Boston Celtics beat Philadelphia 76ers 85 – 75 in decider to reach Eastern Conference Finals – NBA Update - Part 1
The Boston Celtics on Saturday beat the Philadelphia 76ers in game-7 of their Eastern Conference Semi Finals series, advancing to the Conference Finals where they will face the Miami Heat. The Celtics didn’t have the game tied up until late on when Rajon
Rondo took over and sealed the 85 – 75 win, to the delight of the TD Garden crowd.
Much has always been said about the Boston Celtics veteran super star trio of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, but Sixers coach Doug Collins said after the game that Rondo was as important, if not more so, as the three elder statesmen.
"I don't look at them as the Big Three. I look at them as the Championship Four," the Philadelphia coach said. "Because if you're going to leave Rondo out, you're making a huge mistake."
Rondo notched up yet another triple-double, his 2nd of the series, as he garnered 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. The point guard also had 3 steals and his team captain Paul Pierce had nothing but praise for him.
"You know he was able to step up, be aggressive, knock down a couple big threes, get to the bucket. That was huge for us. You know he felt a sense of urgency, he smelled it, how close we were. He was able to take over the game with his scoring, and it was
just phenomenal to watch."
Pierce scored 15 points and had 9 rebounds before fouling out of the game; Ray Allen managed 11 while Brandon Bass added 16. Forward Kevin Garnett was also in great form, racking up another double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds in an age defying display.
The Celtics were aggressive from the beginning and had a 10 – 2 run to start off the first period. The Sixers however fought their way back into the quarter and an Andre Iguodala 3-pointer got them level at 17 – 17. Philly went on to take the lead before
it ended all square, 20 – 20.
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