Celtics-76ers Preview

By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
Posted Dec 06 2012 10:36PM

Rajon Rondo and Jrue Holiday lead the Eastern Conference in assists and had no trouble racking them up the last time they met.

The point guards will match up twice this weekend when Rondo's Boston Celtics and Holiday's 76ers begin a home-and-home set at the Wells Fargo Center on Friday night.

Boston's Rondo leads the NBA with 12.8 assists per game while Holiday is averaging 9.3.

Philadelphia won 106-100 in the first meeting between these teams Nov. 9 at Boston that ended a six-game win streak by the home team in this series. Holiday had 21 points and 14 assists while Rondo finished with 14 points and matched a season high with 20 assists.

If there was an edge for the 76ers, it was the play of Holiday's backcourt mate Evan Turner, who had team highs of 25 points and 11 boards. Rondo's backcourt mate at the time was Courtney Lee, who scored six points.

The 76ers have also won five of their last six at home against the Celtics, including playoffs.

"They must have great confidence against us," Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "So those are going to be hard games. I do like it, especially in this stretch, because I think we've started to play a little bit better. We've struggled playing in Philly so I love all the bad stuff because that's good the way I look at it in my demented way."

These Atlantic Division rivals have identical 10-8 records as they sit in third place behind New York and Brooklyn. They also meet Saturday at the TD Garden.

Rondo returned Wednesday from a two-game suspension for a fight last week against the Nets and had 17 points and 11 assists in a 104-94 victory over Minnesota. Boston split the games without him.

"Having Rondo back was big for us," Kevin Garnett said. "I thought he brought a lot of good energy. We were excited that he was back, probably fed off of that."

Garnett had 18 points and 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double and Paul Pierce added 18 points as all five starters scored in double figures.

Garnett was also called upon to battle Kevin Love, who had 19 points and 13 rebounds but made just 6 of 15 shots.

The Boston center will be up against Philadelphia's Lavoy Allen and Spencer Hawes, who share the bulk of their team's minutes in the pivot.

Sixers coach Doug Collins said after Thursday's practice that he wants to see more from Hawes, calling him "a big part of our team." Hawes had eight points and six rebounds in the first meeting.

"I just showed our guys the Boston tape of the last game we played and it was the Spencer Hawes highlight show," Collins said. "I mean running the floor, sprinting the floor, around the basket, tipping balls in, catch and shooting, rolling out."

Philadelphia is trying to avoid its first three-game slide after falling 105-88 to the Timberwolves on Tuesday. Turner scored 19 while Holiday was held to 13 - 5.2 below his team-high average.

Reserve guard Nick Young has missed the last two games with a left big toe hyperextension, and said he may be able to return Saturday in Boston.

Turner hits winner in OT, 76ers top Celtics 95-94

By DAN GELSTON
Posted Dec 07 2012 11:26PM

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Evan Turner forgot about the missed shots and craved another chance.

His short memory proved useful in the clutch for the 76ers.

Turner drove past Courtney Lee and tossed up an off-balance, right-handed shot for the winner with 3.9 seconds left to lead Philadelphia to a 95-94 overtime win against the Boston Celtics on Friday night.

Turner had 26 points and 10 rebounds but missed his first four shots in OT. Coach Doug Collins had told Turner at the start of overtime to take over and lead the Sixers to a win over a heated Atlantic Division rival. He finally snapped his slump with the game on the line.

"Hopefully, it's the first of many," Turner said. "I'm glad I was able to break through."

His 13-footer almost wasn't enough at the end. But Rajon Rondo slipped and his ankles buckled on the last possession, costing him a chance to hit the potential game-winner, a dud ending to his sizzling triple-double.

"I should have took a layup," Rondo said. "It's frustrating. But the good thing about the NBA is you've got a chance to bounce back tomorrow night and get it back."

The same two teams meet again Saturday night in Boston. Unless he makes the game-winner, Rondo will have a tough time topping this one on short rest: He had 16 points, 14 assists and a season-high 13 rebounds for his 14th career triple-double. It's the first time Boston lost any of those games.

Kevin Garnett had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Paul Pierce scored 27 points. Jeff Green, who gave Boston its last lead in OT with a 3-pointer, scored 19 points.

"Philly plays us tough. We all know that," Garnett said. "But we're building something here, and we'll take what we need out of this and get ready to get right back after them."

Thaddeus Young added 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Sixers. Jrue Holiday had 15 points, Jason Richardson 13 and Lavoy Allen grabbed 11 rebounds.

This game belonged to Turner. He finished 10 of 26 from the field but tossed in five assists and continued to shine in Collins' watchful eyes.

"I feel a real connection with Evan and it feels great," Collins said. "I don't know that Evan has trusted a lot of people in his life, but I hope he trusts me."

Turner and Pierce nudged each other and yapped at the free throw line throughout a fourth quarter in which neither team budged. Turner recovered after Pierce tipped his jumper and drove down the lane for a layup and an 89-87 lead with 49 seconds left.

Jason Terry missed a drive and Garnett couldn't convert the easy putback to give the Sixers a chance to seal the win. But their miss led to more life for the Celtics. This time, the veterans delivered.

Pierce escaped a fast double team and swung the ball to Garnett - who buried the tying 20-footer with 7.7 seconds left.

Pierce showed how a veteran operates in the fourth. Turner, in his third season, is still playing through mistakes. He was trapped in the corner with a timeout to spare and tossed a wild pass into the lane and the hands of a leaping Rondo.

Rondo missed at the buzzer to send the game into OT tied at 89.

"This is a make-miss league," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "When you miss open shots, you're going to lose. And they made theirs."

