Boston Celtics

Sixers, 24-20(1)

By Gary Dzen

1 minute to read

How did Gerald Green react to his first start of the year? By pushing the ball up the floor and draining an 18-foot jumper on his first touch on offense. It’s obvious the Celtics miss Paul Pierce in the first quarter, but Green seems to be playing with more urgency in Pierce’s absence.

  • No Pierce, no Allen Iverson (no Andre Miller, either), but a very good crowd on hand for tonight’s game. The Celtics always seem to draw well on Friday nights, and the holiday weekend probably doesn’t hurt.
  • Michael Olowokandi, who Celtics coach Doc Rivers essentially counted out before tonight’s game, warmed up vigorously on the court before the game. Whether Olowokandi plays tonight remains to be seen, but he certainly looked better than his coach predicted only minutes earlier.
  • Celtics rookie Allan Ray made his first appearance in the game with 29.4 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Ray has played in just two of the team’s last 15 games. His last appearance came on Dec. 13 against Philadelphia.

    • To comment, please create a screen name in your profile

    Conversation

    This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com