Question: What do you get when you have a game featuring one team that is 12 deep with NBA talent, including two all-stars, a future hall-of-famer, and a sixth man of the year candidate, and the second team is a 12-49 expansion team?
Answer:
JUSTIN REED BABY!!!
The Celtics met and thuroughly dismissed the Bobcats ten days ago on Friday, March 4th. Ricky Davis was the lone Celtic who played over thirty minutes with 33. Davis also led the team in scoring with 18 points, 5 boards, two steals, and a block. Antoine Walker had a terrific game with 18 points, 8 boards, and two blocks, while shooting 7-12 from the field and 3-4 from the line. Marcus Banks went for 13 on 5-8 shooting. Mark Blount had 11 and 5 offensive boards. Delonte West had 11 and 8 boards. Gary Payton was the sixth Celtic in double figures with 10 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals in his long awaited and emotional return to Boston.* Paul Pierce went 4 for 4 to get his 8 points. And MY MAN, Justin Reed (BABY!!!) had 4 points on 2-7 shooting to go with three boards in 16 minutes.
* To clarify, I was at that game. When they introduced Payton, they flashed a graphic on the jumbotron that said, "Welcome back GP!" The announcer said, "At point guard, lets welcome back G-P, Gary Payton!" I was thinking to myself, "He was gone for three games, lets get serious here."
The Bobcats in that Friday night beating were led by Jason Hart's 13 points and 6 assists. Emeka Okafor had 12 points and 10 boards as well as two blocks. Okafor, a Celtic fan favorite from his UConn days, shot 5-8 from the field, but also had five turnovers. Keith Bogans had 11 points, 6 assists, 6 boards, and 2 steals in a solid effort. Gerald Wallace had 10 points and three boards, but was thuroughly shook by a Paul Pierce crossover in the first quarter. Team Bob shot 38.8% from the floor and 59.3% from the line, but did go 6-12 from beyond the arc.
On Fox Sports New England, Tommy Heinsohn said that this was a trap game. It really is. As Heinsohn said, after a huge win, or two consecutive huge wins at home, going on the road, against a crap team (I appologize Bobcat fans, but your team is what it is), can set you up for a huge let down. Our boys will need to come out with the same emotion and effort that they go against the Pistons and the Wizards with to win this one. In the past, I would think this would be a problem. With Walker back, I don't see the Celtics falling into this trap.
GAME 64: Celtics (34-29) at Bobcats (12-49)
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