INDIANAPOLIS - The Celtics became the first member of the NBA's 40-and-over club last night.
With a 104-97 victory over the Pacers at
Only two Celtics teams have reached 40 wins faster; the 1964-65 Celtics were the fastest in franchise history, with 40 wins against only seven losses, while the 1972-73 team started 40-8.
"Half of me says it really doesn't mean anything," said guard Ray Allen. "Then the other half is like, 'You've never done that before, and I don't know how many teams have done that.' It's a great accomplishment.
"The first half of the season, a lot of teams will be talking about it. But it really doesn't get you anything. It gets teams to play harder against you. We've just got to get some rest during the [All-Star] break and be ready to buckle down."
Boston, which has won four straight, improved to 18-5 on the road and is now 6-2 without the injured Kevin Garnett. Paul Pierce scored a game-high 28 points, nailed 10 free throws, grabbed 12 rebounds, and dished 5 assists. Allen scored 23 points and nailed three 3-pointers, while center Leon Powe added 16 points and 9 rebounds.
The Celtics were without Garnett (abdominal strain) for the eighth straight game and center Kendrick Perkins (left shoulder strain) for the second in a row.
"Until those guys get back, we have to hold down the fort," Pierce said. "Different guys are stepping up."
The Celtics play their last game before the All-Star break tonight at TD Banknorth Garden against the Knicks. But coach Doc Rivers was more worried about a letdown against the Pacers than the Knicks, since his team was coming off an emotional 98-90 win over the reigning champion Spurs Sunday.
"After the game Sunday, both teams were up," Rivers said, "and so you were worried about coming in here tonight. I was very happy with the effort overall. I thought it was a team game."
The Celtics went into halftime with a 51-50 lead. Allen had 14 points and two 3-pointers at that time, while Pierce had 10 points. Boston shot 42.5 percent from the field in the first half while the Pacers shot 44.2 percent.
Rivers, however, felt the Celtics were too perimeter-oriented - mimicking the Pacers' style - as they missed 9 of 15 3-point attempts.
"I thought we were them," Rivers said. "They are known for taking outside shots. We came out just firing. Early on, Ray was hot. At the timeout, I said, 'Ray's hot, everybody else doesn't have to shoot a three. Let's try to get everyone else going to the basket.' "
The Celtics outscored the Pacers, 31-27, in the third quarter to take an 82-77 lead. Pierce scored 10 points and nailed two 3-pointers in the period.
