Victory over Pistons would allow Celtics to clinch playoff spot

Wed Mar 5 13:27:44 CST 2008

Victory over Pistons would allow Celtics to clinch playoff spot

    AccuScore  Projections   

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_View more Accuscore game details_ 
(http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/trends?gameId=280305002)   

    Gameday  Matchup   W-L PF PA HOME ROAD STK L10  DET 44-16 98.4 90.3 23-5 
21-11 W2 7-3  BOS 46-12 100.3 90.6 26-4 20-8 W5 7-3

    2007-08  Season  Series tied 1-1  Wed 12/19 DET 87, @ BOS 85 _Recap_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=271219002)  | _Box Score_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=271219002)   Sat 1/5 BOS 92, @ DET 85 
_Recap_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=280105008)  | _Box Score_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=280105008)   Mar 5, 2008 DET @ BOS 
7:30 PM ET  · Complete Schedule: _Celtics_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/teams/schedule?team=bos)  | _Pistons_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/teams/schedule?team=det) 

    Injury Report  DETROIT  No significant injuries  BOSTON  · _Tony Allen_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3842)  SG - Mar 2: 
Day-to-Day
· _Fantasy Injury News_ 
(http://games.espn.go.com/cgi/fba/leagueinjuries?sort=date)  
· _View NBA  injury report_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/injuries)  

    Last 5  Games

DETROIT (ET) BOSTON (ET)  Mar 04 SEA Win _100-97_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=280304008) 
Mar 01 @LAC Win _103-73_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=280301012) 
Feb 27 @UTA Loss _103-95_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=280227026) 
Feb 25 @DEN Win _98-93_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=280225007) 
Feb 24 @PHO Win _116-86_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=280224021) 
Mar 02 ATL Win _98-88_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=280302002) 
Feb 29 CHA Win _108-100_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=280229002) 
Feb 27 CLE Win _92-87_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=280227002) 
Feb 25 @LAC Win _104-76_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=280225012) 
Feb 24 @POR Win _112-102_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=280224022) 
· Complete Schedule: _Detroit_ (http://sports.espn.go.co
m/nba/teams/schedule?team=det)  | _Boston_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/teams/schedule?team=bos)  
    Depth  Chart  POS DETROIT (PPG) BOSTON (PPG)  PG         _C. Billups_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3174) 
17.6 _R. Rondo_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=4149)  
10.6  SG         _R. Hamilton_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3330)  18.0 _R. Allen_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3080)  18.7  SF         _T. Prince_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3621)  13.6 _P. Pierce_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3253)  20.5  PF         _R. Wallace_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3006)  13.0 _K. Garnett_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3007)  18.5  C         _A. McDyess_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3004)  9.2 _K. Perkins_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3730)  7.3  · _View full  
depth chart_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/depth)  
· Team rosters: _Detroit_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/roster?team=Det)  | 
_Boston_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/roster?team=Bos)  

    Team Stat  Leaders   DETROIT BOSTON  Points _R. Hamilton_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=294)  18.0 _P. Pierce_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=662)  20.5  Rebounds _A. McDyess_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=530)  8.8 _K. Garnett_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=261)  9.9  Assists _C. 
Billups_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=63)  7.2 _R. 
Rondo_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=3026)  5.1  
Steals _C. Billups_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=63)  
1.4 _R. Rondo_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=3026)  
1.7  Blocks _R. Wallace_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=883)  1.7 _K. Perkins_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=2018)  1.4  · Team stats: _Detroit_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/teams/stats?team=det)  | _Boston_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/teams/stats?team=bos) 

