Pistons at Celtics game updates
Final: Celtics 119-93
Are these the real Celtics?
With plenty to lose if they played poorly again at home, the Celtics won over at least some of their fans with a dominating 119-93 win over the Detroit Pistons tonight at TD Garden.
With the win the Celtics moved to 20-12 at home, not a bad mark, to be sure, but not as impressive as Boston’s 22-12 road record this season. A loss to the Pistons tonight and the same old complaints would have surfaced.
The Celtics don’t give the same effort at home. They don’t care enough to win here.
The home team’s effort was apparent tonight from the jump. Looking like his old self, Paul Pierce got to the line five times in the first quarter on his way to 12 points. The Celtics led by 16 after one.
By halftime the lead was 29, with Glen Davis and Michael Finley combining for 17 points off the bench in the first half. The Celtics were outscored in the third quarter, but by the 5:49 mark in the fourth it was already Gino Time. There would be no Pistons comeback.
More impressive than the margin of victory was how the Celtics built the lead to begin with. Four starters hit double-figures for Boston, but no player dominated. Off the bench, Finley had his best game as a Celtic, scoring 15 points and hitting 3 of 4 three-pointers. The Boston bench — the same unit known for blowing leads rather than building them — contributed 61 points to the cause.
The Celtics are off tomorrow before returning home Wednesday night to take on the Knicks at 7:30 p.m.
8:19 4th quarter: Celtics 100-72 Will Bynum has 14 points and 7 assists for the Pistons. He’s had an easy time getting to the basket against the Celtics guards, though it hasn’t mattered much.
On the other side, take away Nate Robinson and the Celtics bench is 16 of 21 from the floor.
End 3d quarter: Celtics 89-70 Celtics bench gives up some of the lead, but the C’s still have a substantial lead. The Pistons are shooting 49 percent now, which can’t please Doc Rivers considering how uninterested Detroit looked in the first half.
4:01 3d quarter: Celtics 82-51 Paul Pierce just picked up his fifth personal foul. Bizarre.
6:36 3d quarter: Celtics 78-49 Kevin Garnett (12 points and 8 rebounds) picks up his first personal foul of the game. Hasn’t exactly been a physical battle.
Halftime: Celtics 64-35 The Celtics played about as good a half at home as they have all season. Everything is clicking. They’re shooting 55 percent. They’ve gotten to the line 18 times. They’ve gotten 27 points from their bench.
Still no word on Pierce, though, who went to the locker room under his own power and did not return to the bench for the last few minutes of the half.
4:36 2d quarter: Celtics 50-29 The Celtics have already attempted 16 free throws. Also Paul Pierce ran back into the locker room during the timeout has not yet returned to the bench.
6:50 2d quarter: Celtics 44-25 Michael Finley knocks down his second three-pointer of the game. He’s got a great touch.
8:53 2d quarter: Celtics 36-21 ESPN would like to take this opportunity to take a gratuitous timeout. Celtics bench is holding the lead just fine so far.
Also we just received an update that Tayshaun Prince, hit in the back during the first quarter, will not return to the game.
End 1st quarter: Celtics 31-15 Good quarter for the Celtics. The Pistons are shooting 33 percent. Paul Pierce looks like himself. And the bench has played well thus far.
2:19 1st quarter: Celtics 25-11 Ben Gordon checks in. Just now. Strange.
4:53 1st quarter: Celtics 18-7 He’s not just doing it from the stripe. Pierce hits a three to give him 12 points. A block by Kendrick Perkins leads to a run-out dunk from Rondo to Garnett.
While all that was going on, Tayshaun Prince was down on the other end of the court. Detroit took a timeout and Prince remained down for about for minutes before being carried off the court.
6:18 1st quarter: Celtics 11-6 Paul Pierce is playing like The Paul Pierce, keeping defenders off balance, getting to the hole, and drawing fouls. He’s 5 for 5 on free throws already and has 9 points.
9:21 1st quarter: Pistons 6-2 The Celtics start out 1 for 5 from the field.
Pregame We’re ready to go. It can’t be more than 40 degrees in here, but they’re going to play this basketball game.
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