SB Nation Boston - Celtics vs. Bobcats: Paul Pierce, Boston Fall To Charlotte, 83-81https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48863/boston-fave.png2011-03-25T22:41:26-04:00http://boston.sbnation.com/rss/stream/18360102011-03-25T22:41:26-04:002011-03-25T22:41:26-04:00Bobcats 83, Celtics 81: Paul Pierce, Boston Lose To Charlotte
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<p>Paul Pierce scored 18 points, but the Boston Celtics fell victim to sloppy play in the fourth quarter and squandered away a 13-point lead, ultimately losing to the Charlotte Bobcats, 83-81, at TD Garden on Friday night.</p>
<p>Boston (50-21) grabbed a 25-19 lead after the first quarter but was outscored by Charlotte, 18-17, in the second quarter. The Celtics regained their footing in the third quarter, scoring 24 points while holding the Bobcats to 16 points.</p>
<p>Yet once again, a poor fourth quarter did the Celtics in, as the Bobcats outscored the green 30-15 to secure the victory and hand Boston its second consecutive loss.</p>
<p>D.J. White scored 17 points and had six rebounds off the bench for the Bobcats (29-42), who shot 43.5 percent from the field. Gerald Henderson scored 15 points, D.J. Augustin had 14 points and Kwame Brown added 12 points and seven rebounds.</p>
<p>Ray Allen finished with 15 points on 2-of-7 shooting for the Celtics, who were held to 40.8 percent shooting from the floor. Kevin Garnett totaled 12 points and nine rebounds and Rajon Rondo had 10 points, five assists and five turnovers for Boston.</p>
https://boston.sbnation.com/boston-celtics/2011/3/25/2072847/bobcats-celtics-paul-pierce-dj-white-game-recap-mar-25Gethin Coolbaugh2011-03-25T15:30:04-04:002011-03-25T15:30:04-04:00Celtics vs. Bobcats: Paul Pierce, Boston Take On Charlotte
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<p>With 12 games to go, the coasting has begun for the Boston Celtics. Perhaps its in an effort to stay fresh for the playoffs, perhaps due to all the injuries they've suffered over the course of this season, or perhaps for entirely different reasons altogether, the <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Celtics</a> (50-20) can't seem to get a consistent groove going.</p>
<p>Paul Pierce and company will look to bounce back on Friday night when they welcome the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/charlotte-bobcats" class="sbn-auto-link">Charlotte Bobcats</a> to TD Garden for an evening match-up at 7:30 p.m. EDT (TV/Radio: CSNNE/WEEI).</p>
<p>It looked Boston had found its groove one after consecutive comeback wins last Saturday and Monday over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/new-orleans-hornets">New Orleans Hornets</a> and the <font color="#C8181D"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com/">New York Knicks</a></span></font>. But then on Wednesday, with the <a style="color: #c8181d !important; text-decoration: none !important; background-color: transparent;" href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Memphis Grizzlies</a> in town, they got off to another slow start before pulling ahead, but blew a fourth quarter lead in a flurry of incomprehensible, late-game mistakes in a 90-87 loss. </p>
<p>The Celtics haven't lost a game to an Eastern Conference opponent at home all year (21-0), a mark they can add to with a win over the Bobcats, who have lost four straight and may be without leading scorer <span>Stephen Jackson</span>.</p>
<p>Charlotte (28-42) has lost four in a row and 10 of its last 12, though the Bobcats did take their last meeting with the C's, a 94-89 win on Feb. 7, in Charlotte. That game was prior to Bobcats owner Michael Jordan trading away the franchise's all-time, leading scorer, <span>Gerald Wallace</span>. In addition, Charlotte has shot just 39.2 percent from the floor in its last seven meetings with the Celts.</p>
<p>In order for Boston to achieve success, it will need to get more out of <span>Paul Pierce</span>, not just Friday night, but for the remainder of the season heading into the playoffs. Pierce has taken 10 or fewer shots in six of the Celts' last nine games. In that stretch, the Celtics have gone 4-5 and fallen a game behind the <a href="https://www.blogabull.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Bulls</a> for first place overall in the East. <span>Rajon Rondo</span>, in the midst of a woeful shooting slump (31 percent in his last nine games), has attempted two more shots than Pierce over that time.</p>
<p>On the injury front, reserve swingman <span>Von Wafer</span> is back practicing with the team but Shaquille O'Neal is still apparently about a week away from a return to the lineup. Forward <span>Troy Murphy</span> is day-to-day after rolling his ankle in practice on Thursday.</p>
https://boston.sbnation.com/2011/3/25/2332172/celtics-vs-bobcats-paul-pierce-boston-take-on-charlotteJeremy Gottlieb