76ers-Celtics Preview

By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
Posted Dec 08 2012 12:21AM

It could be difficult for the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics to provide a more exciting game less than 24 hours later after staging a thriller.

These Atlantic Division foes played an emotional and pulsating overtime contest one night before Saturday night's rematch at the TD Garden.

The 76ers-Celtics rivalry used to be one of the best in the NBA. That kind of intensity could be back now after Boston eliminated Philadelphia in seven games in last season's playoffs.

The 76ers (11-8) have responded by winning the first two matchups since, including a 95-94 victory Friday at home. That contest featured trash talking by both teams, with Evan Turner yelling at Paul Pierce on one sequence.

"When the adrenaline kicks in and trash talk occurs, you want to shut the other team up," Turner said.

Turner did exactly that with another big game against the Celtics with 26 points and 10 rebounds. He had team highs of 25 points and 11 boards in a 106-100 victory at Boston (10-9) on Nov. 9.

After missing his first four shots in overtime, Turner drove past Courtney Lee and tossed up an off-balance, right-handed shot for the winner with 3.9 seconds left.

"Hopefully, it's the first of many," Turner said. "I'm glad I was able to break through."

The Celtics lost despite Rajon Rondo's triple-double. Rondo had 16 points, 14 assists and a season-high 13 rebounds.

It was Boston's first loss in Rondo's 14 triple-doubles and the point guard slipped and his ankles buckled on the game's last possession, costing him a chance to maintain that perfect record.

"It's frustrating," Rondo said. "But the good thing about the NBA is you've got a chance to bounce back tomorrow night and get it back."

Rondo also missed a potential game-winner at the end of regulation.

"This is a make-miss league," coach Doc Rivers said. "When you miss open shots, you're going to lose. And they made theirs."

Pierce scored 27 points and Kevin Garnett added 17 and 10 rebounds. Garnett is no stranger to trash talk, and he sounded like he couldn't wait for Saturday night.

"Philly plays us tough. We all know that," Garnett said. "But we're building something here, and we'll take what we need out of this and get ready to get right back after them."

The Sixers won despite 37.4 percent shooting as the Celtics trapped point guard Jrue Holiday on numerous possessions. Thaddeus Young scored 17 points and Holiday added 15, although both made just 7 of 18 shots.

"I found out a lot about my guys tonight, I really did," coach Doug Collins said.

Philadelphia avoided its first three-game slide. Spencer Hawes, who Collins challenged in practice Thursday, turned in a solid effort with 10 points and six boards.

Collins had a message for his team regarding this rematch.

"He says the great ones do it when they're tired," Turner said. "Tomorrow's going to be key, both teams are going to be tired. I think we can pull through."

Sixers reserve guard Nick Young has missed the last three games with a left big toe hyperextension, but could return Saturday. He lived up to his "Swaggy P" nickname when he walked into the locker room wearing leopard skin shoes Friday.

Garnett's 19 lead Celtics to 92-79 win over 76ers

By KEN POWTAK
Posted Dec 09 2012 12:52AM

BOSTON (AP) Boston's old guys just needed a little pick up. Philadelphia coach Doug Collins provided it.

Kevin Garnett scored 19 points, Jeff Green added 16, and the Celtics won the back end of a home-and-home with Philadelphia, beating the 76ers 92-79 on Saturday night.

During his pregame press briefing, Collins said that Garnett had played over 50,000 minutes and Paul Pierce 48,000. He added that veteran Jason Terry had also played a large amount of minutes in his career and there was no way his team should be more tired than Boston. Celtics coach Doc Rivers first agreed that "he's right," but later joked that he might tell his players.

After the game, Rivers said he passed the message along.

"I did," he said, smiling. "It was great. Thank you for that, media."

Asked how his players responded, Rivers said the usually fiery Garnett "reacted the way you'd think he'd react."

Pierce, though, just found it all kind of amusing.

"It was amazing that he calculated that," he said.

Pierce finished with 13 points and Rajon Rondo dished out 11 assists and collected nine rebounds, one night after his first triple-double of the season. Rondo had just seven points.

Thaddeus Young led Philadelphia with 22 points and Evan Turner scored 13. The 76ers have lost three of four.

"The difference between us right now and a team like the Celtics, the Celtics have a mental toughness born through championships and night in and night out being a team that has to play every single night because teams come with their best efforts," Collins said. "They mentally have an incredible approach. Kevin Garnett? I guarantee you his legs weren't the freshest out there tonight, but his mind was the sharpest."

Philadelphia won Friday when Turner hit the go-ahead basket in the lane with 3.9 seconds left in overtime and Rondo missed a game-ending shot after he slipped along the left baseline.

"I love the way we responded tonight," Pierce said. "A lot of the guys were mad for the fact we lost yesterday and we wanted to take it out on them today. We felt that was a winnable game last night and we wanted to do something about it."

Garnett was 9 of 11 from the floor.

"Experience, a lot of it," 76ers guard Jrue Holiday said. "He's been to championships, he's been to finals, he's been to a million playoffs. He's probably played a million and a half minutes, so he's got a lot of experience."

The 76ers shot just 39 percent in the game.

The Celtics led by 20 at halftime, but what looked like a rout quickly tightened late in the third quarter.

