76ers-Celtics Preview

By JIMMY GOLEN
Posted May 11 2012 6:23PM

WALTHAM, Mass. (AP) The Philadelphia 76ers danced in celebration after their first-round upset of the top-seeded Chicago Bulls.

The Boston Celtics plodded off the court after clinching their first-round series, in search of the nearest bucket of ice.

"They were excited. We were relieved," Boston coach Doc Rivers said Friday, the only off-day before the Celtics and Sixers begin the Eastern Conference semifinals on Saturday night. "When the clock went off for us, we were like, `Oh my goodness. Let's go to bed."'

Philadelphia took advantage of a Chicago team missing Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah to become just the fifth No. 8 seed to knock off a No. 1 seed in the NBA playoffs. They celebrated appropriately: Andre Iguodala, who sank the game-winning free throws with 2.2 seconds left, hopped on the scorer's table as the 76ers' anthem blared in the arena and confetti fluttered down from the rafters.

"I don't even know what to say. I really don't. What this means to me, and the organization, and our team. It's just off the charts," coach Doug Collins said afterwards. "Sometimes you just can't figure this out. Sometimes you've just got to enjoy it. That's what I'm sure going to do I can tell you that. It's been an incredible year."

The Celtics eliminated Atlanta in six games, but they aren't ready to celebrate yet. Boston has advanced at least to the second round of the NBA playoffs in every year since the new Big 3 was assembled in the summer of 2007, twice reaching the finals and winning it all in 2008.

The Sixers had not won a playoff series since 2003, and only a few Sixers have ever gone this far in the postseason.

"I told them, `Now we're in the high rent district. Now you start really finding out what it's all about,"' Collins said. "(You) can't put a price on experience, what our guys are gaining every single day. Just to watch the joy that they had in that locker room after the game was something I'll never forget."

Rivers said he didn't expect the 76ers to be a pushover because they were happy just to finally win a playoff series. Sometimes the excitement of that first win can carry a team in later rounds, he said.

"They have the emotional advantage because of their win," Rivers said. "We have to match that."

Rivers has more than just emotion to worry about.

Paul Pierce has been nursing a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee, and though he had 18 points in Game 6 he was clearly not moving as well. He said Friday he could run and jump straight, but it bothered him when he tried to move laterally.

He is now wearing braces on both knees, and he said he expects to play on Saturday night.

"It's probably not going to be better until the season's over," Pierce said. "I just can't overdo it, do something that could hurt my career."

Shooting guard Ray Allen also reported a setback in his recovery from bone spurs in his right ankle. Allen missed about three weeks, including the first two games of the playoffs, then returned for three solid games before struggling on Thursday, shooting 1-for-7 and missing two free throws.

"It puts you somewhat in a disappointing mood, frustrating," said Allen, who planned to stay off his feet on Friday and see how he feels on Saturday. "I'm back to the same place where I was two weeks ago."

Philadelphia won two of three games against Boston in the regular season, both at home, including a 32-point victory on March 7.

Allen said he considered that an advantage.

"Beating them 3-0, if we did, you come into it a little cocky and arrogant," Allen said. "But since they beat us the two out of three, we know this team is capable and they've had our number, so we have got to zone in and focus on beating them and taking care of all those things we didn't do well."

Garnett (29, 11) leads Celtics past 76ers, 92-91

By JIMMY GOLEN
Posted May 12 2012 11:44PM

BOSTON (AP) Rajon Rondo has made dozens of last-second dashes to the basket.

This time, he went in the opposite direction.

The Celtics point guard ran into the backcourt, grabbing the inbounds pass in stride, avoiding a foul and dribbling out the final 3.4 seconds to clinch Boston's 92-91 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night in the opener of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

"I feel like I could out-quick him. That's what I did," Rondo said. "We knew they had a foul to give. I told Doc (Rivers) to get me the ball and I could use my speed."

