The Beasts Of The East

The Boston Celtics easily dispatched the Minnesota Timberwolves 122-104 on Sunday night. The thing is that they didn't play but 40 minutes of the alloted 48 and Rajon Rondo often had defensive lapses and let Johnny Flynn get to the hole whenever he felt like it. Also, the Celtics were harassed by the young legs of Kevin Love, Ryan Hollins & Al Jefferson. They still managed to win their 12th game in their past 13.

Rajon Rondo led the charge and racked up 13 pts, 15 ast & 3 stl to finish at a jaw dropping +23 on the night. Paul Pierce scored 29 points and went 6 for 6 from deep. Ray Allen added 20 (3-6 3pt), Tony Allen contributed 15 pts, 6 reb & 3 ast from the bench while Kendrick "The Hulk" Perkins came up big yet again with 14 pts, 11 reb & 3 blk to anchor the middle. Kevin Garnett had a low key night with 10 pts, 8 reb & 2 blk.

The starters had to come back in & put the game away in the 4th quarter as the Timberwolves just would not die. Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett knocked down big shots and the defense of Rajon Rondo and Hulk Perkins shut down the Minnesota offense. After coming out with zero energy, urgency or intensity at home versus the hapless Philadelphia 76ers (breaking their 11 game win streak) the previous Friday, they didn't want to have a second consecutive letdown.

The Celtics now sit atop the Eastern Conference with a 21-5 record going into a game versus the Indiana Pacers tomorrow night then the Orlando Magic on Christmas. The Celtics need to win both games to stay the class of the East with Orlando, Atlanta & Cleveland all vying for the top spot. The Celtics need to weather the next month until they get Big Baby Davis back then the next before Marquis Daniels returns. All that the Celtics are concerned with is staying healthy & sharp leading into the new year.

The Cavs are once again making moves to improve their chances in the East. Atlanta has been surprising. The Celtics want nothing more than to knock off the Orlando Magic in a national game to prove that they're still kings of the mountain. The key matchup will be Kendrick "The Hulk" Perkins vs. Dwight "Superman" Howard. Last game, Perkins fouled out so it opened up Howard to wreak havoc in the middle. We'll see how it all pans out soon enough. Ubuntu! © Boston Celtics

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