Boston led 65-44 before the 76ers scored 13 straight points over a 2:54 stretch. Turner had a pair of baskets and Holiday nailed a 3-pointer from the left wing, but the Celtics scored the final five points of the quarter and led 70-57 entering the final 12 minutes. Garnett ended the run with a jumper and hit a free throw later.

They pushed the lead back to 18 points midway into the fourth and coasted to the win.

The Celtics' players certainly looked like they took Collins' theory personally in the first half.

Boston held the 76ers to a season-low 28 points in the first half, seemed to contest nearly every shot and held a 20-point lead at halftime. Philadelphia shot 23 percent (9 of 39) in the first half.

The Celtics, who shot 52 percent in the first quarter, led 24-16 after one.

Boston led 30-20 in the second before going on a 15-4 run over a six-minute stretch. Pierce scored five in the spree and Terry nailed long 3.

Philadelphia was at its worst in the second quarter, scoring a season-low 12 points for a quarter and shooting a miserable 14 percent (3 of 21).

NOTES: The teams don't meet again until their final matchup of the season, March 5 in Philadelphia. ... Referee Dick Bavetta, who worked the game and is a part of the storied rivalry, turns 73 Monday. He was the only referee working after his partner got hurt when Hall of Famers Larry Bird and Julius Erving got into a fight. ... Actor Mark Wahlberg was seated courtside and held up a `Ted' green sweat shirt. ... The 76ers' 28 in the first half was the lowest Boston's allowed in a half this season. ... Patriots safety Patrick Chung was also courtside. ...The 76ers had won the previous two meetings this season. ... Garnett didn't collect a rebound in the game, playing 24 minutes. The Celtics said the last time was Jan. 21, 1997, when he was with Minnesota.

Notebook: Celtics 92, 76ers 78

Brian Robb, for NBA.com
Posted Sat Dec 08, 2012 11:00 PM - Updated Sun Dec 09, 2012 12:00 AM

THE FACTS: Kevin Garnett had a team-high 19 points as the Boston Celtics rode a dominant defensive first half to a 92-78 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Jeff Green added 16 points off the bench for Boston, but it was the C's team defense that limited the Sixers to a mere 28 first-half points that allowed Boston to open up a 20-point halftime lead and never looked back. Thaddeus Young had a game-high 22 points for the visitors.

QUOTABLE: "I love the way we responded tonight. A lot of guys were mad for the fact we lost yesterday [to the Sixers[ and we wanted to take it out on them today. We came up with something to prove."
-- Paul Pierce.

THE STAT: The Sixers struggled to muster any offense in the first half against an inspired Celtics defense, shooting a paltry 23.1 percent before intermission. Their 28 first half points were also a season low.

TURNING POINT: After a back and forth start to the second quarter, the Celtics broke the game opened over a six-minute stretch with a 15-4 run behind much of the team's second unit, giving Boston their biggest lead of the night at 21. The Sixers never recovered.

HOT: Garnett -- The Sixers had no answer all weekend for the 6'11'' center on the offensive end. One night after going 7-for-11 against Philadelphia in a one-point loss, Garnett was even better tonight, hitting 9-of-11 shots Saturday night. In three games against the Sixers this year, the big man has shot a scorching 68 percent from the field.

NOT: Jrue Holiday -- Philadelphia's leading scorer helped dig his team into a major offensive hole early, going 2-for-9 with two turnovers in the first half, as the Sixers found themselves facing a 20-point deficit heading into the locker room. Holiday finished with just 11 points, seven below his season average.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: Rajon Rondo -- One night after posting his first triple-double of the young season, the All-Star point guard flirted with the feat again against Philadelphia, posting seven points, nine rebounds and 11 assists in 36 minutes.

QUOTABLE II: "Our defense is why we won. I thought first half, going zone, ma and going back and forth was good for us. When you play defense like that, you win games."
-- Boston coach Doc Rivers.

INSIDE THE ARENA: Hometown star Mark Wahlberg watched Boston's dominating effort from courtside, sporting Celtics green. Patriots safety Patrick Chung also took in the contest courtside with his young son.

ROOKIE WATCH: Jared Sullinger -- The 20-year-old continues to be a bright spot off Boston's bench, grabbing a team-high nine rebounds Saturday night in just 22 minutes of action.

NOTABLE: Rivers spent much of the day prior to the game in Wisconsin attending the funeral of his former coach and mentor Rick Majerus. Garnett had zero rebounds in a game for the first time in his career since January 21, 1997. He played 35 minutes in that contest for Minnesota in a loss against the Raptors. Boston and Philadelphia split the team's home-and-home weekend series. The Sixers now lead the season series 2-1 against their Atlantic Division rivals.

UP NEXT: For Philadelphia, Monday vs. Detroit, Wednesday vs. Chicago, Friday @ Indiana. For Boston, Wednesday vs. Dallas, Friday @ Houston, Saturday @ San Antonio.

• 76ers: Bynum
• Celtics: Joseph, Melo

• 76ers: --
• Celtics: --

• Lead Changes: 0
• Times Tied: 0

• Arena: TD Garden, Boston, MA
• Officials: #23 Jason Phillips, #27 Dick Bavetta, #58 Josh Tiven
• Attendance: 18624
• Duration: 2:04