Celtics-Nets Preview

By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
Posted Nov 07 2009 1:23AM

A season-opening stretch of eight games in 12 nights may have appeared to be daunting, but the Boston Celtics managed to win six before finally losing.

They have an ideal chance to rebound Saturday night when they try to continue their dominance of the injury-riddled New Jersey Nets, who are off to the worst start in franchise history.

The Celtics (6-1) opened the season with a 95-89 win at Cleveland on Oct. 27 and followed with five more victories. That streak was snapped Friday with a 110-103 loss to Phoenix as Boston shot 4 of 18 from beyond the arc.

"The only thing I didn't like, with 3 1/2 minutes left, instead of searching for wide-open 2-pointers, we went into 3 mode. And I didn't think we had to do that," coach Doc Rivers said. "That, to me, was uncharacteristic of us."

Boston has a key chance to rebound immediately as they conclude a stretch of four games in five nights against the Nets (0-6), the only winless team remaining.

"If we were in the NFL, we'd have to wait a whole week," said guard Ray Allen, who had 16 points and seven rebounds against the Suns. "So we like the position we're in. We get a chance to go out and correct our mistakes."

The Celtics have won nine in a row against the Nets by an average of 13.2 points. They've also taken six straight meetings at New Jersey since April 16, 2006.

The matchup could also provide Kevin Garnett a chance to build off his season-high 26 points with eight rebounds Friday. The star forward's performance came after he totaled 15 points while going 7 for 20 from the floor over the previous two games.

Garnett missed two of the four matchups with the Nets last season due to a knee injury, which sidelined him for 24 of the final 34 games and all of the playoffs.

The Nets have been ravaged by injuries thus far, and coach Lawrence Frank was left with a four-man bench - of which he used three players - during a 97-94 loss to Philadelphia on Friday. They've been outscored by an average 12.1 points during the season-opening losing streak, which eclipsed the previous franchise record of five set in 1996.

"You go with what you got," said Frank, who is in his seventh season and is the longest-tenured coach in the Eastern Conference. "It's not a sympathy league."

New Jersey lost guard Courtney Lee early in the third quarter Friday with an apparent leg injury. The Nets were already missing guards Keyon Dooling (hip surgery), Chris Douglas-Roberts (flu), and Devin Harris (strained right groin) along with forwards Tony Battie (right knee), Yi Jianlian (sprained right knee) and Jarvis Hayes (strained left hamstring).

One player seemingly benefiting from an increased role is Brook Lopez, the 10th overall selection out of Stanford in the 2008 draft.

The center scored 22 points and pulled down 11 rebounds while playing a career-high 43:41 against the 76ers. He leads the Nets with averages of 17.2 points and 7.8 boards.

Copyright 2009 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Celtics back on winning track after bouncing winless Nets

By By Bob Considine, for NBA.com
Posted Saturday November 7, 2009 11:07PM

EAST RUTHERFORD (NBA.com exclusive) -- The Nets had seven players on their 15-man roster who couldn't play due to injury or illness.

But none were hurting or sick more than the eight players who actually took the court in their 86-76 loss to the Boston Celtics at the Izod Center on Saturday night.

The only winless team in the NBA, New Jersey's few and proud gave the Eastern Conference powerhouse a good run for three quarters, knowing full well that it come this far before only to come up empty.

And sure enough, with Ray Allen scoring eight of his 12 points in the fourth quarter, the Nets' undermanned prophecy came true: Eight was not nearly enough.

The Nets, despite 23 points from center Brook Lopez, fell to 0-7, continuing the worst start in franchise history.

"It's tough," said Nets guard Rafer Alston, who finished with 20 points and seven assists in 44 minutes. "We hate losing. And we know we're right there to win it. Again, we're going to go back and look at it and realize we made some mistakes."

After losing its first game of the season to the Suns on Friday night, Boston (7-1) got back on the winning track with Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo scoring 16 points apiece.

The telltale for both sides, however, was the prelude to the scoring. The Celtics recorded 20 steals, including five by Rondo, making up most of New Jersey's 24 turnovers. With the Nets so short-handed, the miscues could be justified if they chose to justify. Some did. Others didn't.

