I might have forfeited sleep and sanity but that's a small price to pay since in return, tonight I was able to watch the best win of the season for the Boston Celtics.
Playing their second game in two days at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, the Celts (22-19, 6-11 away) were able to close on a 20-7 run for a truly awesome 94-85 win over the Clippers (23-17, 12-7 home).
This was the first time all season that Boston won the second game of a back-to-back on the road.
Paul Pierce (game-high 25 points, 7 assists) usually plays well when he returns home and this was no exception as he hit a huge 3-pointer near the end. Kevin Garnett (21 points, 8 rebounds) was great too and Ray Allen (15 points) survived a scary turned ankle. It looked bad at first glance, maybe something way more serious but after going to the back he returned a few minutes later and even finished the game on the court.
Brandon Bass had 10 points and nine rebounds before fouling out. The expected point guard showdown between Rajon Rondo (12 points, 10 assists, 3 steals) and Chris Paul (14 points on 3 of 12 shooting), two of the NBA's best, was a bust since Paul was basically invisible.
Freak of nature Blake Griffin led LA with 24 points and nine rebounds, DeAndre Jordan grabbed 13 rebounds and Mo Williams scored 21 off the bench with four steals.
This was the only meeting of the season between these two teams but you wouldn't know that by how chippy they played and how much trash they talked to each other. I complain all the time about regular season NBA games being dull but this one was great because it had an edge.
The Celts led 25-21 after one quarter but the Clippers rallied to take a 48-39 halftime advantage. Boston locked down on defense in the second half, outscoring Los Angeles 23-13 in the third and 32-24 in the fourth.
It was great for once to see the Celtics execute in crunch time and not fold like usual (such as yesterday against the Lakers). It gives us a flickering hope that maybe they can do that more consistently.
The C's shot 12% better from the floor (49.3%-37.3%), they attempted six more free throws (27-21) and made five more (23-18) while dishing out eight more assists (24-16) and blocking three more shots (5-2). The Clippers were beasts on the offensive boards (20-6) and rebounding in general (45-31), that's the only reason it was somewhat close.
Two games down on this eight-game road trip, six more remaining. Up next, the Celtics travel to Golden State on Wednesday for their only meeting against the Warriors. Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry, David Lee and Co. are always tough at home. Boston will need plenty of rest since Golden State loves to run.
UPDATE 3/14: The Warriors made a blockbuster trade last night as they shipped Ellis, forward Ekpe Udoh and blob Kwame Brown to the Bucks for injured center Andrew Bogut and swingman Stephen Jackson. There's been reports that Golden State would get a draft pick too but I'm not sure. Regardless, it totally changes the complexion of tonight's game. Now, I expect the Celtics to win. Jackson used to be on the Warriors but he's way past his prime.
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