Celtics-76ers Preview

By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
Posted Mar 07 2012 12:06AM

The Boston Celtics have done nothing but win Atlantic Division titles since Kevin Garnett joined the team, and they're starting to look like they will capture another.

The visiting Celtics can stretch their win streak to a season-high six games Wednesday night and pull into a virtual tie for the division lead with the stumbling Philadelphia 76ers when they visit Wells Fargo Center.

Boston (20-17) has won the Atlantic the last four seasons since Garnett joined the club before the 2007-08 campaign. A 4-7 start by the Celtics and a 7-2 beginning by Philadelphia (22-17) made it seem like the balance of power had shifted south.

With trade rumors swirling around star point guard Rajon Rondo, the Celtics, though, are enjoying their second five-game win streak of the season as they continue to pull out close games. Their last two wins have been in overtime, including 97-92 at home Tuesday over Houston.

"We're starting to play good basketball, and we're starting to win games where we don't play good basketball," coach Doc Rivers said. "And that may be more important."

Winning close games has become a problem for Philadelphia, which has dropped eight of 10 but has been outscored by only five points during that stretch. The 76ers' last four defeats have been by a combined 19 points.

"We keep fighting," forward Elton Brand said. "One day we're going to break through. I think we're going to peak at the right time and start winning these close games right before the playoffs."

Coach Doug Collins made lineup changes for Monday's 97-93 loss at Milwaukee, replacing Jodie Meeks and Lavoy Allen with Evan Turner and Nikola Vucevic. Turner missed 11 of 12 shots for two points but had a career high-tying 12 rebounds while Meeks scored 13.

"I wanted to calm Jodie down a little bit, I think he's been pressing," Collins said. "I think he came down and hit his first four shots. And just to see, put Evan out there, see what he could do."

Collins was left lamenting a poor second half in which his club scored 38 points.

"We shot 13 for 49 from the floor in the second half," Collins said. "I mean, come on. Who are you going to beat?"

The Celtics are seeking their first six-game win streak since a 14-game run Nov. 22-Dec. 22, 2010. Paul Pierce scored 30 on Tuesday on the heels of his 34-point effort in Sunday's 115-111 victory over New York.

Boston and Philadelphia have yet to meet this season after the Celtics took three of four matchups in 2010-11. Pierce was quiet with 12.5 points per game on 41.7 percent shooting, Rondo averaged 15.7 points and 10.7 assists in three games and Ray Allen led Boston with 15.8 points per game.

Brand led Philadelphia in the 2010-11 season series with an average of 13.8 points.

The Celtics have taken 13 of 16 matchups since Garnett joined the club. He had double-doubles in all four wins on Boston's homestand that ended Tuesday, averaging 19.0 points and 10.8 boards.

Turner's career-high 26 leads 76ers over Celtics

By ROB MAADDI
Posted Mar 08 2012 1:10AM

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Evan Turner made certain his name will be inked into the starting lineup.

Turner scored a career-best 26 points, helping the Philadelphia 76ers rout the Boston Celtics 103-71 Wednesday night to maintain their lead in the Atlantic Division.

Before tip-off, Turner denied a radio report that a mystery problem was causing his inconsistent play. Then Turner went out and proved he's just fine. He shot 11 of 19 and grabbed nine rebounds.

"I'm just trying to build off this and enjoy the moment," Turner said. "I'm not saying `I told you so."'

So far, Turner hasn't played like a guy worthy of the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 draft. He started just 14 games last year and only moved into the lineup two nights ago.

But Sixers coach Doug Collins said Turner will be out there for the long haul. He was reluctant to make a change after Philadelphia's strong finish last year and hot start this season. After the Sixers lost seven of nine, Collins finally inserted Turner and sent Jodie Meeks to the bench.

"Evan is a great leader," Collins said. "He worked his tail off to be a better basketball player in the offseason and he was when he came back. When he didn't start, I know a part of him said `I should be.' But he didn't say anything. Evan has extreme confidence. He thinks he's the best player on this team."

Six Sixers scored in double figures, including Elton Brand (18), Lou Williams (15) and Nik Vucevic (14). Vucevic's 12 rebounds were a high for the rookie. Andre Iguodala had 10 points, eight assists and seven boards.

The Sixers, a surprise contender a month ago, had lost eight of 10 to drop their lead in the division to one game over Boston, which had won five in a row.

But the Celtics were no match for Philadelphia in this one.

Paul Pierce had 16 points and Brandon Bass added 12. Rajon Rondo had just 5 and Ray Allen 2.

"We just didn't have it," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "We missed shot after shot and nothing was working. But give them credit. They were organized and they played really well. They're a good team and we just didn't fight through it."

Coming off an overtime win at home over Houston on Tuesday night, the Celtics clearly were sluggish in their 11th back-to-back game of the season.

The Sixers, helped by Turner's 10 points, led 33-17 after one quarter. Turner's best play, though, was an alley-oop pass to Iguodala, who thrilled the crowd with a thunderous dunk.

Collins said Turner is a true point guard and called him the team's best rebounder. Jrue Holiday has been the starting point guard, but Collins wants to see Turner and Holiday in the backcourt together and share the ball along with Iguodala.

"Evan needs the ball. He's a totally different player when he has the ball," Collins said. "I have to find the right fit. I have to see how those guys play together over an extended period. They are our future."

Turner hit a jumper to cap a 14-0 run in the second quarter that gave the Sixers their biggest lead to that point, 49-21. Williams started it off with a 3-pointer and Holiday swished a 3 during the stretch.