"Because so many guys are out, we have to play in different spots," Alson explained about the turnovers. "Sometimes you don't know where to move sometimes because you're not used to playing that position."

"You can attribute it to that if you want an excuse," Lopez countered. "But they were just dumb little passes."

The Celtics pulled away with an 8-2 run midway through the fourth quarter, with a Terrence Williams turnover leading to a Rasheed Wallace 14-footer and giving Boston a 74-67 lead. The Nets failed to score in the final 2:58 of the game.

"We didn't take them for granted," Celtics forward Paul Pierce said. "We had to buckle down in the second half."

Of late, the Nets' misfortune has gone from bad to worse to almost ridiculous. Starters Devin Harris (strained groin) and Yi Jianlian (sprained knee) joining injured reserves Tony Battie (sore knee), Keyon Dooling (hip surgery) and Jarvis Hayes (strained hamstring) among the walking wounded.

But starting guard Courtney Lee strained his left groin in New Jersey's crushing 97-94 loss to Philadelphia on Friday night and couldn't play against the Celtics. And adding illness to injury, the Nets announced before the game that starting wing Chris Douglas-Roberts has contacted swine flu.

Some more perspective on just what the Nets were up against: New Jersey's starting five was collectively averaging just 36.7 points per game (compared to the Celtics' 67.1 ppg). In fact, only one Net starter (Lopez) was averaging more than 10 points a game in his career.

So Nets coach Lawrence Frank set out to shorten the game to give his team a chance at the end.

"Our guys are battling their tails off and we will break through," Frank said. "We're not discouraged."

While they were decidedly healthier, the Celtics entered the game having played eight games in 12 days.

As in most games in their difficult start, the Nets were right there for the first half, taking a 40-39 lead into intermission. They looked ripe for a third-quarter fade when Boston opened up a 52-45 lead. But New Jersey answered back, outscoring the Celtics, 16-7, the remainder of the period to take a 61-59 lead into the fourth quarter.

"Every loss hurts," Nets center Josh Boone said. "It doesn't get any easier when you play your heart out and you do all the things you can and unfortunately the score isn't your way at the end of the game.''

• Celtics: Allen, Davis, Walker
• Nets: Battie, Dooling, Hayes

• Celtics: Wallace
• Nets: --

• Lead Changes: 15
• Times Tied: 11

• Arena: IZOD Center, New Jersey, NJ
• Officials: #45 Joe Forte, #64 Eli Roe, #18 Mark Wunderlich
• Attendance: 16119
• Duration: 2:15