Rondo's steal was another highlight in a game in which he was seemingly involved with every Boston bucket. His assist on Green's corner 3-pointer late in the third gave him his first triple-double of the season and trimmed Philadelphia's lead to four.

Spencer Hawes played his best game since opening night and gave the Sixers the production off the bench they've sorely needed in their so-so start. He answered Pierce's tremendous dunk - he can still go at 35 - with a jumper for the lead. Hawes ended the third with a big right hand that swatted Pierce's drive down the lane well away from the basket. The crowd of 17,921 went wild as the Sixers hung onto their 72-70 lead to end the third.

Pierce scored 20 points on 7-of-16 shooting over the first three quarters before letting Garnett do the heavy lifting in the fourth and OT.

The 76ers-Celtics rivalry used to be one of the best in the NBA. Philadelphia's resurgence has helped heat up the series again and another tight game can only help a new generation get excited for this matchup.

Some trash talking never hurt in adding some juice to the division game, either. Turner hit a 3 over Pierce, then shouted in the Boston captain's face early in the first quarter, though nothing really came of the exchange.

"When the adrenaline kicks in and trash talk occurs, you want to shut the other team up," Turner said.

Pierce and Rondo each had near-flawless first quarters to set an early tone for the game. Rondo had 10 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the period.

Turner and Hawes kept the Sixers close in the second quarter and trimmed Boston's lead to 50-46 at the break.

NOTES: 76ers G Nick Young (toe), C Kwame Brown (virus) and G Royal Ivey (groin) all sat out. ... Young lived up to his "Swaggy P" nickname when he walked into the locker room wearing leopard skin shoes. ... The 76ers have won five of seven vs. Boston.

Notebook: Sixers 95, Celtics 94, OT

Andy Jasner, For NBA.com
Posted Fri Dec 07, 2012 11:16 PM - Updated Fri Dec 07, 2012 11:16 PM

THE FACTS: Evan Turner had 26 points and 10 rebounds, including the game-winning jumper with 3.9 seconds left, as the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Boston Celtics 95-94 in overtime Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center. Thaddeus Young added 17 points and 12 rebounds while Jrue Holiday scored 15 points before fouling out. Jason Richardson had 13 points and Spencer Hawes 10 for the Sixers, who improved to 11-8.

Paul Pierce paced the Celtics with 27 points while Rajon Rondo notched his first triple-double of the season with a stellar 16-point, 14-assist, 13-rebound performance. Jeff Green contributed 19 points off the bench and Kevin Garnett had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics (10-9). Rondo had a chance to win the game at the buzzer but misfired with an airball from the baseline.

QUOTABLE: "We told Evan [Turner], 'The ball is in your hands. Take us home.'"

-- Thaddeus Young on Turner's game winner

THE STAT: The Sixers won despite making a season-low two 3-pointers. They were 2-for-11.

TURNING POINT: There were 19 lead changes and 17 ties in this rivalry game between two storied franchises. Through the years, many of these games have gone down to the final possession. This was no different.

HOT: Rondo was 8-for-14 from the field, while Garnett wnet 7-for-11 on his shots.

NOT: Jason Terry struggled mightily while missing 11 of his 12 shots for the Celtics. For the Sixers, Dorell Wright was 0-for-5.

QUOTABLE II: "It was a tough loss. We played hard all game. I don't think we necessarily played well, but we played hard and I'll take that."

-- Celtics coach Doc Rivers

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: Rondo, Rondo, Rondo. Boston's star point guard recorded his 14th career triple double to go along with three steals and three blocked shots.

INSIDE THE ARENA: There's always a good bit of buzz for a Celtics-Sixers game, and that was certainly the case here. The fans were loud from the opening tip and stayed that way all night.

QUOTABLE III: "It's huge to get this victory. Our competition with Boston is always a highlight."

-- Evan Turner on the Sixers-Celtics rivalry

GOOD MOVE: Sixers coach Doug Collins put the ball in Turner's hands, even more so when Holiday fouled out. Turner came through at the end, even though he had missed his previous four shots in overtime.

BAD MOVE: Garnett had a clear look at the basket on Boston's final possession, but he passed the ball to Rondo at the last minute. Rondo had a good look but seemed rushed, and slipped as he fired. Garnett might have taken the last shot with his size advantage.

ROOKIE WATCH: Boston forward Jared Sullinger had five rebounds while forward Kris Joseph didn't play. For the Sixers, forward Arnett Moultrie was scoreless in seven minutes while guard Maalik Wayns was a DNP-CD.

NOTABLE: The Sixers are 2-0 against Boston this season and have won five of the last seven regular season games after losing 12 of the previous 14. ... Boston had been 13-0 all-time when Rondo compiled a triple-double. ... Young earned his fifth double-double of the season. ... Turner has scored 20 or more points five times this season. ... The Celtics shot 43.2 percent from the field. Philadelphia is 6-2 when holding its opponent below 45 percent shooting. ... The Sixers are 3-0 in games decided by four or fewer points after going 1-8 last season. ... Rondo's 13 rebounds were a season high. ... Sixers guard Nick Young (left toe), guard Royal Ivey (right groin strain) and center Kwame Brown (stomach virus) all sat out. ... Boston had seven offensive rebounds compared to 17 for the Sixers.

NEXT: For the Celtics, Saturday vs. Boston, Wednesday vs. Dallas, Friday @ Houston. For the Sixers, Saturday @ Boston, Monday vs. Detroit, Wednesday vs. Chicago.

• Celtics: Melo
• 76ers: Bynum

• Celtics: --
• 76ers: --

• Lead Changes: 19
• Times Tied: 17

• Arena: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
• Officials: #25 Tony Brothers, #42 Eric Lewis, #74 Curtis Blair
• Attendance: 17921
• Duration: 2:46