Although they were up by just one point at the half, the C’s dropped 31 in the third quarter and had six players finish in double digits, led by the hobbled Paul Pierce’s 19.
Celtics 109, Warriors 95
TD Garden, Boston, Mass.
Nov. 18, 2009
Live Blog | Box Score | Recap
Headliner: Rajon Rondo paced the C’s offense with 8-of-12 shooting for 18 points (including 12 in the third quarter) and a game-high 12 assists for the only double-double on either squad. Rondo, who also added seven rebounds, now has four double-doubles on the season and six games with at least 10 assists.
Unsung Hero: Guard Eddie House came off the bench to add 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting from behind the arc.
The C’s defense held the Warriors to 95 points, marking the first time in four games that Golden State was held under 100. Boston held the visitors to a 46.3 shooting percentage and caused 21 Warriors turnovers.
Scrub: Warriors' first-round draft pick Stephen Curry tallied 13 points in over 35 minutes. The rookie out of Davidson shot just 4-for-10, including 1-for-4 from 3-point land. The guard also had six turnovers and failed to grab a single rebound.
Turning Point: Rondo gave the C’s a 12-point lead thanks to a driving layin and a foul with less than five minutes to go in the third. The three-point play boosted the C’s lead to 67-55.
Up Next: The Celtics won’t catch a break in their next matchup as they welcome the defending Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic to town on Friday night at 8 p.m.
The 9-3 Magic topped the Thunder 108-94 on Wednesday night at home and are tied for second place in the East with the C’s, as both teams trail the 10-2 Hawks by a game. The Magic are 3-2 on the road this year and are riding a three-game winning streak.
Dwight Howard leads the team with 18.7 points per game and is tied for fifth in the NBA with 10.7 rebounds per game. Newcomer Vince Carter is pitching in with 17.0 points per game and is draining 3-pointers at a team-best 44.2 percent clip.
