Projo Sports Blog

-- After a sluggish start where Boston fell behind by seven after the first quarter of play, the Celtics picked up their intensity on defense and shot the lights out in second quarter when they outscored the Bobcats 28-18 to take a 54-51 lead into the locker room at the break.

Sparked by Paul Pierce and Eddie House, the Celtics began the second quarter with a 7-0 run to tie the game at 33-33. And even though they knocked down 70.6 percent of their shots (12-for-17) and limited the Bobcats to 33.3 percent shooting (8-for-24) in the second stanza, the Celtics couldn't pull away.

Ray Allen gave the Celtics a 62-53 cushion with a 24-foot 3-pointer 1:27 into the third quarter, but the Bobcats clawed their way back into the game by holding the Celtics to zero field goals for nearly 10 minutes, and only one field goals the rest of the quarter.

Charlotte outscored Boston, 24-9, over the final 10:33 of the third quarter.

Pierce ended Boston's field-goal drought with a 3-pointer from the left baseline with 36.7 seconds remaining in the quarter, but Charlotte rookie DJ Augustin answered with a 3-pointer of his own.

Pierce sank three free throws with five seconds left to cut Charlotte's lead to 77-71 at the end of three quarters of play.

 Tags  Boston Celtics Charlotte Bobcats Rob Lee Robert Lee

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