Paul Pierce surpasses Larry Bird on the scoring list as Boston Celtics thump Charlotte Bobcats: NBA
On a milestone night for Paul Pierce, who nailed a three early in the third quarter to surpass the legendary Larry Bird in the list of all time leading franchise scorers, the Boston Celtics celebrated with a 94-84 win over the
slumping Charlotte Bobcats.
Talking about the achievement in the post game interview, Pierce, who now stands at 21,797 points and needs another 4,598 points to overtake John Havlicek, was modest;
"It was a relief. So much was hanging over me the last couple of days, just hearing about it and knowing that you've got a game to play. It's a great feat knowing you are going to be up there with all the great Celtics."
Paul finished the night with 15 points, nine assists and eight rebounds while Kevin Garnett pounded a game-high 22 points and 7 boards to lead the C’s, who made it a season-high five wins in a row. Ray Allen went 8 of 14 for 17
while Rajon Rondo had 14 points and 10 dishes for a double-double.
Bobcats were led by Reggie Williams on the night. The forward had 21 points and 5 dimes while Derrick Brown made all his 10 attempts from the floor to score 20. Kemba Walker also pitched in with 17 for the Bobcats, who have now
conceded 12 games on a trot and 17 of their last 18.
With Williams scoring 8 of the first 14 points, the Bobcats managed to hold the Greens and were leading by 22-21 deep in the first quarter. However a hoop and harm from Pierce and a trey from Mickael Pietrus gave Boston a 27-22
lead going into the second quarter.
Bobcats opened the second period on an 8-2 run to reclaim a two point lead but the C’s responded right back with a 16-7 burst to script a 45-38 lead at the break.
Walker tried to bring the Bobcats back within striking distance early in the third, but the host pulled away with an 11-3 spurt. Allen then scored the last 10 points for the Celtics, who held on to a 69-62 lead after three.
The C’s erupted with a game-winning 13-2 run right at the start of the final frame and never looked back after that.
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