Full recap: C’s 96, T-Wolves 93
Posted by Mike Salvucci on Jan 3, 2011
ESPN Box Score - A Wolf Among Wolves
To steal the words directly out of Tommy Heinsohn’s mouth, “It wasn’t pretty, but who needs an oil painting these days?!?!”
The Celtics pulled out a 96-93 victory over the T-Wolves tonight, despite a TD Garden-record of 24 rebounds from Kevin Love.
Paul Pierce led the way for the C’s with 23 points, including 15 in the 3rd quarter, and showed no signs of that sprained ankle he suffered last night.
The Celtics found themselves in a battle all night against this young Minnesota team. But in the end, experience matters in the NBA. The Celtics know how to close out basketball games in the 4th quarter. And the truth is, the Timberwolves do not.
I’m not going to get hung up on the fact that the Celtics struggled against this 9-win Minnesota team. Obviously, the Celtics didn’t play a perfect game tonight. But until Kevin Garnett comes back, the C’s simply need to find a way to win games. I could care less how they do it.
A win is a win is a win.
***Let’s address this Kevin Love thing right away. If you watched the game on CSN tonight, then you probably don’t need me to go on and on and on about this guy anymore. He’s a beast, there’s nothing really more to say. 24 rebounds is very impressive. Minnesota out-rebounded the Celtics 45-30, and Love was a huge reason why the Wolves kept this game close all night. I really enjoyed watching him play, but I’m glad the C’s got the win. Ok…moving on.
*** Pierce played in his 917th game in a Celtics’ uniform tonight, which ties him with Bob Cousy for 5th all-time. And just like last night, the captain put this team on his back and carried them to victory. As a Celtics’ fan, there’s nothing better than watching Pierce when he gets hot. Rondo just gives him the ball and lets him do his thing. There aren’t too many players in the NBA that have been scoring as consistently/efficiently as Paul Pierce for the past decade.
***Looking at the Bench:
Since the Celtics’ have so many injuries, I don’t think it’s fair to judge the starters and how effectively/ineffectively they play together. We all know that when KG and Perkins come back and Rondo is fully healthy, everything is going to be fine. They’ve proven that before.
However, I do think we can continue to learn a lot about the bench guys. In fact, we probably learn even more about them now since they’re seeing increased minutes. Here are some thoughts:
Von Wafer: His best game of the season. 10 points, 6 rebounds, and a significant spark off the bench. Of course, this isn’t the type of production we should expect from Wafer on a regular basis, and it’s probably a little premature to start envisioning how Wafer will fit into the playoff rotation. But kudos to him for taking advantage of his minutes and helping the C’s pull out a victory.
Jermaine O’Neal: Loved JO tonight. Loved him. And here’s why: There was a 3-minute stretch during the 2nd quarter where all the starters were out, and JO just took control. First he nailed an 18-ft baseline jumper, and then he drew an offensive foul on Michael Beasley (his 3rd foul which sent him to the bench). He converted on an And 1, and then blocked a Jonny Flynn shot. That’s all it was. 3 minutes. But if JO can continue to produce in short spurts like that, as well as block shots (he had 4 tonight), he’s going to end up being a nice fit.
Luke Harangody: Did I enjoy watching him take those shots tonight? No. But whatever. Doc probably told him to look for his shot. And if he didn’t, Luke will probably listen and not shoot so much in the next game. I’m not worried about it. What I did like from Luke was how he didn’t back down from Kevin Love tonight. He stood right up to him. Sometimes it was a foul, but sometimes he got position and got a great box-out.
***Eventually, Michael Beasley is going to get his game under control and end up being a really, really good player.
*** I’m so confused about Nate Robinson I don’t even know what to do with myself. The guy is a shooter, so he needs to keep shooting, right? Well he’s 5-24 from 3-point range dating back to the Orlando game. I love Nate and I know for a fact that this team needs him, but it’s hard to see his value when he’s not making shots. Hopefully it’s just a funk and Delonte’s return will stabilize his game.
***Best “block that didn’t actually count” of Ray Allen’s life tonight.
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