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NBA: Celtics get back on track with blowout
By The Associated Press
Monday, December 29, 2008 | No comments posted.
The Boston Celtics sent the NBA a clear message: forget about those back-to-back losses.
The Celtics put an emphatic end to their first two-game skid this season, beating the Sacramento Kings 108-63 Sunday night in one of the most lopsided wins in franchise history.
“That’s our statement,” Paul Pierce said. “We feel like the last couple of games we haven’t been living up to what we’ve been doing most of the year. We wanted to get back to that and establish our defense. I thought we did that.”
The Celtics started their four-game road trip with a franchise-record 19-game winning streak and a 27-2 record that was the best start in NBA history. But the defending NBA champions lost a Christmas showdown against the Los Angeles Lakers and then again the following night at Golden State.
After a day off to regroup, the Celtics once again looked like the class of the NBA.
“It wasn’t like we’re a team that’s going to panic,” Pierce said. “We just tried to regroup. We just executed back on the court and just did some of the things we’ve been doing all year long, trying to get a win and play better basketball.”
The 45-point margin of victory tied the sixth biggest by the Celtics, who also beat the New York Knicks by that amount last season. The last time Boston had a bigger win was a 153-107 victory over the Baltimore Bullets on Nov. 27, 1970.
Kevin Garnett made 10 of 11 shots to lead the Celtics with 21 points and 11 rebounds despite playing just under 23 minutes. He now has 20,894 career points, moving past Bob Pettit into 27th place on the career list. Ray Allen added 19 on 7-for-8 shooting and Eddie House had 15 off the bench.
John Salmons’ 11 points led the Kings. Francisco Garcia shot 1-for-7 before leaving in the first half with stiffness in his right calf.
The Celtics held Sacramento to just 19 field goals on 28 percent shooting, the fewest shots made by the Kings in the shot-clock era and the second fewest allowed by the Celtics. The Kings lost their sixth straight since winning their first under interim coach Kenny Natt and have dropped 16 of 18 overall.
Cavaliers 93, Heat 86
At Cleveland, LeBron James scored 33 points — four more than good buddy Dwyane Wade, the NBA’s leading scorer — and Cleveland remained the league’s only unbeaten team on its own floor.
Mo Williams scored 20 before fouling out and Ben Wallace had 14 rebounds for the Cavs (26-4), who won their sixth straight.
Lakers 130, Warriors 113
At Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant scored 31 points and Derek Fisher added 19.
Jamal Crawford returned to the Warriors’ lineup after missing two games with a groin strain and scored 22 points.
Nuggets 117, Knicks 110
At New York, Carmelo Anthony scored 32 points after missing three games with a bruised right elbow.
Nate Robinson scored 20 points and David Lee had 19 for the Knicks.
Mavericks 98, Clippers 76
At Los Angeles, Josh Howard had 29 points, nine rebounds and a career-best seven assists, leading Dallas over the Clippers while Mavericks scoring leader Dirk Nowitzki served a one-game suspension for a flagrant foul and automatic ejection in the fourth quarter of Friday night’s loss at Utah.
Hornets 105, Pacers 103
At Indianapolis, Chris Paul scored 11 points in the final 3:36 and David West made a 17-foot fadeaway jumper with 2.5 seconds remaining.
Paul and James Posey scored 19 points each for the Hornets (18-9).
Danny Granger led Indiana (10-20) with 34 points.
The Celtics put an emphatic end to their first two-game skid this season, beating the Sacramento Kings 108-63 Sunday night in one of the most lopsided wins in franchise history.
“That’s our statement,” Paul Pierce said. “We feel like the last couple of games we haven’t been living up to what we’ve been doing most of the year. We wanted to get back to that and establish our defense. I thought we did that.”
The Celtics started their four-game road trip with a franchise-record 19-game winning streak and a 27-2 record that was the best start in NBA history. But the defending NBA champions lost a Christmas showdown against the Los Angeles Lakers and then again the following night at Golden State.
After a day off to regroup, the Celtics once again looked like the class of the NBA.
“It wasn’t like we’re a team that’s going to panic,” Pierce said. “We just tried to regroup. We just executed back on the court and just did some of the things we’ve been doing all year long, trying to get a win and play better basketball.”
The 45-point margin of victory tied the sixth biggest by the Celtics, who also beat the New York Knicks by that amount last season. The last time Boston had a bigger win was a 153-107 victory over the Baltimore Bullets on Nov. 27, 1970.
Kevin Garnett made 10 of 11 shots to lead the Celtics with 21 points and 11 rebounds despite playing just under 23 minutes. He now has 20,894 career points, moving past Bob Pettit into 27th place on the career list. Ray Allen added 19 on 7-for-8 shooting and Eddie House had 15 off the bench.
John Salmons’ 11 points led the Kings. Francisco Garcia shot 1-for-7 before leaving in the first half with stiffness in his right calf.
The Celtics held Sacramento to just 19 field goals on 28 percent shooting, the fewest shots made by the Kings in the shot-clock era and the second fewest allowed by the Celtics. The Kings lost their sixth straight since winning their first under interim coach Kenny Natt and have dropped 16 of 18 overall.
Cavaliers 93, Heat 86
At Cleveland, LeBron James scored 33 points — four more than good buddy Dwyane Wade, the NBA’s leading scorer — and Cleveland remained the league’s only unbeaten team on its own floor.
Mo Williams scored 20 before fouling out and Ben Wallace had 14 rebounds for the Cavs (26-4), who won their sixth straight.
Lakers 130, Warriors 113
At Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant scored 31 points and Derek Fisher added 19.
Jamal Crawford returned to the Warriors’ lineup after missing two games with a groin strain and scored 22 points.
Nuggets 117, Knicks 110
At New York, Carmelo Anthony scored 32 points after missing three games with a bruised right elbow.
Nate Robinson scored 20 points and David Lee had 19 for the Knicks.
Mavericks 98, Clippers 76
At Los Angeles, Josh Howard had 29 points, nine rebounds and a career-best seven assists, leading Dallas over the Clippers while Mavericks scoring leader Dirk Nowitzki served a one-game suspension for a flagrant foul and automatic ejection in the fourth quarter of Friday night’s loss at Utah.
Hornets 105, Pacers 103
At Indianapolis, Chris Paul scored 11 points in the final 3:36 and David West made a 17-foot fadeaway jumper with 2.5 seconds remaining.
Paul and James Posey scored 19 points each for the Hornets (18-9).
Danny Granger led Indiana (10-20) with 34 points.
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