I'd have to say that was probably the Celtics best three quarters of basketball so far this season. A few things that caught my eye: -These are the types of games the Celtics should win. The Nets have been wrecked by injuries this year and the C's should have taken advantage. It was good to see them jump out to the early lead. -Pierce was the most dominant player on the court tonight. He played well within the flow of the game and didn't seem to force anything. He's clearly coming into his own with this style of basketball. He looks comfortable and is getting better every game. -For as much as we hear the Walter to Phoenix stuff is dead, the fact that Doc kept him on the bench for as long as possible tells me they're trying to make sure Walter doesn't get hurt before the deadline. -One of my biggest pet peeves with the NBA: the vet retaliation on the young guy that's never called. After Elden Campbell had his shot blocked by Perk he shoved Kendrick in the back and clear off the court on the next trip up the court. A foul is a foul, no matter who committed it. By letting it go, someone is going to get hurt. -The best part of tonight's game was that it gave an extended run to guys who have been buried on the bench with no practice time to prove themselves. West looked really good tonight. I expect his minutes to go up, same with Googs. -Vince looked much different from when he made the trip here with the Raptors, much happier. But, he still acts like he's been shot when he takes contact on the way to the rim. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Good win for the Celtics as they continue to protect home court. Hopefully they can get a few games over .500 before the deadline, when the team should expect some kind of shake-up.
