{"id":343239,"date":"2011-03-28T02:43:21","date_gmt":"2011-03-28T02:43:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/03\/28\/celtics-blow-25-point-lead-but-win-ap\/"},"modified":"2011-03-28T02:43:21","modified_gmt":"2011-03-28T02:43:21","slug":"celtics-blow-25-point-lead-but-win-ap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/28\/celtics-blow-25-point-lead-but-win-ap\/","title":{"rendered":"Celtics blow 25-point lead but win (AP)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)\u2014Paul Pierce<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> had 23 points and seven rebounds, and the
\nBoston Celtics<\/a> nearly gave away another huge lead in an 85-82 victory over the
\nMinnesota Timberwolves<\/a> on Sunday night.<\/p>\n

Kevin Garnett<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> had 13 points, 13 rebounds and thousands of fans who turned
\nout to cheer for the former face of the Timberwolves franchise. The Celtics led
\nby 25 early in the second quarter, but trailed by two midway through the fourth
\nbefore Pierce lifted them to the victory.<\/p>\n

Michael Beasley<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> had 28 points and 10 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who were
\nmissing All-Star Kevin Love<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> for the third straight game because of a strained
\nleft groin.<\/p>\n

Anthony Tolliver\u2019s<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> 3-pointer gave Minnesota an improbable 73-72 lead with
\njust over 5 minutes to play, but Pierce came back with a 3-pointer and drive to
\ntake back the lead.<\/p>\n

The Celtics played without starting point guard Rajon Rondo<\/a>(notes)<\/a>,<\/span> who strained
\nhis right pinky finger in practice on Saturday. Delonte West<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> filled in well with
\neight points and five assists to help Boston avoid its first three-game losing
\nstreak of the season.<\/p>\n

Darko Milicic<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> had 15 points and nine rebounds, and Tolliver added 16 points
\nand 15 boards for the Wolves, who trailed 38-13 in the second.<\/p>\n

Coach Doc Rivers lit into his veteran unit after the Celtics gave away a
\n13-point lead in a home loss to Charlotte on Friday night, calling them selfish
\npouters who are feeling sorry for themselves. It was an eye-opening assessment
\nof a team that appeared to be hitting a wall with the postseason just a few
\nweeks away.<\/p>\n

Six losses in 10 games allowed the surging Bulls to jump into the top spot
\nin the East, and the Celtics started the day 2 1\/2 games behind Chicago in the
\nconference.<\/p>\n

Rivers\u2019 blistering appeared to wake the Celtics up early. Playing the kind
\nof hard-nosed defense that has been their calling card for the Garnett years,
\nthey ripped off a 23-3 run in the first period to jump out to a huge lead.<\/p>\n

Without Love in the lineup, the Wolves missed 22 of their first 27 shots and
\nwere getting pounded on the boards. Anthony Randolph<\/a>(notes)<\/a>,<\/span> who had averaged 27.5
\npoints and 13 rebounds in his two previous starts in Love\u2019s place, played just
\n3 1\/2 minutes in the first half because of foul trouble.<\/p>\n

Boston also scored the first six points of the second quarter for a 38-13
\nlead\u2014much to the delight of scores of fans wearing Celtic green\u2014and the
\nnose-diving Wolves looked to be well on their way to another uncompetitive night
\nat Target Center.<\/p>\n

But the Wolves gradually started chipping away at the lead as the first half
\nclosed, cutting the deficit to 13 points at the break. Milicic\u2019s hustle on the
\noffensive glass jump-started them midway through the third period, starting a
\n22-6 run that tied the game at 62 just before the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n

Milicic\u2019s layup with just over 8 minutes to play gave Minnesota its first
\nlead of the game, 70-68, and the Wolves all of a sudden were outshooting the
\nCeltics after their putrid start.<\/p>\n

But after Pierce stabilized the Celtics, Garnett added two big jumpers, and
\nforced a turnover by Milicic, and the Celtics breathed a huge sigh of relief.<\/p>\n

NOTES: Timberwolves backup C Nikola Pekovic<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> missed the game with a hip
\ninjury. \u2026 A Wolves win would have tied the largest comeback in franchise
\nhistory. They beat the Charlotte Hornets after trailing by 25 points on March 1,
\n1996. \u2026 Nenad Krstic<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> had 11 points and six boards for Boston. \u2026 Rivers said
\nhe was unsure if Rondo would be able to play at Indiana on Monday night.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Link:
\nCeltics blow 25-point lead but win (AP)<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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