Tue Feb 26 01:18:44 2008

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Celtics end road trip by pounding Clippers

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Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Paul Pierce led a balanced Boston attack with 17 points and the Celtics ended a bumpy five-game West Coast swing with a smooth 104-76 romp over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Ray Allen had 15 points and seven assists and Kevin Garnett scored 11 for the Celtics, who outscored LA 59-40 in the second half en route to a second straight win.

Boston began the road trip by dropping three straight, falling in Denver, Oakland and Phoenix to Western Conference contenders the Nuggets, Warriors and Suns. A win in Portland Sunday stopped the skid before the Celtics were able to regroup for the blowout Monday in Los Angeles.

James Posey totaled 17 points and five rebounds off the Celtics bench, while Leon Powe continued to provide valuable time as a reserve, going for 12 points and three rebounds in 21 minutes.

Tim Thomas led Los Angeles with 15 points and nine boards, while Corey Maggette and Al Thornton contributed 11 apiece, with Thornton grabbing eight rebounds.

"This was a tough game for us," Clippers head coach Mike Dunleavy said. "We didn't play well. They overpowered us, and shot well from the three-point line. We struggled to make shots."

Brevin Knight added 10 points for the Clippers, who have lost two in a row. LA point guard Sam Cassell, who received a one-game suspension for his flagrant foul on Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo in the two teams' last meeting (February 6), did not play because of a sprained wrist.

LA was also without starting center Chris Kaman, who was nursing a sore lower back.

Boston held a 23-17 lead after the first quarter, and pushed that edge to as many as 13 during the middle stages of the second. Thornton scored four straight to pull the Clips back within nine, and it was 45-36 at the break.

LA was within 10 on a Cuttino Mobley three with 6:18 to go in the third, but the Celtics ripped off the next 14 in a row - capped by Posey's left-wing three - to stake themselves to a commanding 75-51 lead with 2:37 left in the period.

Boston's cushion was 77-57 at the start of the fourth, and that was quickly extended to 85-59 in the stanza's opening two minutes.

The Clips couldn't pull within closer than 20 the rest of the way, and the Celtics cruised to victory while giving their starters a deserved rest at the completion of a long road trip.

"A great team win," Celtics head coach Doc Rivers said. "The Clippers had so many guys out. I was very happy with our effort, and our bench played terrific."

Game Notes

Boston shot a torrid 55 percent from the floor as a team, including 8-of-18 from three-point range; Posey was 4-for-6 from behind the arc....The Celtics also made 20-of-25 free throws, compared with a 14-for-25 (56 percent) performance by the Clippers...Boston gained a sweep of the season series, avenging a two-game sweep by LA a year ago.