Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics seek their fifth win in a row on the road tonight when they take on the Charlotte Bobcats (7-9) in the Queen City.

While the Bobcats are currently sporting a four game-winning streak, the Cats may still be smarting from a loss to the Celtics after a poor performance early in the season, as CBSsports.com reported:

Charlotte, though, wasn’t very good at either end of the court in its opener, a 92-59 loss at Boston on Oct. 28. The Bobcats finished with the fewest points in franchise history, and Raymond Felton’s buzzer-beater kept the Bobcats from equaling the franchise low of eight points in the third quarter.

With both the Celtics and the Bobcats on an upswing, tonight’s matchup is sure to be a heartbreaker for one team and a sign of renewal for another.

Both teams have been carried by the play of one player. For the Cs, it's the Truth. For the Bobcats, it's the man Paul will matchup with tonight, up-and-comer Gerald Wallace, as A Celticsblog.com blogger reported:

Both the Celtics and Bobcats enter tonight’s contest on four-game winning streaks, largely due to the stellar play of Pierce and Wallace. For Boston, this four-game stretch is a hopeful sign that this team is finally on the right track and for the Bobcats, its winning streak is just the next small step in the progression of an entire franchise.

The Bobcats have given the Celtics trouble these past few seasons (this could be credited to Celtic-slayer Jason Richardson calling Charlotte home two of the past three years) and it’s looking more and more likely that Wallace will be looking to keep that trend going tonight.

Granted, while both teams have weapons in their arsenals, the Celtics just may have an advantage over the Cats. CBSsports.com reports

Boston’s four-game win streak has been powered by red-hot offensive play that should put the Bobcats’ tough defense to the test. The Celtics shot 52.2 percent in Sunday’s 92-85 victory over Miami, and averaged 107.0 points on 51.0 percent shooting in their last four.

NUMBERS GAME
When you speak of red-hot offense, take note of the impressive numbers the Truth has been posting over the last four games. Celticsblog.com blogger tallies the figures:

Pierce: 23.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.0 blocks, 30-55 shooting (54.5 percent), 6.5 free throws per game (Everyone has noticed how Pierce has changed his free throw form, right?)

The best part of all of this is that both players are extremely effective one-on-one defenders, and with them going head-to-head in the midst of such impressive shooting numbers, it's going to be fun to see who gains the edge as the game goes on. Pierce's superior jump shot probably gives him an edge offensively, but Wallace certainly has the advantage on the boards (he's currently ranked fourth in rebounds in the entire NBA with an 11.8 rebounds per game mark).

Against Charlotte in the season opener, Paul posted 15 points, three rebounds and four assists in less than 25 minutes.

In addition to posting points in the paint, No. 34 and the Celtics will need to keep a sharp eye on Stephen Jackson, Charlotte’s latest acquisition. Since Jackson has joined the lineup, the Bobcats have won four of their last six games.

TIP OFF
Game time is 7:00 PM ET at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina. The game will be aired locally on CSN TV and WEEI radio.

RELATED ARTICLES
Bobcats vs. Celtics (CBS Sports, Nov. 30, 2009)
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gamecenter/preview/NBA_20091201_BOS@CHA/cel...
Paul Pierce Will Have His Hands Full with Gerald Wallace (Celticsblog.com, Dec. 1, 2009)
http://www.celticsblog.com/2009/12/1/1180423/paul-pierce-will-have-his-h...

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