It’s difficult to gauge just how useful these blowouts against inferior teams are — beyond the value of a victory in the Celtics’ race for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Celtics are now tied with the Hawks for that spot — and the right to avoid LeBron James and the Cavaliers in the second round of the playoffs. But whether last night’s 109-97 victory over the Knicks means the Celtics are actually improving their ball movement and defensive execution remains to be seen.
After limping home following a whipping by the Cavaliers, the Celtics spent the past two games pelting the Pistons and Knicks in games that weren’t competitive after halftime. Last night, the Celtics led by 19 at the break and coach Doc Rivers seized the opportunity to get his veterans some rest.
The abbreviated night didn’t prevent Paul Pierce from scoring 29 points in 24 minutes or Kevin Garnett from hitting 9 of 11 shots, also in 24 minutes. And it didn’t stop Rajon Rondo from racking up 12 assists as the Celtics led by as many as 27.
Pierce, despite picking up two early fouls, tallied 16 points in the third quarter and had his highest output since dropping 35 on Atlanta Jan 29. Only twice this season has Pierce, who did not speak with the media for the second consecutive game, scored more than 30 points.
So Rivers has made it a priority to get his All-Star forward ignited offensively as the playoffs approach.
“I think it’s his second, maybe third game in a row where fouls have been a problem,’’ Rivers said of Pierce. “He came back in like he hadn’t missed a beat, so it was pretty good. You know, you could see it even in the second half, he was even forcing it, probably a little more than we wanted, but it was good for him.’’
Rivers is hoping respites for the Big Three and productive nights from the bench will provide momentum for a difficult three-game road trip to Houston, Dallas, and Utah that begins tomorrow.
What the Celtics did the past two games was capitalize on teams who have nothing at stake, and they haven’t always thrived against inferior teams.
The Celtics played two difficult previous games with the Knicks, including an overtime victory Nov. 22 at Madison Square Garden. Last night, the Celtics began the game with a 7-0 run and led for the remainder of the game.
The Knicks have been riddled with inconsistency as they prepare for the biggest summer in franchise history. It finally appears as if the players, many of whom won’t be back, are playing out the string. The lone Knick who appeared interested was David Lee, who again burned the Celtics for 29 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists.
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