By Malinda Murray
bobcats.com
April 5, 2008
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Fresh off a 105-100 victory over the Raptors in Toronto on Friday night, the Bobcats returned home to face the top team in the league, the Boston Celtics, in front of the second-largest crowd (19,403) ever to see a Bobcats game at Charlotte Bobcats Arena.
Things did not go Charlotte’s way though as they struggled to keep pace with Boston, eventually falling 101-78.
“I thought we just completely ran out of gas,” said Bobcats Head Coach Sam Vincent. “In Toronto last night, we had an emotional victory. They all played well. We just couldn’t get the shots to go in because the guy’s legs were flat and their bodies were a little worn out.”
Despite playing without their big three (Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce), Boston didn’t miss a beat. The Celtics came out hot, hitting eight of their first 10 shots to help them build a double-digit lead at the 4:21 mark of the first quarter. James Posey and Leon Powe led Boston, combining for 24 points in the first 12 minutes.
Charlotte could never recover as Boston just kept attacking all night long. Earl Boykins spearheaded a run midway through the second that cut the deficit to six, but the Celtics had an answer pushing their lead back to 14 at halftime.
The Bobcats scored six straight points to open the third to trail by eight, but Charlotte’s momentum was short-lived. In the fourth quarter, Boston built their lead to 23, outscoring Charlotte 19-9 in the period and holding the Bobcats to just 17.6 percent (3-17) shooting in the final quarter.
“They have a system and they execute,” said Jared Dudley. “Obviously (Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen) make them a lot better, but they executed well and they’re patient. Most of all, they know what they can and can’t do. That is what made them successful tonight.”

The Bobcats bench was the bright spot for Charlotte tonight, combining for 34 points.
Boykins in particular did what he could to keep the Bobcats in the game. The second quarter belonged to the 5-5 guard as he posted 12 points in the frame. During a 2:27 stretch midway through the second, he connected on two layups, a six-foot jumper, a three-pointer and a free throw, to lead a 12-6 Bobcats run that cut the Celtics 12-point lead to six.
He finished the night with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting and added four rebounds and two assists.
“I thought Earl was a nice spark. He came in and pushed the ball and gave us some life,” said Vincent.
Dudley also had a nice night coming off the bench to tally 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting along with five rebounds, one assist and one steal.

The Bobcats couldn’t match the Celtics energy. Boston dominated the glass, outrebounding Charlotte 54-35. On the offensive glass, Boston grabbed 15 boards compared to just seven by Charlotte. That led to 20 second chance points by Boston while the Bobcats recorded seven.
“They have some big physical guys down around the basket,” said Vincent as he talked about the Celtics ability to rebound the ball. “I thought they did a great job of man-handling us around the basket. That was why we struggled on the rebounding end.”
Boston was also able to get extra possessions because of their active hands on the defensive end. The Celtics recorded 13 steals tonight while Charlotte had six.

Tonight, Earl Boykins is the Player of the Game for the Bobcats. He did exactly what he was supposed to, coming off the bench to be a spark for this Charlotte team.
“I came in the ball game and played hard and tried to keep us in the game, but they (the Celtics) did a great job in the second half of keeping it away from us,” he said.

Leon Powe had a great night for anyone who had him on their fantasy roster. He finished with 22 points on 5-of-8 shooting and 12-of-13 from the free throw line. He also added nine rebounds, one assist and two steals.
For the Bobcats, Raymond Felton finished with a double-double posting 11 points and 10 assists to go along with four rebounds.

Boston gained a definite advantage in the game at the free throw line shooting 27-of-34 from charity stripe while the Bobcats went just 9-of-16 from the foul line.

“I think we may have been a little tired, but we can’t make excuses,” said Boykins. “Give Boston credit – those guys just went out there and played well tonight.”

BOBCATS: Sean May (right knee surgery), Adam Morrison (torn left ACL), Othella Harrington (left knee discomfort), Gerald Wallace (left groin soreness)
CELTICS: Scot Pollard (left ankle surgery)

Tuesday, April 8 - Bobcats vs. Minnesota Timberwolves - 7:00 p.m.
TV - News 14; Radio - WOLS OLDIES 106.1 FM
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