Charlotte Bobcats overcome a 13-point deficit to topple the Boston Celtics 83-81
The Boston Celtics suffered a bad run of form in the last few games but they still hadn’t lost to an Eastern Conference team on their home court this season. The Charlotte Bobcats on the other hand, were fighting for play-off survival.
With so much at stake for both teams, Friday nights’ game was expected to be a ripper and it certainly turned out to be one.
The Bobcats rallied from a 13-point deficit in the final quarter to clinch a magnificent 83-81 victory over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Friday night. The C’s had two last gasp opportunities to pull off the win but the treys
from Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett desperately bounced off the rim as the Bobcats pulled off an absolute stunner to keep their hopes of making it into the playoff alive.
The Hall of Famer Doc Rivers was extremely disappointed with the team and said, "The way we're playing shocks me. Our attitude shocks me. We're just not ready to win any games right now the way we play."
The win and the fighting spirit of the Bobcats also surprised their coach Paul Silas. Stunned at the clinical rip-off, he stated, "It was unbelievable. It's just kind of indescribable."
DJ White exploded off the bench and landed a team-high 17 points to spearhead the Bobcats. Gerald Henderson and D.J. Augustin also combined for 29 points to provide a substantial support in putting Charlotte on the frontline.
Paul Pierce was the top score of the night with 18 points, however his team failed to carry on their momentum in the defining moments.
The Celts romped with 14-4 run in the preliminary moments of the game followed by two scorching blows from downtown by the 3-pointer leader Ray Allen. White lifted the momentum for the Bobcats and scored 9 points of his 17 in the
first quarter however, the Celtics sustained the lead 25-19.
The game went extremely exigent in the second quarter as both the teams fought hard to clinch the advantage. Bobcats strived to cut down the deficit but Allen and Kevin Garnet carried the action just before the halftime and Boston
sealed 4 points advantage.
After a relatively silent first half, Paul Pierce simply went berserk in the third quarter and landed eight points in less than three minutes including a blistering 3-pointer to amplify the lead 52-41. The C’s dominated the third
quarter comprehensively, leaving few options for Charlotte to gain any sort of momentum. The home team entered the final period with 13 points advantage, making their way toward the victory.
The fourth quarter marked a rejuvenated sense of urgency in the Bobcats. The Celtics on the other hand failed to finish off the game when they had the opportunity. The home team drained five field goal attempts, missed four long
range attempts and committed 4 turnovers in the first nine minutes of the frame as the Bobcats forced their way back. Their surge was capped by a 16-0 run that sparked them to an 80-75 turnaround.
Although, Boston succeeded to snatch back the lead 81-80 in the last minute however, Charlotte landed 3 more points in the defining moments to clinch an electrifying 83-81 victory.
After sealing an outstanding win, Charlotte Bobcats are now tied with the Milwaukee Bucks for the ninth spot in the Eastern Conference.
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