Rondo had 17 assists, 13 points and 12 rebounds for his eighth career playoff triple-double. He had six points, five assists and four rebounds in the fourth quarter, when the Celtics went on a 23-7 run to turn a double-digit deficit into a six-point lead with 78 seconds to play.

"He's an amazing player. He really is," Sixers coach Doug Collins said. "He takes that ball wherever he wants to take it on the floor."

Kevin Garnett scored 29 points - his most in the regular- or postseason this year - and added 11 rebounds to help Boston maintain home-court advantage in the best-of-seven, second-round series. Game 2 is Monday night in Boston before the series shifts to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4.

"If you've watched us all season, we're not going to drop our heads," Collins said. "We live to come back and fight just as hard in Game 2, at least as long as I'm the coach."

Andre Iguodala scored 19 points and Evan Turner had 16 with 10 rebounds for Philadelphia, which advanced to the second round for the first time since 2003 by beating East No. 1 seed Chicago. But Turner couldn't catch Rondo in the final seconds when Philadelphia had a foul to give.

"Rondo just leaps out. That's the last thing on your mind: him going into our side of the court," Iguodala said. "You could have a turnover down there. It's a gamble, but it's a good play. ... We could have done a better job scoping it out."

The Sixers led 77-67 with 11 minutes to play before Boston scored 23 of the next 30 points, with Rondo making a jumper to cut it to 80-79, then another two minutes later to give Boston an 83-82 lead with 3:47 to play.

After Spencer Hawes' basket from the right baseline put the Sixers up 84-83, Rondo drove to the basket and, with his path blocked, turned and handed the ball to Garnett. He banked one in and drew the foul to give Boston a two-point lead, then added another jumper.

After misses by Turner and Lou Williams, Paul Pierce hit a fall-away jumper with 78 seconds left to make it a six-point lead - the Celtics' biggest of the night.

Boston still led by five when Jrue Holiday made a jumper, then Rondo fouled him with 3.4 seconds left and he made both foul shots. Boston inbounded the ball from between the benches, and Rondo sprinted back into the backcourt and outran Turner to the wrong basket as the time expired.

Pierce, who had a sprained MCL in his left knee, scored 14 points on 3-for-11 shooting. Rondo was only 6 for 15 from the floor, but he was 3 for 6 in the fourth quarter, adding five rebounds and four assists.

Hawes scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half.

Both teams advanced by winning their first-round series in six games: Boston beat Atlanta, and Philadelphia eliminated the Bulls to become the fifth No. 8 seed to eliminate a No. 1. They got only one day off before beginning the second round in Boston, where the Celtics earned their only victory against the Sixers this year.

The Sixers scored the first seven points of the game and led by 10 at the end of the first quarter, when Boston shot 30 percent. It was 45-32 when Boston scored 10 of the last 12 points in the half, with Rondo picking up four assists and a steal in the final 3 minutes before the break.

A little more than two minutes into the third, Avery Bradley outraced Rondo to a long rebound and took it in, splitting defenders Iguodala and Holiday for the reverse layup that made it 48-47 - Boston's first lead of the game. Philadelphia quickly retook the lead and extended it to eight points.

Notes: Garnett scored eight points on 4-for-6 shooting in the first quarter and was the only Celtics starter to make a basket in the first. ... Ray Allen, who was 1 for 7 from the floor in Game 6 of the Atlanta series while struggling with bone spurs in his right ankle, was 3 for 5 in 14 minutes in the first half on Saturday. ... Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca ventured over to the media section to say hello to former player Brian Scalabrine, who was working for Comcast SportsNet. ... The Celtics were 2-for-18 from 3-point range. ... Philadelphia won the two games at home, including a 32-point victory on March 7. None of the three regular-season meetings between the teams was close.

