'Road Warrior' Boston Celtics Pound Glass, Halt Milwaukee Bucks' Streak

Something about the Bucks evokes the inner beast in the generally rebounding-wretched Boston Celtics, whose 100-91 road victory Thursday night snapped a Milwaukee six-game winning streak

When last these teams met, the Green Machine posted its most prodigious board-work of the season (52 total rebounds, 18 offensive). That was back on Leap Day—fitting, eh?

Though they corralled only six offensive rebounds this time around, their 47 total caroms was the team’s third-best effort. Save for that Leap game, it was Boston’s best board-work in over two months.

Brandon Bass and Kevin Garnett led the way with 10 rebounds apiece, while Paul Pierce chipped in with nine. And rookie big Greg Stiemsma contributed a productive 24 minutes of action which included a "double-five" (blocked shots and personal fouls).

The effervescent Rajon Rondo made plays to the tune a game-high 14 assists and was just half-a-beat tardy on a bull’s-eyed half-court heave at the conclusion of a splendidly played first half.

Indeed, in those first 24 minutes, which ended with Milwaukee holding a 58-56 edge, the teams combined for fewer than a dozen turnovers and personal fouls.  Both squads also shot in excess of 50 percent from the field.

The third quarter opened with Pierce draining a three-pointer at the 11:41 mark.  By the time he threw in another with 7:56 to go, the teams had combined for 13 empty possessions.  So much for splendid!

It took two more possessions for the Bucks’ newest acquisition Monta Ellis to throw down a dunk on a run-out.

It was only two mid-range jump shots by Garnett, who’d reentered the game for the final minute-and-a-half, that allowed Boston to take a 74-71 lead into the final lap.

In that oh-so-ugly (didn’t Doc Rivers’ boys get all that out of their system in Atlanta Monday) third session, the teams combined to shoot 13 for 42 (31 percent) and commit eight turnovers

The men in green righted the ship as the fourth quarter commenced, converting eight of their first 12 possessions and assuming a comfortable 90-77 lead.

On this night, the Bucks would creep no closer than seven.

Pierce led all scorers with 25 points, while Brandon Jennings topped the Bucks’ scoring chart with 19.

These two old rivals will square off one more time—no, not on April Fools’ Day—in their final regular-season tilt on April 26.  Perhaps one or the other will be playing for its playoff life.

Let’s hope it doesn’t take another Milwaukee sighting for the men in green again to remember how to rebound—like maybe tonight, in a payback game in Philadelphia.