Celtics-Wizards Preview

By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
Posted Jan 21 2012 1:42PM

Rajon Rondo is the Eastern Conference's assist leader, showcasing his ability in back-to-back victories over the Washington Wizards to start this month.

It's no surprise, therefore, that the Boston Celtics looked lost offensively in their first game without him.

The Celtics are unsure if they will have Rondo back Sunday on the road when they try to improve to 3-0 against the Wizards this season.

Boston (5-9) matched its lowest scoring output in eight seasons in Friday's 79-71 home loss to Phoenix. Rondo, averaging 9.4 assists, sat out because of a wrist injury suffered in Wednesday's win over Toronto.

Coach Doc Rivers did not put a timetable on Rondo's return, hoping he will be available Sunday. Without their point guard, the Celtics struggled to get into an offensive rhythm.

"We should be better than that," Rivers said. "It's on me. If one guy doesn't play, you should be able to play through it."

Ray Allen led Boston with 14 points but had a season-high five turnovers, while Paul Pierce added 12 points and a team-best six assists but was just 5 of 14 from the field.

"He creates so much for our offense," said Pierce about Rondo. "He's our floor general, lot of things we do go through him so it was just kind of trying to change up some things."

Second-year guard Avery Bradley got his first NBA start and had 10 points and one assist in a career-high 33 minutes.

"We had Avery Bradley out there, but you know it was valuable experience for him to go out there and play the minutes he did tonight," Pierce added.

Rondo averaged 13.5 assists as Boston posted a pair of eight-point victories in a home-and-home set with Washington (2-13) on Jan. 1-2. The Celtics' lone road victory in five tries was their 94-86 win at the Verizon Center to open that set as Rondo had a triple-double.

Boston is looking to fare better against JaVale McGee, who averaged 16.5 points and 14.0 rebounds in the first two matchups. McGee should be a concern after the Celtics had trouble with another unheralded big man Friday as Marcin Gortat had 24 points and 12 boards.

Washington remains the league's worst team as it wraps up a five-game homestand. The Wizards feel they are improving after beating Oklahoma City 105-102 on Wednesday and losing 108-104 to Denver on Friday.

"We're playing better than a week ago," coach Flip Saunders said.

These teams are among the worst in the NBA in scoring, with Boston averaging 88.9 points and Washington 88.7.

The Wizards, however, have upped the tempo to average 105.0 points in their last three games after failing to reach 100 in their first 12 contests.

"I think we're a more up-and-down team," point guard John Wall said. "Halfcourt we're OK, we're not a great halfcourt team. We go 1-on-1 too much."

Wall is averaging 15.0 points and 8.0 assists against Boston this season. He had a season-high 10 assists Friday.

The improved offense has resulted in better production from top scorer Nick Young, averaging 22.3 points on this homestand.

Pierce has best game of the season in Celtics win

Posted Jan 22 2012 5:31PM

WASHINGTON (AP) The Boston Celtics were missing one of their star guards when the game started, and then lost another in the second quarter.

The way Paul Pierce was playing, it didn't matter.

Pierce had season highs with 34 points and 10 assists and tied his season best with eight rebounds to lead the Celtics to a 100-94 victory over the Washington Wizards on Sunday.

"Paul carried us," said Ray Allen, who left after jamming his left ankle in the first half. "He played great for us. The team, everybody rallied behind him."

Boston started without point guard Rajon Rondo, out for the second straight game with a sprained right wrist, and Allen left after being fouled by Jan Vesely with about 6 1/2 minutes left in the second quarter.

Pierce - who had scored a total of 20 points in the previous two games - made up for their absence, going 10 for 15 from the floor and 12 of 15 from the line. His three steals were also a season high.

"I'm one of our, if not our main scorer on this ballclub," Pierce said. "That's my role. I haven't been doing a good job of it lately, but a lot of that has to do with just being in game shape, getting my legs stronger, being able to get up and down and jump."

John Wall had 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for the Wizards. Nick Young scored 19 points, and JaVale McGee added 13, but they had no answer for Pierce.

"It's tough. The last five minutes we were right there," Wall said. "We've got to execute down the stretch."

Pierce was at his best right after the Celtics let a 15-point third-quarter lead slip away.

Washington tied the game at 75 with 9 1/2 minutes left on a fast-break alley-oop for a dunk from Wall to Trevor Booker, and the Wizards seemed to have the momentum. Pierce scored Boston's next 10 points, countering Washington's surge.

Pierce capped his 10-point run after the Wizards took an 84-83 lead with six minutes to go on Young's three-point play. Pierce hit a jumper to get the lead back, and the Celtics did not trail the rest of the way.

"At the end of the day, your big players have to step up and play well for you to win, especially games when you have guys out," Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "And Paul did everything."

