Shaquille O’Neal leads Boston Celtics past New Jersey Nets
Shaquille O’Neal posted his second-straight double-double performance as he led the injury-riddled Boston Celtics to a hard-earned 89-83 win over the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday 24 November
at the TD Garden in Boston.
O’Neal, who tallied 13 points and 11 rebounds against the Atlanta Hawks in Monday 22 November, had his best game in a Celtic uniform as the 38-year-old centre scored 25 points and grabbed
11 rebounds, helping Boston bag their 11th win of the season.
“I know people appreciate my hard work,” said O’Neal, who shot 9-for-10 from the field. “This is a great team. Best team I have been on and we have a lot of weapons. Anybody on this team
can be the leading scorer. The shots are there, but they drop off. They could have easily have shot.”
The 18-year veteran and four-time champion centre, who had his best scoring game since the 2008-09 season when he was still with the Phoenix Suns, dominated right from the opening tip, scoring
the Celtics’ first six points of the game.
“I told him he looked like the 2000 Shaq, and also the 1999 Shaq, the 2001 and 2002 to 2003 to 2004 to 2005 to 2006,” said Celtics forward Kevin Garnett, who finished with eight points and
five rebounds. “He definitely was the target tonight. We rode him.”
Paul Pierce also had an outstanding game as the veteran forward scored 18 points and grabbed five rebounds, while Ray Allen added 15 points on 3-for-5 three-point shooting to go with seven
assists for the Celtics, who played without starting point and NBA’s assists leader Rajon Rondo, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Boston also lost hard-nosed guard Delonte West who broke his right wrist after a nasty fall before the half. Celtics head coach Doc Rivers said that West could be sidelined for a long period
after witnessing how the 27-year-old guard grimaced in pain after the bad fall from his lay-up.
Devin Harris finished with 20 points and five assists; Anthony Morrow had 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting, while Brook Lopez racked up 16 points and five rebounds, but the Nets could not stop
O’Neal’s onslaught that led to their 10th loss this season.
“Shaq played great tonight,” said Nets forward Kris Humphries, who had two points and 11 rebounds in the game. “His teammates did a great job of finding him under the basket. A lot of his
baskets were just getting it and putting it in. They got him going early and that was a key to the game.”
New Jersey played without Terrence Williams, who served the second of his two-game suspension for repeatedly violating team rules.
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