12.17.2017

Win Lifts C's Record to 17-2

12/9/2007

CHICAGO - The Celtics' "Big Three" took a back seat to the "Big D" last night.

The Celtics pushed their NBA-best record to 17-2 with a 92-81 victory over the Bulls at the United Center. Boston has won six straight and three in a row on the road. The Celtics also snapped an eight-game losing streak to Chicago dating back to the 2004-05 season.

The Celtics' star trio of Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce entered the game averaging a combined 59.8 points per game. The Bulls, however, limited them to 47 points as Allen scored a game-high 21, Garnett had 16, and Pierce struggled to 10 points on 1-of-8 shooting. Celtics guard Rajon Rondo added 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. But the Celtics limited the Bulls to 36 percent shooting and didn't allow any player to score more than 18 points.

The Bulls were projected to be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference this season, but they opened with a disappointing 6-11 record. Depending on who you talk to, the Bulls were either distracted by the Kobe Bryant trade talk or they were just playing bad basketball. Regardless, Chicago has been playing more like it was projected to, entering with wins in four of its last five contests.

Boston also was coming off a 112-84 route over the visiting Raptors the night before in which all of its starters sat in the fourth quarter. The last time the Celtics' key players got a lot of rest during a route in the first of back-to-back games (104-59 win over New York, Nov. 29), they went on to win relatively easy at Miami (95-85) the next night. The only problem was the Celtics arrived in Chicago a lot later than expected - at 2:45 a.m. yesterday.

"I feel good," Allen said. "We got some good rest. The back-to-back wasn't bad even though we got in late. It still wasn't bad."

Said Chicago coach Scott Skiles: "They've had more than one blowout-type game like that. We've been on the other end of some of those this year, where my starters aren't playing in the fourth quarter."

The Celtics outscored the Bulls, 21-18, after shooting 47.1 percent in the first quarter. Boston's stingy defense limited Chicago to 31.8 percent shooting in the first. The Bulls' Ben Gordon, however, scored 11 points in the first off 4-of-8 field goal shooting and three free throws.

The Bulls fans booed when Celtics forward James Posey entered the game with 37.3 seconds left in the first. Posey dispended three very rough fouls against the Bulls while playing for Miami last season that Chicago fans have yet to forgive.

After Posey made a layup with 11:41 left in the second quarter to give Boston a 24-18 lead, the Bulls fans jeered. After a hard foul on Chicago's Ben Wallace, with 10:27 left in the second, Posey was booed and received some light taunting. A 3-pointer by Posey with 9:06 left in the second gave Boston a 30-23 lead and more boos. In a tightly contest second quarter with four lead changes, the Celtics outscored Chicago, 26-25, after both teams shot 56.3 percent and 50 percent from the field, respectively. Allen scored 8 points in the second.

The Celtics shot 51.5 percent in the first half and received a team-high 12 points from Rondo. Pierce entered the game averaging a team-best 20.8 points, but only had 2 points on 0-of-4 shooting, and had two made free throws and three turnovers at halftime. Garnett was limited to 6 points at that time. The Bulls shot 40.5 percent from the field and received a combined 25 points from their backcourt of Gordon and Kirk Hinrich by the intermission.

The Celtics opened the third quarter with an 11-7 run to take a 58-50 lead after a Rondo jumper at the 5:36 mark. Boston went to a small lineup by taking Garnett out and putting rookie power forward Glen Davis at center and usual Posey at power forward with 4:11 left in the third. Two Pierce free throws gave the Celtics an 11-point lead, 63-52, with 3:16 left in the third. Boston finished the third with a 69-59 lead.



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