Paul Pierce Scores 20,000 Career Point as the C's Edge Out Bucks in OT, 105-102

Through the first three quarters of the game, the Milwaukee Bucks were in close competition with the Boston Celtics.  The Bucks dominated the boards by out-hustling and out-rebounding the more talented Celtics. Surprisingly, the Bucks looked as if they were playing with more energy on defense and used that to their advantage to stay in the game.

Halfway through the fourth quarter, the Celtics said enough as enough and buckled down to put an end to the Bucks on-going run.

Most of the scoring for the Celtics in the first three quarters came from dynamic shooting guard Ray Allen, who ended the game with 23 points. Kevin Garnett chipped in with 13 points and eight rebounds, and Paul Pierce led the late surge with 28 points (scoring his 20,000th career point as a Celtic).  Also further solidifying his spot as the sixth-man of the year, Glen Davis ends the game with 14 points, four rebounds and also drew two charges. Through the first five games he has taken 10 charges which is the true definition of a great Celtics teammate.

Once again, the player of the game is Rajon Rondo as he ends the game with another double-double. Rondo had 17 points and becomes the all time leader in assist through the first five games with 15 assist. Those assist put him atop John Stockton and Magic Johnson with 82 assist over the first five games. During the first three quarters Rondo turned the ball over six times, but he didn’t let that stop him from leading the team as the starting point guard. Today, the Celtics go and Rondo goes, and it was his penetration and decision making in the end that gave the Celtics fire power to beat the Milwaukee Bucks.

Don’t misinterpret; the Bucks played a good game and almost stole a game at the TD Garden in Boston. Andrew Bogut played a great individual game and ended with 21 points and 13 rebounds. The Bucks looked good out there and never stopped competing with the Celtics. Carlos Delfino really kept the Bucks in the game by scoring 15 points and dishing out seven assist. Delfino hit a deep corner three while the game was winding down that put the Celtics up by only one point (101-100).

For the Celtics, the major milestone is Paul Pierce’s 20,000th career point, but it is also good that the Celtics were able to win the game which advances them to 4-1.  With the loss, the Milwaukee Bucks fall to 1-4.