Notebook: Celtics 92, Sixers 91

Posted Sunday May 13, 2012 12:17AM

By Brian Robb, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Rajon Rondo had yet another triple-double and Kevin Garnett poured in a season-high 29 points as the Boston Celtics overcame a 13-point second half deficit to escape with a 92-91 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. It was the eighth career triple-double in the postseason for Rondo, who tallied 13 points, 12 rebounds and 17 assists as the hosts rallied behind him in the fourth quarter to overcome the underdog Sixers. The point guard did it all for Boston in the fourth quarter (six points, five rebounds, five assists) and even dribbled out the clock on the game's final possession as Philadelphia was unable to foul the speedy guard off an in-bounds play and extend the game. Andre Iguodala paced the visitors with 19 points and Evan Turner added a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Boston now leads the best-of-seven series 1-0.

QUOTABLE: "I feel we have better basketball in us. I'm sure as the series goes on we will have no other choice but to get better. Whatever is asked of me is what I am going to do."
-- Garnett

THE STAT: After being beat on the glass 25-17 by the Sixers in the first half, the Celtics turned the tables in the second half. Boston outrebounded Philadelphia 28-16 despite playing with a smaller lineup featuring three guards in the fourth quarter.

TURNING POINT: After falling behind by eight points with 9:17 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Celtics took command of the game by jumping out to a 20-5 run over the next eight minutes, anchored by nine points from Garnett over the stretch.

QUOTABLE II: "Tonight's game we played harder than we have all season. I think it kind of carried over from the series with Chicago. We know we can play with these guys and we know our strengths, we just got to work on our weaknesses and we have to grow from these situations.
-- Iguodala

HOT: Garnett -- The future hall-of-famer followed up his season-best effort against Atlanta in Game 6 with a new season-high in points and another sensational double-double on 60 percent shooting from the field. Over his past two contests, Garnett is averaging 28.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, two steals and four blocks.

NOT: Jrue Holiday -- The Sixers' point guard continues to be mired in a shooting slump dating back to Philadelphia's series against Chicago. Holiday missed 10 of his 13 shots on Saturday night, and over his past four games, he has hit just 29.4 percent (29-of-64) of his shot attempts.

INSIDE THE ARENA: New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft cheered the Celtics on from courtside. Former Celtics forward Brian Scalabrine also was at the TD Garden and posed for photos in the crowd.

GOOD MOVE: Rondo made an incredibly savvy move on Philadelphia's final opportunity to tie the game. After Spencer Hawes corralled a rebound off a Paul Pierce miss with seven seconds remaining, Holiday received the ball from his center, as his team trailed 92-89 and raced up the floor against a disorganized Celtics defense. Instead of allowing Holiday to get up a 3-point shot and potentially tie the game, Rondo fouled the point guard just as he passed half court. Holiday made the free throws but the Sixers never got another chance to tie the game up.

QUOTABLE III: "I didn't think I would play the way I played tonight. I didn't get a nap today so I didn't know what to expect. I came up with some rebounds, I came up with some assists and it just happened to be a triple-double tonight."
-- Rondo on whether he expected to get a triple-double in Game 1

ROOKIE WATCH: Lavoy Allen -- The former Temple star had an incredibly efficient game over his 20 minutes of action for Philadelphia. The second-round pick, who did not play in Game 6 against the Bulls, had a postseason career-high 12 points and six rebounds, before being forced to sit late in the game once Boston went with a smaller lineup.

NOTABLE: Ray Allen (ankle) scored 12 points off the bench for Boston despite being a game-time decision with a sore right ankle. Pierce also struggled for the Celts' offensively, scoring just 14 points on 3-of-11 shooting as he plays with a sprained left MCL suffered during the first round series against Atlanta. Philadelphia is in the second round for the first time since 2003. The Celtics had seven fast break points in the fourth quarter.

UP NEXT: Game 2: Monday May 14th Philadelphia @ Boston 7 p.m. ET

• 76ers: Brackins
• Celtics: Johnson, Williams

• 76ers: --
• Celtics: --

• Lead Changes: 7
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: TD Garden, Boston, MA
• Officials: #57 Greg Willard, #19 James Capers, #36 David Jones
• Attendance: 18624
• Duration: 2:24