"This is a historical moment, more than we realize," Allen said after viewing John McCain's concession speech in the locker room after the game. "This is going to make this country better. [Barack Obama] showed it doesn't matter where you come from, who your parents are, if you work hard, Obama became president, and that's what this signifies."
The Celtics set up Allen with a series of screens, freeing him for jumpers against the defending of Brent Barry and Tracy McGrady.
Celtic center Kendrick Perkins (15 points, 4 blocks) outdueled Yao Ming (8 points), his aggressiveness and quickness keying the Celtic inside game early and his outside shooting providing the finishing touch after some exceptional ball movement.
Allen committed his sixth personal foul defending an inbounds attempt by McGrady, whose foul shot cut the Rocket deficit to 101-97 with 33.9 seconds left. Paul Pierce then missed, the Rockets calling timeout with 13.6 seconds remaining. McGrady was fouled behind the 3-point line with 10.3 seconds remaining, lead official Scott Foster reviewing the play and awarding three shots, though Doc Rivers argued that McGrady was attempting to pass. McGrady converted the first and third.
Eddie House then converted two free throws and the game concluded as Garnett rebounded a Brent Barry airball with four seconds to play.
"The game Saturday night was not in character for us," Rivers said. "We set the tone in the first quarter."
In that quarter, Perkins had 5 points and 6 rebounds, his key play a third-chance follow as he drew Yao's second personal, cutting the Celtics' deficit to 13-10. Yao's hook had provided a 13-8 Houston lead, but after he departed, the Celtics outscored the Rockets, 20-9, to close out the quarter with a 28-22 advantage.
The Celtics faltered in the second quarter before recovering for a 58-53 halftime lead.
