| Fast Break: Celtics team effort scratches Raptors | 02.01.12 at 9:47 pm ET |
Without starting point guard Rajon Rondo for the eighth consecutive game, the Celtics shared the wealth anyway — assisting on 28 of their 37 field goals — to dominate the Raptors from start to finish, 100-64.
Captain Paul Pierce led the way with just 17 points for the Celtics (11-10), who eclipsed .500 for the first time since Jan. 4 and improved to 4-2 on the second night of the deadly back-to-backs. Ray Allen (12 points), Brandon Bass (12 points), Avery Bradley (11 points) and JaJuan Johnson (11 garbage points on 5-5 FGs) all reached double figures as 10 different Celtics scored at least six points.
WHAT WENT RIGHT
Start C’s up: Considering both teams were on the second night of a back-to-back, it wasn’t pretty basketball early, but the Celtics went on a 12-0 run midway through the first quarter — thanks to six straight Bass points sandwiched by four from Pierce– that gave the C’s an early 25-9 advantage they never relinquished. Even against the likes of the Raptors, the Celtics have had trouble getting off to good starts, so Doc Rivers had to like what he saw against Toronto.
Moore Bradley: Without Rondo for an eighth straight game and Keyon Dooling for his 11th game in 12 outings, the point guard duo of Bradley and E’Twaun Moore (8 points) continued to hold court — this time both in the same game. Bradley’s getting a knack for getting free under the basket, and his fellow starters are rewarding him for easy buckets. And Moore is proving himself as simply a good NBA offensive player, especially evident on one particular shot clock-beating pull-up jump shot.
Downtown Kedrick Brown: The Celtics connected on 12-of-24 3-pointers, actually shooting almost as well from beyond the arc than they did overall (52%). The dozen treys tied a season high for the C’s. Pierce led the way, burying 4-of-6 from long distance, while Allen, Pietrus and Sasha Pavlovic each added a pair.
WHAT WENT WRONG
Where’s the Quis? It’s becoming increasingly clear Marquis Daniels has fallen to fourth on the small forward depth chart behind Pierce, Mickael Pietrus and even Sasha Pavlovic. When Rivers looked to the bench in the second quarter, he turned to Pavlovic, who submitted another strong first-half outing (6 points).
That darn Cavs loss: Considering not much went wrong in the Celtics blowout of the Raptors, let’s return to that blown 12-point lead in the final five minutes on Sunday. If not for that loss to the Cavaliers, the Celtics would be on a seven-game winning streak, owners of a 12-9 record. Instead, they’ve climbed over .500 for just the second time all season. It could be worse, considering they almost blew a 22-point lead against those same Cavs on Tuesday. Currently, the C’s are tied with the Magic for the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference.
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