Turner slammed one in off a pass from Iguodala in the third. Minutes later, he made a driving layup, got fouled, high-fived a fan and then sank a free throw to complete a 3-point play.

He nailed a 3 to reach 26 points, surpassing his previous high of 23 during his rookie year. Turner entered the game averaging 7.7 points per game. He shot just 1 for 12 in a 97-93 loss at Milwaukee on Monday.

"I didn't worry about anything," Turner said, adding that it helped when Collins told him he's going to keep starting him. "You have to understand that as a pro you're going to have good nights and bad nights."

The Sixers haven't had much success against the better teams in the league. A convincing win over Boston should boost their confidence heading into the next five-game stretch. After playing Utah and New York, they'll face Indiana, Miami and Chicago.

"We had some tired legs and Philly took advantage," Pierce said. "I feel like we can always win a game. I do. I always feel like we have enough to come back. But we just didn't have it tonight."

Notes: Former Sixers president Pat Croce received a rousing ovation when he was introduced at half court before the game. Croce once was an athletic trainer for the Sixers and Flyers who rose to part-owner and drafted Allen Iverson with the No. 1 pick in the 1996 draft. ... Celtics are 5-6 in second game of back-to-backs. ... Boston C Jermaine O'Neal sat out because of a sprained left wrist. ... Sixers F Thaddeus Young didn't play because he has an upper respiratory tract infection. ... Philadelphia has 19 double-digit wins, and its 11 victories by 20-plus points are the most in the NBA. ... The Celtics were 0 for 8 from 3-point range. The last time they didn't make a 3 was at Orlando on Jan. 22, 2009.

Notebook: Sixers 103, Celtics 71

Posted Wednesday March 7, 2012 10:17PM

By Andy Jasner, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Evan Turner scored a career-high 26 points, Elton Brand was efficient with 18 points and the Philadelphia 76ers snapped a two-game losing streak with a resounding 103-71 victory over the Boston Celtics Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo Center. Six Sixers (23-17) scored in double figures and they extended their lead in the Atlantic Division to two games. Boston could have been tied for first place with Philadelphia with a win.

Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 16 points while Brandon Bass had 12 points. Boston had won five in a row entering this game but looked tired after Tuesday's 97-92 overtime victory over the Houston Rockets. The Celtics shot a season-low 35 percent and fell to 20-18.

QUOTABLE: "It was a good night. I'm going to just try and build off this."
-- Turner, on his career-high following 15 straight games below double figures in points.

THE STAT: The Celtics were 0-for-8 from 3-point territory. The last time the Celtics didn't hit one 3-pointer in a game came at Orlando on Jan. 22, 2009. This was Boston's worst 3-point shooting performance since going 0-for-10 against Utah on Dec. 21, 2005.

TURNING POINT: The Sixers have struggled holding leads this season. Not this time. They built a 55-33 advantage at halftime and extended it to 80-53 at the end of the third quarter. It was enough of a cushion to win comfortably.

HOT: Brand knocked down eight of his 10 shots while Turner was 11-for-19.

NOT: Ray Allen missed all five of his shots, including both 3-pointers. Allen hit both free throws, however.

QUOTABLE II: "Evan is a great leader. He really is. He's a guy who really likes to lead on the floor. He needs the ball. When he has the ball in his hands, he's a totally different player."
-- Sixers coach Doug Collins on Turner.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: Andre Iguodala nearly compiled a triple-double with 10 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.

INSIDE THE ARENA: The Celtics-Sixers rivalry remains as intense as ever. That emotion was felt before Wednesday's game began and it continued all night. Before the game, the Sixers introduced former president Pat Croce and he received a huge ovation. Croce played a big role in the club drafting Allen Iverson with the No. 1 pick in 1996. Under Croce's leadership, the Sixers advanced to the Finals before falling in five games to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2001.

QUOTABLE III: "We were really sloppy. Honestly, we missed a ton of open shots."
-- Celtics coach Doc Rivers.

GOOD MOVE: Despite struggling in his last start two nights ago in a loss at Milwaukee, Turner was given another shot. And did he ever deliver.

BAD MOVE: While Allen misfired from the field, the Celtics could have gone to him more. Great shooters need to keep shooting. That's what Allen has done his entire career.

ROOKIE WATCH: Boston forward JaJuan Johnson scored 10 points off the bench while center Greg Stiemsma added four points. For the Sixers, forward Nikola Vucevic registered a double-double with 14 points and a career-high 12 rebounds while Lavoy Allen had two points and six rebounds.

NOTABLE: Pierce played in his 999th career game Wednesday. Pierce is in third place in Celtics history in this category with only John Havlicek (1,270) and Robert Parish (1,106) in front of him. ... Sixers forward Thaddeus Young (13.2 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game) was out with an upper respiratory tract infection. ... Celtics center Jermaine O'Neal missed the game with a sprained left wrist. ... The Celtics missed eight straight shots during one stretch in the second. ... Boston dropped to 3-15 when it scores 89 or fewer points in a game. ... The Sixers outrebounded Boston 54-35.

NEXT: For the Celtics, Friday vs. Portland, Sunday @ L.A. Lakers, Monday @ L.A. Clippers. For the Sixers, Friday vs. Utah, Sunday @ New York, Wednesday @ Indiana.

• Celtics: Moore, O'Neal
• 76ers: Hawes

• Celtics: --
• 76ers: --

• Lead Changes: 0
• Times Tied: 0

• Arena: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
• Officials: #47 Bennie Adams, #70 Brent Barnaky, #41 Ken Mauer
• Attendance: 18508
• Duration: 2:04