Pierce scored 14 of Boston's final 25 points. Kevin Garnett scored five of his 17 points in the final two minutes, including an emphatic dunk down the lane with two minutes left to give Boston a 95-90 lead which effectively ended the Wizards' chances.

"We got ahead because we defended, got ahead and ran, and we moved the ball offensively," Washington coach Flip Saunders said. "Then all of a sudden we got ahead and the ball had Velcro."

Half of Boston's six wins this season have come against the Wizards, who have the league's worst record at 2-14.

Washington has some reason for optimism despite a two-game losing streak. On Wednesday, the Wizards got their second win of the season, and the past two losses were both close until the end.

"Ten days ago we weren't competing at a high level," Saunders said. "We've gotten to the point now we're competing at a high level. Now we've got to find a way to close out these games."

NOTES: Allen said he wasn't sure if he'd be able to play Monday against Orlando. "I definitely won't rule myself out," he said. ... Rivers said the team wanted to be cautious with Rondo's injury. "He's close, but we've just got to get it right," Rivers said before the game. ... G Keyon Dooling (sore left knee) was out for the sixth straight game, and F/C Chris Wilcox (sore left calf) missed his fifth straight game. ... Before the game, Saunders said he'd talked with starting F Andray Blatche about the boos Blatche has heard from the home fans in recent games. Saunders said he wouldn't consider changing his lineup based on the jeers Blatche has gotten. "He's a big boy. He can deal with it," Saunders said. "We're not going to make a decision whether he starts or not based on what the fan reaction is." With a large number of Celtics fans in the Verizon Center on Sunday, the boos were muted when Blatche's name was announced before the game.

Notebook: Celtics 100, Wizards 94

By Daimon Eklund, for NBA.com
Posted Sunday January 22, 2012 6:05PM

THE FACTS: Paul Pierce led the short-handed Boston Celtics to a 100-94 win against the Washington Wizards on Sunday. Pierce scored 34 points and had eight assists, both season highs, and also tied his season best with eight rebounds.

Point guard Rajon Rondo missed his second straight game with a sprained right wrist, and guard Ray Allen left in the second quarter with a jammed left ankle, but Pierce carried the Celtics, scoring 14 points in the final nine minutes.

John Wall led the Wizards with 27 points, seven assists and a season-high 10 rebounds.

QUOTABLE: "At the end of the day, your big players have to step up and play well for you to win, especially games when you have guys out. And Paul did everything."
-- Boston coach Doc Rivers

THE STAT: Pierce scored 34 points and took just 15 shots, going 10-for-15 from the field and 12-of-15 from the free throw line. Pierce had scored a total of 20 points in his previous two games.

TURNING POINT: Boston took a 15-point lead in the third quarter, but Washington came back. With six minutes to go, the Wizards' Nick Young took a long pass from Andray Blatche for a fast-break dunk, was fouled and converted the three-point play to give Washington a 84-83 lead. Pierce immediately answered with a jumper to take the lead back, and Boston never trailed the rest of the way. The jumper was the end of a stretch where Pierce had scored 10 straight points for the Celtics.

QUOTABLE II: "It's tough. I know his game. A great scorer, a great player, somebody who once he got going, you can't stop him. We should've, we was trying our best to get the ball out of his hands, but when a superstar wants the ball, they're going to do the things to get it."
- Wizards guard Young, talking about Pierce's performance.

HOT: Kevin Garnett didn't miss a shot in the second half, going 6-for-6. He scored five of his 17 points in the final two minutes, including a big dunk down the lane with two minutes left to give Boston a five-point lead.

NOT: Washington is slowly improving, but the Wizards still have the NBA's worst record at 2-14.

NOTABLE: Allen was injured on an offensive, away-from-the-ball foul by Jan Vesely in the second quarter. It was the second foul by Vesely that sent Allen to the floor, although they didn't appear to be intentional. Rivers didn't know when Allen or Rondo would be able to return, but he said Rondo was "close" and Allen said he wouldn't rule himself out for Monday's game.

QUOTABLE III: "I was joking with (Wizards coach Flip Saunders), when the same guy the third time knocked him down, I asked him, 'Did they have a hit out on Ray?'"
- Rivers

UP NEXT: For the Celtics, Monday vs. Orlando, Thursday @ Orlando, Friday vs. Indiana. For the Wizards, Monday @ Philadelphia, Wednesday vs. Charlotte, Friday @ Houston.

• Celtics: Dooling, Wilcox
• Wizards: N'Diaye, Turiaf

• Celtics: Pierce
• Wizards: Crawford, Young

• Lead Changes: 11
• Times Tied: 11

• Arena: Verizon Center, Washington, DC
• Officials: #17 Joe Crawford, #7 Kevin Fehr, #12 Violet Palmer
• Attendance: 15818
• Duration: 2:21