SB Nation Boston - Celtics 103, 76ers 79: Boston Topples Lifeless Philly On Easter Sundayhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48863/boston-fave.png2012-04-08T20:19:03-04:00http://boston.sbnation.com/rss/stream/26977622012-04-08T20:19:03-04:002012-04-08T20:19:03-04:00Celtics 103, 76ers 79: Boston Pummels Philly On Easter Sunday
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<p><b>BOSTON - </b>On a day celebrated for Jesus Christ rising from the dead, the <a href="https://www.libertyballers.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Philadelphia 76ers</a> didn't exactly rise to life themselves. The recently reeling Sixers wasted little time getting behind, falling into a 19-point hole in the first half and couldn't recover as the <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Boston Celtics</a> picked apart Philadelphia, 103-79, on Easter Sunday inside TD Garden.</p>
<p><b>More: <a href="http://www.celticsblog.com/2012/4/9/2935561/celtics-and-sixers-are-headed-in-opposite-directions?utm_source=article&utm_medium=position1&utm_campaign=relatedlinks"><i>Celtics and Sixers going in opposite directions</i></a></b></p>
<p>"Last two games, really, I the defense has been just great intensity," said Celtics head coach Doc Rivers. "I thought we had active hands. You know, I thought the second unit in the second quarter was as good as you can get, not only defensively but our rebounding from the guard spot, Sasha (Pavlovic), all of them."</p>
<p><span>Kevin Garnett</span> led the charge with 20 points and six rebounds for Boston (32-24), which shot 58.8 percent. <span>Brandon Bass</span> and <span>Paul Pierce</span> also had big nights, scoring 18 and 17 respectively. <span>Rajon Rondo</span> extended his streak of games with double-digit assists to 17, finishing with 15 dimes and seven points. <span>Ray Allen</span> scored 10 off the bench.</p>
<p>Both teams opened the game 3-of-3 from the floor and Philly pulled ahead 7-4 by the 10 minute mark. Boston wouldn't lead until 8:30, when Rondo's layup put the Celts on top, 10-9. Allen checked in at 5:22 of the first with the game tied at 12, as <span>Avery Bradley</span> (18 points) started, but was scoreless after one period, at which point Boston led, 25-22.</p>
<p>A solid defensive effort in the second quarter helped the Celtics build their lead up to 19 during the frame before finishing with a 50-36 advantage at halftime. Garnett scored 12 and Pierce had 11 points in the opening half for Boston, which shot 58 percent. Philadelphia, meanwhile, fell to 38 percent shooting after shooting 53 percent in the first.</p>
<p>"It was very important for the bench to come in and bring their intensity," said Bradley, whose team held the Sixers to 14 second-quarter points."That's something that Doc always, you know -- we take pride in as a team. So we wanted to come in and we wanted to bring our intensity and play hard on the defensive end, that's what we did in the second quarter."</p>
<p>The second half didn't offer any relief for Philadelphia, as Boston stretched its lead to as many as 28 points (79-51 at 3:22) and carried the momentum into the fourth, outscoring the Sixers by three points (19-16) to capture their second straight win.</p>
<p>"It's a good win for us," said Rondo. "We got to get some rest in the fourth quarter."</p>
<p><span>Nikola Vucevic</span> led the charge for the Sixers, scoring 14 as Philadelphia (29-27) shot 38.2 percent. With the win, Boston moves three games ahead of Philly atop the Atlantic Division.</p>
<p>Boston won't have much time to bask in the victory, though, considering that it faces the dangerous <a href="https://www.hothothoops.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Miami Heat</a> on Tuesday night in South Beach. However, the Celtics did blow out the Heat, 91-72, in their last meeting on April 1, giving them hope for a repeat performance.</p>
<p><b><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1048161/VN-20120408-00150-1.amr">AUDIO: Rajon Rondo Postgame (4-8-12)</a> | <a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1048162/VN-20120408-00149.amr">AUDIO: Avery Bradley Postgame (4-8-12)</a></b></p>
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<th class="td-left"> <span>Final - 4.8.2012 </span> </th> <th>1</th> <th>2</th> <th>3</th> <th>4</th> <th>Total</th>
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<td class="td-name"><span class="loss"> <a href="https://www.libertyballers.com/">Philadelphia 76ers</a> </span></td>
<td>22</td>
<td>14</td>
<td>27</td>
<td>16</td>
<td class="highlight">79</td>
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<td class="td-name"><span class="win"> <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/">Boston Celtics</a> </span></td>
<td>25</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>34</td>