    Today's  Line  FAVORITE OPEN CUR UNDERDOG O/U  @BOSTON --4 -5 <NOBR>D 184 
 ATS Detroit Boston  Record: 44-16-0 (.733) 46-12-0 (.793)  As Favorite: 
39-12-0 (.765) 42-9-0 (.824)  As Underdog: 5-4-0 (.556) 4-3-0 (.571)  At Home: 
23-5-0 (.821) 26-4-0 (.867)  On Road: 21-11-0 (.656) 20-8-0 (.714)
BOSTON -- Eight months after a blockbuster offseason made them instant NBA  
title contenders, the _Celtics_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=bos)  are on the verge of clinching a playoff spot  Wednesday night.  
Boston, which faces _Detroit_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=det)  for the third time this season, can clinch a  berth with a victory or 
with losses by New Jersey, Atlanta and Indiana.  
The Celtics ( 46-12, .793) and Pistons (44-16, .733) have the NBA's two  best 
records.  
Newly acquired _Sam Cassell_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=1295)  will not be on the court for the Celtics,  but he could play a 
large role come May when these teams have a chance to meet  in the Eastern 
Conference finals.  
Acquiring _Ray Allen_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3080)  and _Kevin Garnett_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3007)  in the offseason has helped give Boston  the league's best record, 
but it hopes to have picked up the last piece of a  championship puzzle by 
signing Cassell to a contract Tuesday. The veteran point  guard is headed to 
Baltimore to attend the funeral of a family member and won't  be available 
Wednesday, but he is expected to be play Friday against Chicago.  
The 38-year-old Cassell averaged 12.8 points this season for the _Los  
Angeles Clippers_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=lac)  before 
negotiating his long-rumored exit. His  playoff experience is expected to serve the 
Celtics well as they make a push for  their first title since 1985-86.  
Detroit, three games behind Boston in the East, may be the Celtics'  biggest 
obstacle to a championship. The Pistons and Celtics rank 1-2 in the  league in 
scoring defense, allowing 90.2 and 90.6 points per game, respectively.   
Boston and Detroit are meeting for the final time in the regular season.  
Both teams have a win on the road in the season series.  
"People are expecting that to be the Eastern Conference finals matchup,"  
Garnett said. "It should be a fun game."  
Garnett, meanwhile, currently has 19,946 career points and would become  the 
32nd player to reach the 20,000-point milestone. He would become only the  
fourth active player to reach that mark. _Kobe Bryant_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3118)  already got to 20,000 career points this  
season; the last time two players hit the 20,000 mark in the same season was  
2000-01 (_Reggie Miller_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=231)  and _Mitch Richmond_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=283) ).  
Knowing much of their title hopes rest on Garnett's shoulders, the  Celtics 
rested him for nine games at midseason when he was nursing an abdominal  
strain. The 6-foot-11 forward has played in eight games since returning, and his  
last contest was perhaps his best over that stretch.  
Garnett had 20 points and 16 rebounds to lead Boston to its fifth  straight 
win, 98-88 over Atlanta on Sunday night.  
"He's all the way back," Celtics forward _Paul Pierce_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3253)  said. "When he's going to the basket,  
inside and outside, dominating the rebounds: That's the Kevin Garnett I like 
to  see."  
Garnett is averaging 20.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in two games versus the  
Pistons this season.  
Detroit was beginning its worst stretch of the season when it last played  
Boston, losing 92-85 on Jan. 5. The Pistons went on to lose five of their next  
eight games.  
Since then, however, Detroit has won 15 of its last 18 and has the  league's 
second-best record. The Pistons came home from a 3-1 road trip to beat  
Seattle 100-97 on Tuesday night.  
Detroit will now play two straight on the road, where it is an Eastern  
Conference-best 21-11. The Pistons have won four straight and seven of their  last 
eight in Boston, including an 87-85 victory on Dec. 19.  
_Chauncey Billups_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3174)  had a game-high 28 points and eight  assists for Detroit in that game. He 
had 20 points and nine assists versus the  SuperSonics, reaching 20 points or 
more for the third straight contest.  
Billups will match up with Celtics point guard _Rajon Rondo_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=4149) , who will end up splitting time 
with  Cassell.  
Detroit made its own late-season acquisition Tuesday, signing center _Theo 
Ratliff_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3020) . The 
13-year veteran signed a free-agent  deal with the Pistons -- the team he started 
his career with in 1995 -- after  being released Friday by Minnesota to pursue 
opportunities with a contender.  
"It's great to be back," Ratliff said. "I feel like I'm home again."  
Ratliff will provide depth in the frontcourt behind _Rasheed Wallace_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3006)  and _Antonio McDyess_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3004) . Coach Flip 
Saunders said that Ratliff  could play Wednesday.  
Information from STATS LLC was used in this  report.

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