Boston Celtics (25-8)		New Jersey Nets (3-31)
Start of 1st Quarter
(12:00) Jump Ball Lopez vs Perkins (Alston gains possession)
	11:34 [NJN 2-0]	Lopez Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Alston (1 AST)
Garnett Jump Shot: Missed	11:17
	11:16	Boone Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	11:08	Simmons Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO) Steal:Pierce (1 ST)
Pierce Turnover : Lost Ball (1 TO) Steal:Alston (1 ST)	11:02
	10:46 [NJN 5-0]	Alston 3pt Shot: Made (3 PTS)
Pierce Layup Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Garnett (1 AST)	10:33 [BOS 2-5]
	10:33	Alston Foul : Shooting (1 PF)
Pierce Free Throw 1 of 1 Missed	10:33
	10:32	Boone Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
	10:17	Boone Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO) Steal:Pierce (2 ST)
Perkins Jump Bank Shot: Missed	10:03
	10:02	Alston Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
Pierce Foul : Personal (1 PF)	09:56
	09:43	Lopez Jump Shot: Missed
Perkins Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	09:42
	09:33	Hassell Foul : Personal (1 PF)
Rondo Layup Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Garnett (2 AST)	09:28 [BOS 4-5]
	09:08 [NJN 7-4]	Alston Floating Jump shot: Made (5 PTS)
Rondo Jump Shot: Made (4 PTS)	08:38 [BOS 6-7]
	08:18 [NJN 9-6]	Boone Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Simmons (1 AST)
Perkins Turnaround Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Pierce (1 AST)	08:02 [BOS 8-9]
	07:45 [NJN 11-8]	Alston Driving Layup Shot: Made (7 PTS)
Allen Jump Shot: Missed	07:22
	07:21	Boone Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)
	07:15	Alston Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO) Steal:Garnett (1 ST)
Perkins Hook Bank Shot: Missed	07:02
	07:01	Lopez Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	06:52 [NJN 14-8]	Simmons 3pt Shot: Made (3 PTS) Assist: Alston (2 AST)
Garnett Turnaround Jump Shot: Missed	06:25
	06:24	Lopez Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
	06:18 [NJN 16-8]	Lopez Layup Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Alston (3 AST)
Pierce Foul : Offensive (2 PF)	06:08
Pierce Turnover : Foul (2 TO)	06:08
	05:59	Boone Turnover : Bad Pass (2 TO) Steal:Rondo (1 ST)
Rondo Driving Layup Shot: Made (6 PTS)	05:55 [BOS 10-16]
	05:33	Simmons Jump Shot: Missed
Allen Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	05:32
Pierce Driving Layup Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Rondo (1 AST)	05:26 [BOS 12-16]
	05:20	Team Timeout : Regular
Pierce Substitution replaced by Scalabrine	05:20
	05:06 [NJN 18-12]	Lopez Jump Shot: Made (6 PTS) Assist: Hassell (1 AST)
Allen Running Jump Shot: Missed	04:50
	04:49	Boone Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)
	04:32	Simmons Jump Shot: Missed
Perkins Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	04:31
Garnett Jump Shot: Missed	04:11
	04:10	Simmons Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	03:58	Hassell Turnover : Lost Ball (1 TO) Steal:Scalabrine (1 ST)
Rondo Driving Layup Shot: Missed Block: Alston (1 BLK)	03:55
	03:54	Team Rebound
	03:42	Lopez Jump Shot: Missed
Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	03:41
Perkins Foul : Offensive (1 PF)	03:38
Perkins Turnover : Foul (1 TO)	03:38
	03:22	Hassell Turnaround Fade Away shot: Missed
	03:21	Boone Rebound (Off:1 Def:4)
	03:20	Boone Tip Shot: Missed
Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	03:18
Rondo Jump Shot: Made (8 PTS)	03:12 [BOS 14-18]
	03:00	Alston Turnover : Bad Pass (2 TO) Steal:Garnett (2 ST)
