A perfect ending to a long, crazy day: Celtics 103, Cavaliers 91

Paul Pierce had to have taken a dip in the Hot Tub Time
Machine before this one.

In one of the most tupsy-turvey 24-hour spans that a team could be apart of, the Celtics showed mental toughness and improved to 13-12 after defeating the Cavalers 103-91.

In a game that featured the insertion of the two Jason's into the starting five, the Celtics found a groove with the two and never looked back. Things got a little dicey after the Cavs made a 17-0 run at the end of the third and into the fourth quarter. But the Celtics could not be denied tonight. Not on a night where Anderson Varejao -- in a gift from the basketball gods -- was a late scratch, and not on a night where the captain goes bizerk.

Here's a recap:

The good:

* How can I not start with The Truth? Paul Pierce was magnificent and nearly perfect. Pierce had a game-high 40 points on 13-of-16 from the floor, including 6-of-7 from beyond the arc and 8-of-8 from the free-throw line. He also had 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Not only was Pierce dominating offensively, but he also did a tremendous job on the defensive end. He tore up Alonzo Gee, was very active, and got his hands into passing lanes. He did it all tonight.

* Rajon Rondo was an aggressor tonight. He finished with 20 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds. Rondo was aggressive from the start, as he looked to push the ball and drive to the basket whenever he could. He led Boston's fast break attack, which outscored the Cavaliers 18-6.

* Although he will never light up the box score, Jason Collins has been a solid contributor when called upon. Tonight, he played great. He played great defense -- although he fouled out at the end of the game on a cheap foul I may add -- and was an enforcer down low. He was a plus +23.

* The team shot a season-high 60% from the floor. As I've said before, the offense hasn't been this team's problem: it's the defense.

The bad:

* I'll start with the good news about the Celtics' bench: they outscored Cleveland's bench 15-14. The bad news? They scored 15 points. I know it's difficult to score when you have a guy as hot as Pierce was, but the bench struggled once again. When Cleveland made that furious run to cut the lead from 20 all the way down to 3, it was the bench of the Celtics that was on the court. Boston's bench had a plus/minus of -33 tonight. Luckily, the Celtics had such a big lead when the bench was out there or else things would have completely fell apart.


The Celtics are back in action Friday night as they play the Milwaukee Bucks (yes, the Bucks, again) for the fourth and final time this season. Tipoff is a 7:30 p.m. from the TD Garden.