<td>19</td>
<td class="highlight">103</td>
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<p class="foot clearfix"><span class="link-more"><span>Complete Coverage ></span></span></p>
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<p><i>For more Celtics and 76ers coverage, visit our blogs,<a target="_blank" href="http://www.celticsblog.com/"> CelticsBlog</a> and <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.libertyballers.com%2F&ei=Fh2BT9edDsHg0QG6mr3aBw&usg=AFQjCNF9kGSGyBJC69QsEf48mP0avqperA">Liberty Ballers</a>.</i></p>
https://boston.sbnation.com/boston-celtics/2012/4/8/2934964/celtics-vs-76ers-final-score-kevin-garnett-paul-pierce-nikola-vucevic-nba-newsGethin Coolbaugh2012-04-08T19:12:44-04:002012-04-08T19:12:44-04:00Celtics Vs. 76ers Halftime Score: Boston Leads, 50-36
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.celticsblog.com/">Boston Celtics</a> leads the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.libertyballers.com/">Philadelphia 76ers</a>, 50-36, at halftime from the TD Garden on Sunday.</p>
<p>After the first quarter, Boston and Philadelphia had a 25-22 lead. Both teams were shooting very well from the field but the C's were a couple of shots better. <span>Paul Pierce</span> had a hot first quarter with 11 points on 5-7 shooting. <span>Rajon Rondo</span> had five assists but was too careless with the ball and also had three turnovers which kept the score a little closer than it needed to be. <span>Andre Iguodala</span> had two of his 7 points in the first quarter on an alley-oop dunk following a Rondo turnover.</p>
<p>The Celtics continued their hot shooting start into the second quarter and quickly built a 42-26 lead through the first six minutes of the quarter. The Sixers couldn't make much of a run and didn't cut into the C's lead. Boston shot 57.6% in the first half while a poor second quarter dropped Philadelphia to 38.5% from the field for the half.</p>
<p>At the half, Boston is being led in scoring by <span>Kevin Garnett</span> with 12 points. Pierce chipped in 11 points in the half. The Sixers are led by Andre Iguodala with 11 points.</p>
<p><i>For more Celtics and 76ers coverage, visit our blogs,<a target="_blank" href="http://www.celticsblog.com/"> CelticsBlog</a> and <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.libertyballers.com%2F&ei=Fh2BT9edDsHg0QG6mr3aBw&usg=AFQjCNF9kGSGyBJC69QsEf48mP0avqperA">Liberty Ballers</a>.</i></p>
https://boston.sbnation.com/boston-celtics/2012/4/8/2934836/celtics-vs-76ers-halftime-score-paul-pierce-andre-iguodala-rajon-rondo-kevin-garnettPat Johnston2012-04-08T17:28:56-04:002012-04-08T17:28:56-04:00Celtics Vs. 76ers: All Systems Go (Sort Of) Against Philadelphia
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<p><b>BOSTON - </b><span>Doc Rivers</span> has a (mostly) healthy roster as his Boston Celtics head into their game with the Philadelphia 76ers on Easter Sunday at 6 p.m. EST. That is, as healthy as this team is going to be at the moment.</p>
<p>Aside from the season-ending heart ailments of <span>Jeff Green</span> and <span>Chris Wilcox</span>, as well as the wrist surgery that sidelined Jermaine O'Neal, Boston will bring a relatively healthy roster into Sunday night's game.</p>
<p><span>Mickael Pietrus</span> is the only key cog still missing from the team the Celtics will take into the playoffs, as he continues to recover from the concussion he suffered against (ironically) the Sixers several weeks ago. There was good news, though, as Rivers said that Pietrus' condition is improving and he was in the building Sunday (and he wasn't wearing shades).</p>
<p>Also, Avery Bradley will start once again and Ray Allen will come off the bench for Boston.</p>
<p>For more on Pietrus' condition, as well as other pregame news, listen to the audio below.</p>
<p><b><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1047998/VN-20120408-00148.amr">AUDIO: Doc Rivers Pregame Int. (4-8-12)</a> | <a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1047999/VN-20120408-00146.amr">AUDIO: Doug Collins Pregame Int. (4-8-12)</a></b></p>
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<p class="game-title"><a href="https://www.libertyballers.com/">Philadelphia 76ers</a> <br> <span>@ <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/">Boston Celtics</a> </span></p>
<p class="game-info"><span>Sunday, Apr 8, 2012, 6:00 PM EDT</span><br> TD Garden</p>
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<p><i>For more Celtics and 76ers coverage, visit our blogs,<a href="http://www.celticsblog.com/" target="_blank"> CelticsBlog</a> and <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.libertyballers.com%2F&ei=Fh2BT9edDsHg0QG6mr3aBw&usg=AFQjCNF9kGSGyBJC69QsEf48mP0avqperA">Liberty Ballers</a>.</i></p>
