Celtics set defensive record in 87-56 rout
BOSTON (AP) – Ray Allen and the Boston Celtics take a lot of pride in their defense, so this one was a gem. For Milwaukee Bucks coach Scott Skiles, it was embarrassing.
Allen scored 17 points in just three quarters and the Celtics set a franchise record for fewest points allowed in the shot-clock era, routing the Bucks 87-56 on Sunday.
“I think playing defense perfectly is our goal,” Allen said. “That’s what we shoot for, but a team can still score while you’re doing that.”
Not this time.
It was the lowest score against the Celtics since they beat the Milwaukee Hawks 62-57 at Providence, R.I., on Feb. 27, 1955. The Bucks, who joined the NBA before the 1968-69 season, set a franchise record for fewest points.
“That’s about as humiliating a defeat as you’ll ever see,” Skiles said. “They got us on our heels and took our competitive fight away from us. We pretty much just gave into it.”
Milwaukee was coming off 102-74 home win over Philadelphia on Saturday. When the Bucks flew east to Boston, they lost an hour to the Eastern time zone and then another hour to daylight savings time. And when the 6 p.m. EDT start arrived on Sunday, they plodded their way to all of nine points in the first quarter.
“You could see they were tired,” Boston coach Doc Rivers said. “So, we took advantage and that was great, but a lot of it had to do with their schedule.”
Magic 111, Suns 88
PHOENIX – Dwight Howard had 26 points and 15 rebounds, then watched the fourth quarter from the bench as the Orlando Magic completed a rout of the Suns for their first victory in Phoenix in nine seasons.
Phoenix had been the only NBA city where Howard had not won.
Aaron Brooks, starting in place of injured Steve Nash, had 19 points and 10 assists, but the Suns were blown out at home for the second game in a row.
Six other Magic players reached double figures, led by Brandon Bass with 17 and Gilbert Arenas with 16. Orlando’s regulars got plenty of rest heading into Monday night’s game against the Lakers in Los Angeles.
Nash missed the game with “pelvic instability.” Coach Alvin Gentry said his star point guard probably also will miss Monday night’s game at Houston.
Pacers 106, Knicks 93
NEW YORK – Tyler Hansbrough scored a career-high 29 points, Dahntay Jones added 18 in place of leading scorer Danny Granger, and Indiana snapped a six-game losing streak.
Darren Collison added 16 points, and Roy Hibbert had 12 points, eight rebounds and five blocks for the Pacers in the opener of a home-and-home series.
Amare Stoudemire scored 28 points for the Knicks, who lost their second straight, and Carmelo Anthony added 25 but shot just 9 for 22.
Thunder 95
Cavaliers 75
CLEVELAND – Russell Westbrook scored 12 straight points during a 5-minute stretch of the third quarter to awaken his listless Oklahoma City teammates.
Westbrook scored 14 of his 20 points in the third, helping the Thunder open a 20-point cushion. Kevin Durant, the NBA’s leading scorer, added 19 points – nine below his average – as the Thunder improved to 19-6 against Eastern Conference teams.
Daniel Gibson had 13 points and J.J. Hickson pulled down 15 rebounds for Cleveland.
Bobcats 95, Raptors 90
TORONTO – D.J. Augustin scored 23 points and Gerald Henderson had 18 to help Charlotte snap a five-game road losing streak.
Stephen Jackson and Boris Diaw added 15 points apiece for the Bobcats, who have won two straight after a season-high six-game slide.
Andrea Bargnani had 17 points and Leandro Barbosa added 15 for Toronto, which has lost 11 of 15 and 24 of 29.