Hornets 83 - 81 Celtics
Final
  for this game

Celtics clash with Bobcats in Beantown

Mar 25, 2011 - 3:08 PM (Sports Network) - Boston will try to stay perfect against Eastern Conference opponents in Beantown on Friday when the Celtics entertain a desperate Charlotte Bobcats team.

The C's will also be aiming to stay within an earshot of the top team in the Eastern Conference, the Chicago Bulls. Boston, which has already collected its fourth straight Atlantic Division title and fourth consecutive 50-win campaign, is trailing the Bulls by one game after falling to Memphis, 90-87, on Wednesday at TD Garden.

Paul Pierce scored a game-high 22 points and Ray Allen added 14 in that one. Rajon Rondo dished out 11 assists and grabbed 11 rebounds while Kevin Garnett and Jeff Green both scored 10 points in the loss.

"I thought overall, for the most part we played pretty good defense," Pierce said. "We held them to what, 90 points. Especially Zach Randolph, he has been playing out of his mind. A lot of these guys have been playing well. I thought it was a pretty strong defensive game."

Boston, however, is 21-0 against East opponents on its home floor.

The Bobcats, meanwhile, are in desperate straits after falling to Indiana in the Queen City on Wednesday. Danny Granger finished with a game-high 33 points as the Pacers used a strong second half to rout Charlotte, 111-88.

D.J. Augustin paced the Bobcats with 17 points. Kwame Brown scored 16 with nine rebounds and Shaun Livingston added 15 points on 6-of-9 from the field off the bench.

The Bobcats have dropped four straight overall and were swept in the four-game season series with Indiana, which holds a three-game edge over both Charlotte and Milwaukee for the East's final playoff spot.

"This was very disappointing," Bobcats coach Paul Silas said. "Any loss is disappointing. I am not saying we didn't play hard, we just didn't have it tonight."

Stephen Jackson, who played with a sore left hamstring, paced the Bobcats with nine points on 4-of-5 from the field in the first quarter but finished with just 11 points. An MRI on Thursday revealed no tear in the hamstring and Jackson may give it a go tonight.

Charlotte snapped a six-game skid to Boston with a 94-89 win in the Tar Heel State back on Feb. 7. The Bobcats have lost five in a row and 10 of 12 meetings in Beantown.






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