Allen Turnover : Lost Ball (1 TO) Steal:Hassell (1 ST)	02:57
	02:44	Alston Jump Shot: Missed
Perkins Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)	02:43
Garnett Turnaround Fade Away shot: Missed	02:30
	02:28	Lopez Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)
	02:17	Simmons Turnover : Lost Ball (2 TO) Steal:Rondo (2 ST)
Allen 3pt Shot: Missed	02:02
	02:01	Simmons Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
Perkins Foul : Personal (2 PF)	01:44
Team Timeout : Regular	01:44
Garnett Substitution replaced by Williams	01:44
Perkins Substitution replaced by Wallace	01:44
	01:44	Alston Substitution replaced by Williams
	01:44	Boone Substitution replaced by Najera
	01:27	Hassell Jump Shot: Missed
Rondo Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	01:26
Williams Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Rondo (2 AST)	01:05 [BOS 16-18]
	00:40.8	Williams Jump Shot: Missed
Williams Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	00:39.8
Rondo Substitution replaced by House	00:33.5
	00:33.5	Hassell Foul : Shooting (2 PF)
Allen Free Throw 1 of 2 (1 PTS)	00:33.5 [BOS 17-18]
	00:33.5	Hassell Substitution replaced by Alston
Allen Free Throw 2 of 2 (2 PTS)	00:33.5 [BOS 18-18]
	00:12.3	Williams Turnover : Traveling (1 TO)
Williams Substitution replaced by Rondo	00:12.3
	00:12.3	Lopez Substitution replaced by Williams
Wallace Turnaround Fade Away shot: Missed	00:01.6
Team Rebound	00:00.0
Wallace Technical	00:00.0
End of 1st Quarter
	00:00.0 [NJN 19-18]	Simmons Free Throw Technical (4 PTS)
Boston Celtics (25-8)		New Jersey Nets (3-31)
Start of 2nd QuarterBack to Top
Wallace Turnover : Poss Lost Ball Turnover (1 TO) Steal:Najera (1 ST)	11:39
	11:32	Najera Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO) Steal:House (1 ST)
	11:29	Alston Foul : Shooting (2 PF)
House Free Throw 1 of 2 (1 PTS)	11:29 [BOS 19-19]
House Free Throw 2 of 2 (2 PTS)	11:29 [BOS 20-19]
	11:18 [NJN 21-20]	Alston Jump Shot: Made (9 PTS)
Wallace Layup Shot: Made (2 PTS)	11:02 [BOS 22-21]
	11:02	Najera Foul : Shooting (1 PF)
Wallace Free Throw 1 of 1 (3 PTS)	11:02 [BOS 23-21]
	10:49	Alston Floating Jump shot: Missed
House Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	10:48
Giddens Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO) Steal:Williams (1 ST)	10:36
Scalabrine Foul : Clear Path (1 PF)	10:33
	10:33	Williams Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed
	10:33	Team Rebound
	10:33	Williams Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed
	10:33	Team Rebound
	10:20	Williams Turnover : Lost Ball (1 TO) Steal:Giddens (1 ST)
	10:19	Williams Foul : Personal (1 PF)
House Running Jump Shot: Missed	09:57
	09:55	Najera Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	09:49 [NJN 23-23]	Simmons Driving Layup Shot: Made (6 PTS) Assist: Najera (1 AST)
Giddens Foul : Shooting (1 PF)	09:49
	09:49 [NJN 24-23]	Simmons Free Throw 1 of 1 (7 PTS)
Wallace Turnaround Jump Shot: Missed Block: Williams (1 BLK)	09:34
	09:32	Simmons Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)
	09:26	Alston Turnover : Lost Ball (3 TO) Steal:Wallace (1 ST)
House Driving Layup Shot: Missed	09:13
	09:12	Team Rebound
Giddens Substitution replaced by Pierce	09:12
	09:12	Simmons Substitution replaced by Hassell
	09:03	Alston Turnover : Bad Pass (4 TO) Steal:Wallace (2 ST)
Wallace 3pt Shot: Missed	08:53
	08:52	Williams Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	08:35	Alston Turnover : Bad Pass (5 TO) Steal:House (2 ST)
