Celtics 94, Rockets 87

Game Highlights

Photo of the Game

Ray Allen attacks the basket while Luis Scola of the Rockets defends him.
Bill Baptist/NBAE/Getty

By Marc D'Amico
Celtics.com

Key Moment

The pesky Rockets wouldn't go away all night during Boston's 94-87 win... that is, until Paul Pierce decided to close the door on them in the fourth quarter.

Pierce absolutely took over this game when the C's needed it most, as they were struggling to put points on the board early in the fourth quarter. Houston, however, wasn't struggling, and they pulled to within 73-68 before Pierce's scoring barrage began.

He kicked it off with a follow up layup after his own miss, then did the exact same thing less than a minute later, after Shane Battier made a 3 at the other end that brought Houston to within four points. Pierce then hit three straight free throws for Boston that pushed the lead back up to seven at 80-73.

After Kevin Garnett hit a hook shot -- a brief interlude to the captain's domination -- Pierce got right back to business and drilled two straight 3s that gave the C's an 11-point lead with less than five minutes remaining.

At that point, it was clear that both Pierce and his teammates were not going to relinquish the lead they had held for nearly the entire night. He took the game into his own hands and led the Celtics down the stretch, just as he did at the beginning of this season when the C's jumped out to a 23-5 start. He finished with 15 points in quarter.

Not coincidentally, the wins just so happen to be rolling in just like they did at the start of the season, and Pierce's play is a big reason why.

Key Box Score Line

As you just read, Pierce dropped 15 points in crunch time to help the C's kick off their final extended road trip of the season on a high note. What you didn't hear is that he finished with a game-high 26 points in only 28 minutes of play. He also grabbed five rebounds and two steals, all while shooting 9-of-14 from the floor.

Box Score Nuggets

• The Big Three combined for 60 points (Pierce 26, Allen 19, Garnett 15)
• Houston shot only 39.5 percent from the floor.
• The Celtics recorded 25 assists, while the Rockets dished out only 15.
• Luis Scola was the only player to finish with double-digit rebounds, with 10.
• Glen Davis grabbed seven rebounds in the game, five of which were offensive.
• Rajon Rondo scored only two points on five shots, but he dished out 10 assists.
• The Celtics made 10 of their 23 3-point attempts.
• Houston took 29 free throws in the game, while Boston shot only 16.
• Every Boston reserve finished with a positive plus/minus rating, while every Rocket reserve finished in the negative.
• Boston turned the ball over only 13 times.
• Ray Allen dished out six assists to go with his 19 points.
• Rasheed Wallace and Kendrick Perkins each had two blocks for the Celtics.
• Luis Scola and Kevin Martin led the Rockets with 17 points apiece.

Quote of the Night

Luis Scola on the Celtics being ready to play tonight: "I think they played a pretty intense game today. They were focused, they knew what to do. They followed a good game plan. They were talking a lot and communicating between themselves. They were just ready to play."