul Pierce (BOS 17)
Field Goal Leaders: Ty Lawson (DEN 9/14), Ray Allen (BOS 9/14), Kevin Garnett (BOS 8/9)
Three Point Leaders: Ray Allen (BOS 3/5), Arron Afflalo (DEN 2/2), J.R. Smith (DEN 2/4)
Free Throw Leaders: Glen Davis (BOS 8/12), Ray Allen (BOS 7/8), Ty Lawson (DEN 6/7), Nene (DEN 6/8)
Rebound Leaders: Kevin Garnett (BOS 9), Al Harrington (DEN 8), three others with six
Assist Leaders: Rajon Rondo (BOS 13), Chauncey Billups (DEN 7), Ty Lawson (DEN 7)
Steal Leaders: Glen Davis (BOS 3), Ty Lawson (DEN 3), Nene (DEN 3)
Block Leaders: Shaquille O’Neal (BOS 3), Semih Erden (BOS 2), six others with one
Foul-outs: none
Technical Fouls: Chauncey Billups (DEN, 3:21 left in 3rd), Glen Davis (BOS, 2:32 left in 4th), Nene (DEN, 2:32 left in 4th)
Turnovers: BOS 19, DEN 18

Celtics Blow Out Wizards 114-83

Geoff — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 14:13:55 +0000

They were without rookie John Wall Wednesday, but it probably would not have mattered too much with the stomping the Celtics put on the Wizards Wednesday. Boston took over after being down by just three points early in the first quarter and never looked back in their 114-83 trouncing of the Washington Wizards. It resulted in first playing of “Gino Time” in the TD Garden Wednesday; Shaq was very amused.

An all-around team effort was present Wednesday from the Celtics, as every player that was dressed entered the game and scored at least one bucket. Paul Pierce led all scorers with 23 points, followed by Kevin Garnett, who had 18 points and seven rebounds. All of the starting five for Boston scored in double digits, with Ray Allen putting up 11 points, Shaquille O’Neal adding 13, and once again Rajon Rondo was impressive with 12 points and 13 more assists.

Thanks to great play from the bench, the Celtics starters were all, with the exception of Rondo, under 30 minutes of playing time. Rondo played exactly 30 minutes. Speaking of the bench, Delonte West returned to action Wednesday after serving his 10-game suspension on weapons charges from last season. West brought a great lift Wednesday with 12 points, four assists, and five rebounds. Semih Erden flashed some Turkish talent off the bench as well, with a near double-double of nine points and eight rebounds.

The Wizards were without their great rookie point guard John Wall, who was dealing with a foot injury, Wednesday. Nick Young, off the bench, was able to step up and score for Washington Wednesday with 20 points. Only Al Thornton (15 points), Andray Blatche (10 points), and Kirk Hinrich (10 points) were able to score in double digits next to Young. Even Gilbert Arenas was ineffective Wednesday, with just nine points.

The C’s had a great game overall Wednesday. The bench was able to take over effectively at the end of the game and held the Wizards to a measly 14 points in the fourth quarter. It was great to see such a blowout without the starters needing to log nearly 40 minutes. It is still early in the season, but any extra rest these guys can get is great considering their age. Kevin Garnett and Shaq are two guys especially that can always use the extra rest. Garnett is clearly over his knee injury from last season and once again a dominant scorer, outstanding defender, and a great rebounder. So the extra rest to keep Garnett at this level will always benefit him as well as Shaq, who has proved he still has plenty left in that diesel gas tank body of his.

The Celtics will welcome in Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night when they travel to Boston. This will already end the season series between the two teams as, Boston will look to get their tenth win of the season.