The Boston Celtics led by 18 points going into the second quarter, but a rally by the Charlotte Bobcats gave Boston just a two-point lead going into intermission. Still, despite the shaky second quarter the Celtics never relinquished the lead at any point since midway through the first quarter on their way to a 102-95 win Monday night.
The Celtics got just nine points from their bench, but their starters were more than effective enough for the night. Paul Pierce led the way with 36 points for his second 30-plus performance in a row. He also led all players with 10 rebounds. Rajon Rondo was nearly on pace for another triple-double at halftime, but couldn't ultimately fell well short of pulling off the feat. He still had a nice night with 13 assists and six rebounds to go with seven points.
The Bobcats, meanwhile, got 59 points off their bench, led by Byron Mullens and Derrick Brown with 18 and 16 points, respectively. Gerald Henderson also continues to play well for Charlotte. He led the team with 21 points on 9-for-14 shooting from the floor.
Both teams made 33 field goals, and the rebounding and turnover battles were relatively tight. The Celtics held a 37-33 advantage on the boards and gave the ball up nine times compared to 11 for the Bobcats. The biggest difference on the night was the free throw line, where Boston went 34-for-45 compared to 25-for-35 for Charlotte.
For more on tonight's game, head over to the SB Nation blog CelticsBlog and stay tuned to SB Nation Boston.