https://boston.sbnation.com/boston-celtics/2012/4/8/2934757/celtics-vs-76ers-2012-mickael-pietrus-avery-bradley-ray-allen-nba-newsGethin Coolbaugh2012-04-08T08:00:37-04:002012-04-08T08:00:37-04:00Celtics Vs. 76ers: Boston Faces Philadelphia On Easter Sunday
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<p>Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics (31-24) try to keep the wins coming as they face their Atlantic Division rivals, the Philadelphia 76ers (29-26), at 6 p.m. EST on Easter Sunday at TD Garden in Boston, MA (TV/Radio: CSN/WEEI).</p> <p>It's been quite some time since the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers were in an all-out race for the Atlantic Division crown. The last time the two finished one-two in the division was the 2008-09 regular season, but it wasn't exactly a race -- Boston (62-20) finished 21 games ahead of Philadelphia (41-41). </p>
<p>Alas, here we are, almost in mid-April, and the Celtics and Sixers are separated by two games atop the Atlantic Division standings. Boston (31-24) will attempt to build its division lead up to three games with 10 left to play as they host Philadelphia (29-26) on Easter Sunday at 6 p.m. EST inside TD Garden in Boston, MA (TV/Radio: CSNNE/WEEI).</p>
<p>These two teams have been going in opposite directions since their last meeting on March 23, when Philly walked off with a 99-86 win. Boston would win five in a row -- including a victory over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Miami Heat</a> -- and six of eight overall while Philly would go on to drop five of its next seven, including an 88-82 defeat at the hands of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Orlando Magic</a> on Saturday.</p>
<p>In the Sixers' win over Boston in late March, <span>Elton Brand</span> turned back the clock and had an impressive 20-point, four-steal game and Philadelphia used a huge third quarter, in which it outscored Boston by twenty (37-17), to down the Celts. <span>Paul Pierce</span> and <span>Kevin Garnett</span> each scored 20, and despite shooting 48.6 percent from the field, Boston couldn't get the win.</p>
<p>The loss was only a secondary concern for the Celtics, who lost swingman <span>Mickael Pietrus</span> after he fell on his back and suffered a closed head injury during the second quarter. Pietrus was removed from the court on a stretcher and was taken for tests at a Philadelphia hospital, where it was ruled that he had a concussion. Pietrus has not played since that game.</p>
<p>Pietrus' injury would allow for <span>Avery Bradley</span> to get extra minutes and eventually start when <span>Ray Allen's</span> sore right ankle kept him out for several games. In that time, Bradley became a dual threat, as he began to hit his stride on offense. Allen returned to the starting lineup against San Antonio this past Wednesday, but Bradley would start the next night in Chicago and again on Saturday against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.indycornrows.com/">Indiana Pacers</a>.</p>
<p>Led by 24 points from Pierce -- 13 of which he scored in the third quarter -- the Celtics beat the Pacers, 86-72, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Boston led 24-19 after on quarter and outscored the opposition 19-14 in the second quarter to take a 43-33 lead into halftime. At one point, the Celtics led by 15 in the opening half. Indiana made up some ground in the third quarter, holding Boston to 16 points, but a 27-point fourth was more than enough for Boston to bury Indy. </p>
<p>Philadelphia didn't have as much success in its game Saturday, as a 20-20 night from <span>Dwight Howard</span> (20 points, 22 rebounds) put the game out of reach. <span>Thaddeus Young</span> led the 76ers with 20 points off the bench in the loss, and none of Philly's starters scored more than seven points. Philadelphia was held to 39.7 percent shooting.</p>
<p>Boston heads back out on the road for its next game, a rematch with the always dangerous Miami Heat on Tuesday, before returning home to face the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a> on Wednesday night.</p>
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<p class="game-info"><span>Sunday, Apr 8, 2012, 6:00 PM EDT</span><br> TD Garden</p>
<p class="foot clearfix"><span class="link-more"><span>Complete Coverage ></span></span></p>
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<p><i>For more Celtics and 76ers coverage, visit our blogs,<a href="http://www.celticsblog.com" target="_blank"> CelticsBlog</a> and <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.libertyballers.com%2F&ei=Fh2BT9edDsHg0QG6mr3aBw&usg=AFQjCNF9kGSGyBJC69QsEf48mP0avqperA">Liberty Ballers</a>.</i></p>
https://boston.sbnation.com/boston-celtics/2012/4/8/2933673/celtics-vs-76ers-2012-paul-pierce-rajon-rondo-andre-iguodala-evan-turner-nba-scores-newsGethin Coolbaugh