The Celts shot 54.5 percent from the floor to pick up their fifth straight win despite a strong effort in the second half from the Bobcats. Ray Allen led the way with a game-high 27 points and Kendrick Perkins added 21 points and 12 boards as Boston rolled to its second five-game win streak of the season.
Celtics 108, Bobcats 90
Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, N.C.
Dec. 1, 2009
Headliner: Ray Allen was on fire as nearly every shot was dropping from all over the floor. Allen finished with 27 points and was 6-of-9 from the floor including 5-of-6 from behind the arc in just under 36 minutes of action. The guard also took advantage at the stripe as he was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line.
Unsung Hero: Kendrick Perkins was dominant underneath, ending up with 21 points and 12 boards to go along with three blocked shots. Perk now has double-doubles in each of his last two games and four total on the season.
Kevin Garnett chipped in with 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists while Eddie House came off the bench to drop 12 points.
Scrub: Charlotte's Stephen Jackson, who is averaging over 16 points per game this season, finished with just 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting. The Bobcats as a whole shot a measly 40.5 percent from the field and were just 24-for-35 (.686) from the free-throw line.
Turning Point: Boston shot out of the gate in the first and was able to build a 15-point lead at one point to put this one out of reach early. The Celtics kept their foot on the gas in the second to head into the locker room with a commanding 62-39 lead at halftime.
Up Next: The Celtics continue their four-game road trip with a stop in San Antonio to take on the red-hot Spurs on Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET.
The Spurs are in the midst of a five-game winning streak, but still trail the first-place Dallas Mavericks by 2 1/2 games in the Southwest Division. After starting the month of November at 2-5, they picked up the pace thanks to a favorable schedule which has them playing nine of 11 games at home.
Tim Duncan leads the team with 18.5 points and 10.8 rebounds a game while Tony Parker is chipping in with 5.5 assists per game.
The C’s and Spurs split their two games last season with both teams winning on the road. San Antonio topped the Celtics 105-99 at the Garden to hand Boston one of its three losses in the month of November. Boston then took their next meeting in San Antonio by stumping the Spurs 80-77 thanks to Ray Allen’s 19 points. That win was Kevin Garnett’s first after sitting out the previous 13 contests with a knee injury.
