Celtics break six-year losing streak at Oakland, 115-93, against Warriors
Boston Celtics clinched a 115-93 victory on 22 February at Oakland in a clash against the Golden State Warriors in their first game after the All-Star weekend. The C’s who failed to seal an outstanding mark in the All-Star game were in their full form
and delivered their best performance throughout the night.
The Celtics finally broke their six-year losing streak in Oakland, out-rebounding the Warriors by a margin of 52-35. The Warriors saw another break as the winning team clinched 54 points from the painted area and let the losing team pass with 36 points
from the same.
Kevin Garnett posted 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the win. The player also dished out six assists for his team. Rajon Rondo shined with 19 points and 15 assists in 35 minutes. Paul Pierce contributed 23 points and dished out five dimes.
Boston’s coach Doc Rivers later shed light on how they motivated Garnett in scoring more points since his 26 November, 2010 game. "We told him before the game, 'Early and often, we're going to you every single time we can.' ….You know Kevin, if he
take two (shots) in a row, he'll pass the next three times, so they just kept saying, 'Keep going.'"
Golden State notched 30 points in the first and second quarter each but Boston limited them to a meagre 30.8 per cent shooting from the field. The Warriors missed 10 out of 12 three-pointers and could only seal 26.3 per cent shooting from the long
range.
Both the teams seized 60 points and the game was tied after second half. The Warriors had a fastidious 14 assists in the first half but later Boston let them pass with just four. Golden State could only score 18 points in the third and 15 in the fourth
quarter of the clash. Golden State’s bench went 0-for-11 after halftime and could do nothing to defend themselves against the detrimental Boston players after they broke the tie. Even Monta Ellis, one of the Warriors leading scorers was held to a 3-for-12
shooting after the completion of first half and could only score 15 points in 36 minutes.
Boston’s defence was up in the final quarter of the game. Rondo held an 8-0 advantage against the Warrior’s reserves, Acie Law, Ekpe Udoh, Reggie Williams, and Vladimir Radmanovic, and guard Stephen Curry. The C’s point guard heated the game for the
Celtics, going for two assists and clinched a layup shot to transform Boston’s four-point lead into 12-point advantage with just 7 minutes remaining. The Warriors could not find a way out of that.
Pierce came back after the break with a new resolve. The player who had been in a struggle and has been shooting 14.8 per cent from behind the arc, in the previous seven games was 3-for-5 in rebounds in this win. He recorded 9-of-13 field goals Tuesday
night, hence returning to his usual self.
Rondo who turned 25 on 22 February, had an amazing game and the C’s coach seemed happy about the prospect. The coach reflected on his game as he said later, "It was his birthday, so, he knew it. I thought Rondo, leadership-wise, throughout the game,
he was getting on guys. I just thought that he was a coach on the floor tonight. He was terrific."
For the Celtics, Thursday @ Denver, Saturday @ L.A. Clippers, Monday @ Utah.
For the Warriors, Friday vs. Atlanta, Sunday @ Minnesota, Tuesday @ Indiana.
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