Wallace Turnaround Jump Shot: Made (5 PTS) Assist: Pierce (2 AST)	08:14 [BOS 25-24]
	07:53	Williams Running Jump Shot: Missed
	07:52	Williams Rebound (Off:1 Def:0)
	07:50 [NJN 26-25]	Williams Putback Dunk Shot: Made (2 PTS)
	07:34	Najera Foul : Shooting (2 PF)
Timeout : Official	07:34
Williams Free Throw 1 of 2 (3 PTS)	07:34 [BOS 26-26]
Williams Free Throw 2 of 2 (4 PTS)	07:34 [BOS 27-26]
	07:16	Alston Jump Shot: Missed
Wallace Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	07:15
Williams Turnover : Lost Ball (1 TO) Steal:Najera (2 ST)	07:07
	06:58 [NJN 28-27]	Williams Jump Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Najera (2 AST)
	06:45	Williams Foul : Shooting (1 PF)
	06:45	Williams Substitution replaced by Lopez
Wallace Substitution replaced by Perkins	06:45
Pierce Free Throw 1 of 2 (5 PTS)	06:45 [BOS 28-28]
Pierce Free Throw 2 of 2 (6 PTS)	06:45 [BOS 29-28]
	06:33	Najera Turnover : Bad Pass (2 TO) Steal:Scalabrine (2 ST)
Pierce Jump Shot: Missed	06:27
	06:26	Hassell Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
Scalabrine Foul : Shooting (2 PF)	06:19
House Substitution replaced by Rondo	06:19
Williams Substitution replaced by Garnett	06:19
	06:19 [NJN 29-29]	Alston Free Throw 1 of 2 (10 PTS)
	06:19	Alston Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed
Rondo Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	06:17
	06:06	Najera Foul : Shooting (3 PF)
Pierce Free Throw 1 of 2 (7 PTS)	06:06 [BOS 30-29]
	06:06	Najera Substitution replaced by Boone
Pierce Free Throw 2 of 2 (8 PTS)	06:06 [BOS 31-29]
	05:59	Team Timeout : Regular
Scalabrine Substitution replaced by Allen	05:59
	05:47	Williams Jump Shot: Missed
Perkins Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)	05:46
Garnett Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Pierce (3 AST)	05:30 [BOS 33-29]
	05:17 [NJN 31-33]	Williams Driving Layup Shot: Made (2 PTS)
Boone Violation:Defensive Goaltending	04:57
Rondo Driving Layup Shot: Made (10 PTS)	04:57 [BOS 35-31]
	04:43 [NJN 33-35]	Lopez Hook Shot: Made (8 PTS) Assist: Alston (4 AST)
Garnett Layup Shot: Missed Block: Lopez (1 BLK)	04:32
	04:30	Lopez Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)
	04:14	Williams Jump Shot: Missed
	04:12	Lopez Rebound (Off:1 Def:4)
	04:11 [NJN 35-35]	Lopez Tip Shot: Made (10 PTS)
Rondo Layup Shot: Made (12 PTS) Assist: Pierce (4 AST)	03:54 [BOS 37-35]
	03:35	Williams Turnover : Bad Pass (2 TO) Steal:Rondo (3 ST)
Garnett Jump Shot: Missed	03:23
	03:22	Williams Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
	03:10	Hassell Jump Shot: Missed
Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)	03:09
Allen Driving Layup Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Rondo (3 AST)	03:01 [BOS 39-35]
Perkins Foul : Shooting (3 PF)	02:40
Team Timeout : Regular	02:40
Perkins Substitution replaced by Wallace	02:40
	02:40 [NJN 36-39]	Hassell Free Throw 1 of 2 (1 PTS)
	02:40	Williams Substitution replaced by Simmons
	02:40	Hassell Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed
Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)	02:38
Rondo Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO)	02:31
	02:10 [NJN 38-39]	Alston Floating Jump shot: Made (12 PTS)
Allen 3pt Shot: Missed	01:54
	01:53	Boone Rebound (Off:1 Def:5)
	01:39	Lopez Jump Shot: Missed
Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:5)	01:38
	01:20	Boone Foul : Personal (1 PF)
Rondo Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed	01:20
Team Rebound	01:20
	01:20	Hassell Substitution replaced by Williams
Rondo Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed	01:20
