Kevin Garnett Scores 19 Points and Celtics Beat Bucks 99-77 Without Ray Allen
By CHRIS JENKINS | Associated Press | Mar 16, 08 12:29 AM CDT in
Sports
The Boston Celtics managed an easy victory without one of their three stars Saturday night, beating the Milwaukee Bucks 99-77 as injured guard Ray Allen sat in a suit at the end of the bench.
Even with Allen out of action because of a bruised left heel, the Celtics had no problem rebounding from their home loss to Utah on Friday. Kevin Garnett scored 19 to lead Boston, and Eddie House added 17 _ all but two of which came in the second half as the Celtics emptied their bench.
Charlie Bell scored 16 to lead Milwaukee, which has lost five straight and eight of its last nine. Boston held Milwaukee to 34.1 percent shooting from the floor, just above its season low of 32.9 percent set in a Nov. 3 victory over Chicago.
Allen left Friday's game after slipping and falling in the first quarter. Before Saturday's game, Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Allen might be able to play again as early as Monday.
And the Celtics will need him, as the rest of their current five-game road trip sends them to San Antonio, Houston, Dallas and New Orleans.
"It's nothing serious," Rivers said. "It's just a bruise in his heel, and we want it to go away. So the best way is rest."
Backup guard Tony Allen started in Ray Allen's place. But it was veteran guard Sam Cassell, a recent addition to the roster, who made a bigger splash as Boston took control early in the second quarter.
Leading by 3, the Celtics went on an 18-6 run that included three jump shots by Cassell. Cassell signed with Boston as a free agent March 4.
The Celtics went into halftime leading 53-35 after an 8-2 run in the final 1:35 of the second quarter.
The Bucks couldn't mount a challenge, and Rivers played his subs for the majority of the fourth quarter. James Posey dunked off a long outlet pass from Brian Scalabrine with 3:56 left in the game, putting Boston up 85-66.
Milwaukee was missing center Andrew Bogut, who bruised his thigh in a loss to Utah on Wednesday, and forward Yi Jianlian, who has missed six straight games with a right wrist injury. Bucks coach Larry Krystkowiak said Yi is feeling better, and doesn't expect the heralded rookie from China to sit out the rest of the season.
Mo Williams and Desmond Mason returned to the starting lineup from injuries for Milwaukee.
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