Paul and the Celtics emphatically squashed any hopes the New Jersey Nets had of avenging the thumping they sustained in Boston just three days earlier, as they dominated their counterparts from the opening tip en route to a 105-85 drubbing at the Izod Center Saturday.

The Truth got his teammates involved early, notching three assists before even attempting a field goal. The Celtics dominated New Jersey from the first possession, opening up a 14-point advantage at the end of the first quarter.

“We wanted to make sure we jumped out on them and established our presence early, and we were able to do that,” Paul told the Boston Herald of the Celtics’ dominating first quarter performance. “I couldn’t script it any better, the way we came out there and tried to take their confidence.”

Paul got into the scoring act in the second, connecting on consecutive threes to help increase an already insurmountable lead. The buckets pushed Paul’s consecutive three-pointer streak to seven, and helped Boston mount an astounding 29-point halftime lead.

The starters played sparingly in the second half, but Paul provided a spectacular highlight that wowed the New Jersey crowd. He swiped a pass from guard Jarvis Hayes and streaked the other way, completing the play with a dazzling spin move between two Nets defenders and laying the ball in for the final two of his 13 points. He watched the final 9:34 from the bench as the starters were able limit their minutes, and the Celtics’ reserves put the finishing touches on the team’s fourth-straight win.

“I’m glad that we’re starting to play better, especially coming into this week,” Paul said of the team’s latest win streak. You don’t want to come into a week where you’re playing a Phoenix Suns team who’s playing really well, a Miami team who’s playing well and Orlando. But no matter who we’re playing, it’s all about us playing like we want to play and playing the right way.”

NEXT UP
Paul and the Celtics return home to TD Bank North Garden to take on the Phoenix Suns. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 PM Eastern Time, and you can catch all the action on TNT.

RELATED STORIES
Allen’s 25 leads Celtics to 105-85 rout of Nets (AP, January 17, 2009)
http://www.nba.com/games/20090117/BOSNJN/recap.html
Jersey Swamped (Boston Globe, January 18, 2009)
http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/01/18/jers...
Champs post second straight rout of New Jersey (Boston Herald, January 18, 2009)
http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?&article
id=1145996&format=&page=2&listingType=celt#articleFull
Shaquille O’Neal inspires Kendrick Perkins (Boston Herald, January 19, 2009)
http://news.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view/2009_01_19_S...

• Add new comment