	01:19	Boone Rebound (Off:1 Def:6)
	00:57.9	Alston 3pt Shot: Missed
Allen Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	00:56.7
Allen Turnover : Bad Pass (2 TO)	00:48.9
Team Timeout : Short	00:48.9
	00:27.7 [NJN 40-39]	Boone Reverse Layup Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Lopez (1 AST)
Rondo Jump Shot: Missed	00:03.1
	00:01.9	Williams Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)
	00:00.6	Williams 3pt Shot: Missed
	00:00.0	Team Rebound
End of 2nd Quarter
Boston Celtics (25-8)		New Jersey Nets (3-31)
Start of 3rd QuarterBack to Top
Pierce Jump Shot: Made (10 PTS)	11:46 [BOS 41-40]
	11:33 [NJN 43-41]	Simmons 3pt Shot: Made (10 PTS) Assist: Alston (5 AST)
	11:23	Simmons Foul : Personal (1 PF)
	11:12	Hassell Foul : Personal (3 PF)
Perkins Foul : Offensive (4 PF)	11:12
Perkins Turnover : Foul (2 TO)	11:12
	10:56	Garnett Violation:Defensive Goaltending
	10:56 [NJN 45-41]	Boone Driving Layup Shot: Made (6 PTS) Assist: Simmons (2 AST)
Perkins Dunk Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Garnett (3 AST)	10:33 [BOS 43-45]
	10:19	Lopez Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO) Steal:Rondo (4 ST)
Pierce Layup Shot: Missed Block: Lopez (2 BLK)	10:14
Jump Ball Lopez vs Pierce (Boone gains possession)	10:14
	10:14	Team Rebound
	09:57	Lopez Jump Shot: Missed
Perkins Rebound (Off:0 Def:5)	09:56
Garnett Jump Shot: Missed	09:46
	09:44	Simmons Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)
	09:21	Boone Jump Shot: Missed
Rondo Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)	09:20
Pierce Jump Shot: Made (12 PTS) Assist: Allen (1 AST)	09:09 [BOS 45-45]
	08:48	Lopez Jump Shot: Missed
Allen Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)	08:46
Pierce Driving Layup Shot: Made (14 PTS) Assist: Allen (2 AST)	08:38 [BOS 47-45]
	08:32	Team Timeout : Regular
	08:14	Boone Hook Shot: Missed
Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:6)	08:13
	07:59	Simmons Foul : Personal (2 PF)
	07:53	Boone Foul : Shooting (2 PF)
Perkins Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed	07:53
Team Rebound	07:53
Perkins Free Throw 2 of 2 (5 PTS)	07:53 [BOS 48-45]
	07:43	Boone Turnover : Lost Ball (3 TO) Steal:Garnett (3 ST)
Rondo Driving Layup Shot: Made (14 PTS) Assist: Garnett (4 AST)	07:39 [BOS 50-45]
	07:11	Lopez Turnover : Bad Pass (2 TO) Steal:Rondo (5 ST)
Rondo Driving Layup Shot: Made (16 PTS)	07:07 [BOS 52-45]
	06:51	Alston Driving Layup Shot: Missed
	06:50	Lopez Rebound (Off:2 Def:4)
	06:49 [NJN 47-52]	Lopez Tip Shot: Made (12 PTS)
Garnett Jump Shot: Missed	06:35
Perkins Rebound (Off:1 Def:5)	06:34
Allen Jump Shot: Missed	06:08
	06:07	Boone Rebound (Off:1 Def:7)
	06:03	Lopez Foul : Offensive (1 PF)
	06:03	Lopez Turnover : Foul (3 TO)
	06:03	Hassell Substitution replaced by Williams
Perkins Substitution replaced by Wallace	06:03
Garnett Layup Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Pierce (5 AST)	05:48 [BOS 54-47]
	05:48	Lopez Foul : Shooting (2 PF)
Garnett Free Throw 1 of 1 (5 PTS)	05:48 [BOS 55-47]
Rondo Foul : Personal (1 PF)	05:38
Wallace Foul : Shooting (1 PF)	05:29
	05:29 [NJN 48-55]	Lopez Free Throw 1 of 2 (13 PTS)
	05:29 [NJN 49-55]	Lopez Free Throw 2 of 2 (14 PTS)
Pierce Jump Shot: Missed	05:21
	05:20	Team Rebound
	04:52 [NJN 52-55]	Alston 3pt Shot: Made (15 PTS) Assist: Williams (1 AST)
Wallace 3pt Shot: Missed	04:34
	04:33	Lopez Rebound (Off:2 Def:5)
	04:19	Alston 3pt Shot: Missed
Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:7)	04:18
Rondo 3pt Shot: Missed	03:54
