CHICAGO - The Celtics felt like the playoffs had started without them. If so, the faux Celtics were replaced last night by the hard-edged, defense-oriented Celtics, who took a 107-86 victory over the Bulls in Game 3 and a 2-1 lead in their first-round series.
Paul Pierce scored 24 points in 27 minutes, his hot start setting the offensive tone as the Celtics led from the opening possession. But it was the Celtics' defense, the best in the NBA in field goal percentage, which made the difference.
Bulls guards Derrick Rose and Ben Gordon, unstoppable in Games 1 and 2, never got started. Shots the Bulls were making in Boston were off target last night. Shots Gordon was getting in Game 2 simply weren't there. When the Bulls drove, they found the lane clogged. When the Bulls moved the ball, the Celtics rotated. Space was restricted, time ran out on the shot clock.
"When we play Celtics basketball and we don't turn the ball over, it's hard to score on us," said forward Glen Davis, a starter for most of the second half of the season in place of Kevin Garnett (right knee strain). "We didn't do anything different, we did it harder. That's what it's all about, go out and play hard and execute. When we play Celtics basketball, it's hard to beat us. The first two games we didn't play Celtics basketball, we didn't play the way we know how to play."
Pierce provided the lead on the opening possession, and the Celtics never surrendered the advantage. They concluded the first half with a 59-37 advantage, holding the Bulls to 30 percent shooting.
And when Pierce needed relief, Stephon Marbury provided it, with 13 points off the bench in 24 minutes.
Rajon Rondo (20 points, 11 rebounds) outdueled Rose for the second successive game. Rose scored 9 points and had two assists, struggling to decipher the Celtics' half-court defense. And the Bulls failed to get into a transition game as the Celtics shot 51.1 percent in the first half.
"I thought our guys really came out with a great defensive focus," coach Doc Rivers said. "They missed some shots, too, obviously, early, that they can make. So, we have some things we have to correct. I just thought we had great focus, and when you play like that and when you play together like a team you give yourself a chance to win.
"It was all the players. They just made great shots, had great focus. [Pierce] said it the other day, we gave up 100-plus [points] in the two games and the only way we're going to win is by being a defensive team. We didn't turn the ball over, so they didn't get any breaks. We were making shots and they were taking the ball out of bounds - that takes them out of transition. That allowed us to keep them off the break and if you keep them off the break you've got a chance."
