"We knew it'd be a close game. We just needed to get stops down the stretch and we didn't," said Pierce, who finished with seven points. "The third quarter really hurt us. We couldn't score, and then Turner made some tough shots down the stretch."
Notes: The Celtics scored the first nine points. ... Boston made its first five shots, not missing until Spencer Hawes blocked Bradley's attempt 3:24 into the game. ... Rondo had eight assists in the first half, including alley-oop setups for Greg Stiemsma and Ryan Hollins, who had to reach behind his head for the pass but still corralled it for the two-handed dunk to put the Celtics up 33-29. ... Holiday led Philadelphia with 13 points in the first half. He was the only Sixer to score in double figures in the first two periods. Hawes was the next closest with six points. ... The Sixers had lost their last seven playoff games in Boston, last winning on May 23, 1982, in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Reader Comments