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Teamwork: Paul Pierce, Jeff Green and Courtney Lee pick it up in win over Warriors 03.01.13 at 10:00 pm ET
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Paul Pierce and Avery Bradley pointed the way to another home court victory as Stephen Curry (background) looked on. (AP)

Paul Pierce and Avery Bradley pointed the way to another home court victory as Stephen Curry (background) looked on. (AP)

Paul Pierce scored 26 points and Jeff Green added 18 off the bench as the Celtics overcame foul trouble from Avery Bradley to beat the Golden State Warriors, 94-86, Friday night at TD Garden. Kevin Garnett was just 2-for-10 from the field but finished with a team-high 13 rebounds. The Celtics avenged their ugly 101-83 loss from late December in Oakland. Pierce and Green were the only Boston players to score in double figures.

Stephen Curry scored 54 points earlier in the week in New York against the Knicks, a season-high in the NBA this season. He had scored 94 points in his previous two games but was held to 25 points on Friday night on just 6-of-22 shooting, as the Celtics (31-27) won their eighth straight home game. David Lee had 10 points and a game-best 19 rebounds for the Warriors, who fall to 33-26.

The Celtics used hot shooting early to build a 13-point first-quarter lead. Pierce led the way with 13 points in the opening period. Pierce finished with 18 in the first half. The Warriors, mostly behind the scoring of Curry, worked their way back into the game in the second quarter. Curry drew three fouls on Bradley in the first half and scored 10 points in the second quarter as the Warriors cut Boston’s lead to 50-46 at the half.

The Warriors scored the first two baskets of the third quarter and tied the game. The tide seemed to be turning heavily against the Celtics when Bradley – the player assigned to defend Curry – picked up his fourth and fifth fouls of the game in a 27-second span of the third quarter and had to check out with 8:01 left in the quarter after his fifth foul.

Courtney Lee stepped in and shutdown Curry as the star scored just two points against Lee and the Celtics in the period. The Celtics had another scare when Green landed hard on his left elbow midway through the third and stayed on the ground for several minutes. After coming off the floor on his own power, Green was given a white protective sleeve and returned with just over two minutes left in the quarter.

With Green back and Bradley in foul trouble, the Celtics took command of the game for good, going on a 9-0 run to break a 60-60 tie and take a 69-62 lead into the fourth.

The Celtics are off until Tuesday when they play in Philadelphia. For more from the team of Mike Petraglia and Ben Rohrbach from the Garden, visit the Celtics team page at weei.com/celtics.

Read More: Boston Celtics, Courtney Lee, David Lee, Golden State Warriors Print  |  Email  |  Bark It Up!  |  Digg It
  • Great at home

    Terry was terrible. Nice win and kept Curry in control. Go Green.

    • Fab4ever

      A major disappointment. He won’t make anyone forget Ray….Old man Pierce continues to plug along….he deserves to die a Celtic.

      • Js Spam

        Given his last 3 weeks of play i dont think you can say that about JG anymore. If you believe his doctors then he is right on schedule… and hes already single handily won a few of these last few

      • Js Spam

        oops you were talking about JET. I agree. nevermind

  • Yaz8

    Green just gets better and better.
    Nobody mentions Kendrick Perkins much anymore, do they?Go C’s!

  • Celtics

    Jeff green is incredible! He should definitaly be a starter!

  • Cfn

    So what is our record without Rondo?  Just wanted to revisit this topic again for there were a few talk show hosts saying that it is now clear that Rondo makes the team better because we went 2 for 3 on the road.

    I am just going to say for the moment we are still a better team without Rondo.  That is not to say Rondo is not a great PG or that he can not get us through playoff games.

    I kept asking myself why we were losing so much in the first half of the season, when we clearly have the talent.  It is basically chemistry.  I like Rondo; but my reasoning is that on some emotional, psychological way his presence affected the chemistry as a whole. 

    And my theory is that it is DOC’s fault, for filling Rondo’s head that he should be the leader; as well as Ainge saying that it is Rondo’s team.  This attitude might have went to Rondo’s head, or maybe the heads of the others on the teams as well.  And this kind of made others lazy, always waiting for Rondo to pass the ball or call the play.  The reality is that this team does not belong to anyone and the heart and soul and real leaders are PP and KG.  Rondo is not a leader, his role is to PLAY.

    I think when he comes back the chemistry will be better because he and the other will have learned how his role fits into the team.  I hope the team can keep moving the ball they way they have been without Rondo. His time off was necessary to make the Celtics better in the future and I don’t think we would have figured this out unless this injury happened.  Too bad it could not have just been for a month.

    • http://www.facebook.com/derek.lee.82 Derek Lee

      Let me just say that your anti Rondo rants are old & tired. You think it’s a good thing, that they’re winning games? If they do make the playoffs, they’re one & done. They’re better off getting into the lottery. No Rondo, no shot in the playoffs.

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