The Sports Xchange
Danny Green scores 15 to lead Spurs over Celtics 87-86
BOSTON – It came down to the final shot, and the ball was in Paul Pierce’s hands.
The Celtics’ captain, the Eastern Conference Player of the Month for March, got an 18-footer off over Tim Duncan after dribbling down the last 7.9 seconds. Unfortunately, the potential game-winning shot missed as time expired and the Spurs escaped with their ninth straight win, an 87-86 decision over Boston.
The loss ended the Celtics’ five-game overall and eight-game home winning streaks.
“I got the switch on the big man. I think I got to a good place. Just missed the shot,” Pierce said. “You get in those pressure situations, sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t, but the thing is I’m not going to second-guess my decision. I thought I got a great shot … some days they fall, some days they don’t.”
The ball going in would have capped a marvelous evening for the Celtics, who trailed by as much as 17 in the first half and 11 at the break before holding the Spurs to nine points in the third quarter, 28 in the second half.
Boston cut the deficit to two early in the fourth quarter, fell back to seven down with 8:38 left, and then charged back again.
Boston took the lead at 81-79 and 83-81, but San Antonio, getting clutch plays from Duncan and Manu Ginobili, scored six straight points to take an 87-83 lead with 46.5 seconds left.
Ray Allen, returning from a six-game absence due to an ankle injury — and just one day removed from a cortisone shot — hit a 3-pointer (he had just five total points in the game) and the Celts wound up getting the ball back after a miss by Danny Green.
After a pair of timeouts, Pierce, who had 15 points and 10 rebounds, then missed.
“We just happened to win by a point,” said a relieved Spurs coach Greg Popovich, whose team has won 12 of its last 13 and has also won five straight road games.
Said Duncan: “It was a great game, great game. We knew coming in they’re a playoff caliber team and they’re always a tough challenge. It was a good game for us, a good challenge for us.”
Green led five Spurs in double figures with 14 points while Duncan had 10 points, 16 rebounds and three blocked shots (he was just 4-for-12 from the floor).
Avery Bradley came off the bench with 19 points for Boston, which also got 17 points and 11 assists from Rajon Rondo (his club-record 14th straight double-figure assist game) and Kevin Garnett had 16 points and seven rebounds.
Asked about Bradley, who had started the previous five games with Allen out and averaged 14.8 points per game, Popovich said, “He’s a pain in the (butt) … he killed us all night long.”
Added Bradley, “It doesn’t matter where I come (from), whether I start or come off the bench … however I can help my team coming in and bringing that energy, that’s what I’m going to do.”
The Spurs scored all their first-quarter baskets in the paint, where they had 40 points at the break. They had just eight more in the second half.
“I thought our first-half defense was horrendous,” said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. “A lot of good things happened (after that).”
Despite the good things, the Celtics were just 6-for-13 from the foul line.
NOTES: The Spurs came in averaging 107.9 points per game during the winning streak. … The teams combined for only 19 fouls, eight by the Spurs, who could have given one before the final Pierce shot but elected not to. … Rondo’s double-figure assist run is the NBA’s longest since Steve Nash had 14 in a row in 2005, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. … Allen missed six games and wasn’t at all fluid in his return, scoring his five points in the second half while logging 34:45 in the game. … The Celtics fell to 6-3 against the Spurs since acquiring Garnett and Allen in 2007. … Boston visits Chicago Thursday night, while the Spurs return home to face the Hornets Friday night. Before the game, Rivers said he thought his team was facing the two best benches in the NBA on back-to-back nights. … Rivers, talking about the superb professionalism of both Garnett and Duncan, said the pair “may be the two best ever” in that category. After the game, Duncan, asked about his battles with Garnett (they both used to be in the West, said, “It’s been difficult. We’ve always had some great battles. It always seems to turn into a war at some point in the game. But it’s a lot of fun. I think we bring a lot out of each other.” … Pierce was saluted pre-game for his Conference Player of the Month honor. … In the crowd: new national champion coach John Calipari.
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