	03:53	Williams Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)
	03:43 [NJN 54-55]	Lopez Layup Shot: Made (16 PTS) Assist: Boone (1 AST)
Garnett Foul : Shooting (1 PF)	03:43
	03:43 [NJN 55-55]	Lopez Free Throw 1 of 1 (17 PTS)
	03:22	Williams Foul : Shooting (2 PF)
Pierce Free Throw 1 of 2 (15 PTS)	03:22 [BOS 56-55]
Pierce Free Throw 2 of 2 (16 PTS)	03:22 [BOS 57-55]
Pierce Foul : Loose Ball (3 PF)	03:13
Allen Substitution replaced by Scalabrine	03:13
	03:01	Williams Driving Layup Shot: Missed
Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:8)	03:00
Scalabrine Foul : Offensive (3 PF)	02:49
Scalabrine Turnover : Foul (1 TO)	02:49
Team Timeout : Regular	02:49
	02:38 [NJN 57-57]	Williams Running Bank shot: Made (4 PTS)
Pierce Foul : Shooting (4 PF)	02:38
	02:38	Williams Free Throw 1 of 1 Missed
Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:9)	02:37
Garnett Jump Shot: Missed	02:23
	02:21	Simmons Rebound (Off:0 Def:5)
	02:13	Boone Layup Shot: Missed
Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:10)	02:12
	02:03	Simmons Foul : Shooting (3 PF)
Pierce Substitution replaced by Allen	02:03
Garnett Free Throw 1 of 2 (6 PTS)	02:03 [BOS 58-57]
Garnett Free Throw 2 of 2 (7 PTS)	02:03 [BOS 59-57]
	01:49	Williams Jump Shot: Missed
Rondo Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)	01:48
Wallace 3pt Shot: Missed	01:35
	01:34	Williams Rebound (Off:0 Def:5)
	01:13	Williams Floating Jump shot: Missed
	01:12	Boone Rebound (Off:2 Def:7)
	01:11 [NJN 59-59]	Boone Tip Shot: Made (8 PTS)
Garnett Turnover : Lost Ball (1 TO) Steal:Boone (1 ST)	00:54.9
	00:45.1 [NJN 61-59]	Lopez Jump Shot: Made (19 PTS) Assist: Alston (6 AST)
Scalabrine Jump Shot: Missed	00:27.9
	00:25.9	Boone Rebound (Off:2 Def:8)
	00:04.4	Boone Substitution replaced by Najera
	00:03.5	Team Turnover : Shot Clock Turnover
Scalabrine Substitution replaced by House	00:03.5
Garnett Substitution replaced by Pierce	00:03.5
	00:03.5	Lopez Substitution replaced by Hassell
Wallace Substitution replaced by Hudson	00:03.5
Allen Turnaround Jump Shot: Missed	00:00.9
Team Rebound	00:00.0
End of 3rd Quarter
Boston Celtics (25-8)		New Jersey Nets (3-31)
Start of 4th QuarterBack to Top
	11:43	Williams Turnover : Bad Pass (3 TO) Steal:Wallace (3 ST)
Scalabrine 3pt Shot: Made (3 PTS) Assist: Williams (1 AST)	11:25 [BOS 62-61]
	11:07	Hassell Driving Layup Shot: Missed
Wallace Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	11:06
Wallace 3pt Shot: Missed	10:58
	10:57	Williams Rebound (Off:0 Def:6)
	10:36	Lopez Hook Shot: Missed
Williams Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	10:34
Scalabrine Jump Shot: Made (5 PTS) Assist: Allen (3 AST)	10:09 [BOS 64-61]
Wallace Foul : Shooting (2 PF)	09:56
	09:56 [NJN 62-64]	Alston Free Throw 1 of 2 (16 PTS)
	09:56	Lopez Substitution replaced by Boone
	09:56 [NJN 63-64]	Alston Free Throw 2 of 2 (17 PTS)
	09:32	Boone Foul : Shooting (3 PF)
Wallace Free Throw 1 of 2 (6 PTS)	09:32 [BOS 65-63]
	09:32	Alston Substitution replaced by Simmons
Wallace Free Throw 2 of 2 (7 PTS)	09:32 [BOS 66-63]
	09:12	Hassell Layup Shot: Missed Block: Wallace (1 BLK)
	09:10	Hassell Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)
	09:09 [NJN 65-66]	Hassell Layup Shot: Made (3 PTS)
Allen Jump Shot: Made (6 PTS) Assist: Scalabrine (1 AST)	08:43 [BOS 68-65]
	08:43	Instant Replay - Support Ruling
	08:21	Najera 3pt Shot: Missed
Wallace Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)	08:20
Allen Driving Layup Shot: Made (8 PTS)	07:59 [BOS 70-65]
	07:57	Team Timeout : Regular
	07:57	Najera Substitution replaced by Lopez
	07:39	House Violation:Kicked Ball
	07:33 [NJN 67-70]	Williams Driving Finger Roll Layup Shot: Made (6 PTS)
Wallace Turnaround Jump Shot: Missed	07:12
Williams Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)	07:10
Williams Layup Shot: Made (6 PTS)	07:08 [BOS 72-67]
	06:53	Williams Turnover : Bad Pass (4 TO) Steal:Scalabrine (3 ST)
Wallace Turnaround Jump Shot: Made (9 PTS)	06:40 [BOS 74-67]
	06:20	Williams Substitution replaced by Alston
Scalabrine Substitution replaced by Pierce	06:20
	06:20	Jump Ball Hassell vs Wallace (Alston gains possession)
	06:16 [NJN 70-74]	Alston 3pt Shot: Made (20 PTS)
	05:58	Alston Foul : Shooting (3 PF)
Timeout : Official	05:58
	05:58	Simmons Substitution replaced by Williams
Williams Free Throw 1 of 2 (7 PTS)	05:58 [BOS 75-70]
Williams Free Throw 2 of 2 (8 PTS)	05:58 [BOS 76-70]
	05:34	Alston Turnover : Lost Ball (6 TO) Steal:Wallace (4 ST)
Williams Alley Oop Dunk Shot: Missed	05:29
	05:26	Hassell Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)
	05:06	Hassell Jump Shot: Missed
Wallace Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)	05:05
Allen Jump Shot: Made (10 PTS) Assist: Pierce (6 AST)	04:45 [BOS 78-70]
	04:26 [NJN 72-78]	Lopez Jump Shot: Made (21 PTS) Assist: Alston (7 AST)
Allen Jump Shot: Made (12 PTS) Assist: Pierce (7 AST)	04:08 [BOS 80-72]
	04:08	Team Timeout : Short
Williams Substitution replaced by Garnett	04:08
Wallace Substitution replaced by Perkins	04:07
	03:45 [NJN 74-80]	Williams Turnaround Jump Shot: Made (8 PTS)
Garnett Jump Shot: Made (9 PTS) Assist: Perkins (1 AST)	03:18 [BOS 82-74]
	02:58 [NJN 76-82]	Lopez Jump Shot: Made (23 PTS) Assist: Williams (2 AST)
Garnett Jump Shot: Missed	02:33
	02:31	Williams Rebound (Off:0 Def:7)
	02:17	Alston Running Jump Shot: Missed
Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:11)	02:16
	02:02	Hassell Foul : Personal (4 PF)
Team Timeout : Regular	02:02
Allen 3pt Shot: Missed	01:53
	01:52	Williams Rebound (Off:0 Def:8)
	01:44	Alston Driving Layup Shot: Missed Block: Pierce (1 BLK)
	01:43	Boone Rebound (Off:3 Def:8)
	01:42	Boone Putback Layup Shot: Missed
Perkins Rebound (Off:1 Def:6)	01:41
House 3pt Shot: Missed	01:24
	01:23	Hassell Rebound (Off:1 Def:3)
	01:01	Williams Driving Layup Shot: Missed
	00:59.9	Boone Rebound (Off:4 Def:8)
	00:58.8	Boone Tip Shot: Missed
Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:12)	00:57.9
Perkins Driving Layup Shot: Made (7 PTS) Assist: Allen (4 AST)	00:54.6 [BOS 84-76]
	00:54.6	Team Timeout : Short
	00:54.6	Boone Substitution replaced by Simmons
	00:47.1	Hassell Turnover : Traveling (2 TO)
Allen Driving Layup Shot: Missed	00:44.8
Allen Rebound (Off:1 Def:3)	00:42.9
	00:42.5	Lopez Foul : Personal (3 PF)
	00:41.9	Lopez Foul : Personal (4 PF)
Perkins Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed	00:41.9
Team Rebound	00:41.9
	00:41.9	Simmons Substitution replaced by Boone
Perkins Free Throw 2 of 2 (8 PTS)	00:41.9 [BOS 85-76]
	00:41.9	Team Timeout : Regular
	00:41.9	Boone Substitution replaced by Simmons
	00:37.9	Simmons 3pt Shot: Missed
	00:36.8	Williams Rebound (Off:1 Def:8)
	00:35.9	Williams Layup Shot: Missed Block: Perkins (1 BLK)
Perkins Rebound (Off:1 Def:7)	00:34.6
	00:33.6	Hassell Foul : Personal (5 PF)
Perkins Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed	00:33.6
Team Rebound	00:33.6
Perkins Free Throw 2 of 2 (9 PTS)	00:33.6 [BOS 86-76]
	00:22.9	Alston 3pt Shot: Missed
Garnett Rebound (Off:0 Def:13)	00:21.9
End of 4th Quarter

broadcast information
country		channel			time
usa		--	YES	Local	Final
		--	CSN-NE	Local	Final