When the 2009-10 New Jersey Nets pop up on the slate, that's a downright gift, which teams around the league are taking full advantage of.
On Wednesday night, it was the Celtics' turn.
Mired in a mini-slump that had seen them drop five of their last eight, and with an injury list riddled with big names, the C's exploded for 71 first-half points en route to a 111-87 win over the hapless Nets, now 3-35 and on pace for the worst record in NBA history.
It was the first time in over a month that the shorthanded Celts have truly been able to coast, and the timing was not lost on a tired bunch. In fact, it was all part of the plan.
"With a tough back-to-back coming and we're down on bodies and [facing] a team that's been struggling, our whole thought was if we can get off to a good start maybe we can get other guys rest," said Boston head coach Doc Rivers, fully aware that a home game against Chicago on Thursday was looming. "It all came on the defensive end first and then the ball movement tonight in the first half was as good as we can get."
Boston had 21 assists — 10 for Rajon Rondo — in the opening 24 minutes and led by as many as 36 points before the break. New Jersey managed to get its deficit under 20 at one point in the second half, but Rivers was too pleased to know his regulars were resting to worry.
Rondo led the C's with 29 minutes played. Paul Pierce was limited to 28, Ray Allen 26 and Kendrick Perkins 25.
"Bottom line is we accomplished what we needed to in that way," Rivers said. "We got all those guys a ton of rest tonight and that's important to us."
Even Boston's wins during the eight-game lull were grinds, one going to overtime and two others decided by single digits. The club's last double-digit win, a 122-104 rout of Minnesota on Dec. 20, saw the reserves nearly squander a huge lead and force Rivers to put his starters back in to finish things off.
The last time the C's truly were able to relax down the stretch was Dec. 12, when they stormed into Chicago and walked out with a 26-point win.
There were no issues on Wednesday, thanks in large part to the opponent.
After being outscored 38-22 in the first quarter, New Jersey missed its first five shots and committed two turnovers to begin the second. By the time Brook Lopez scored the Nets' first basket of the quarter, they trailed 46-24. And moments later came the ultimate insult.
With his team now up 21, Pierce dribbled into the lane, drew a few defenders and then whisked an alley-oop pass to Tony Allen flying in untouched on the baseline. The delivery was a bit behind Allen, but he managed to cock his right arm back to catch it and in one motion stuff it through.
New Jersey called a timeout to let us all watch the replay a few times and for Allen to reflect on the play of the game.
"He told me he threw a bad pass," Allen said of Pierce. "I just didn't want to get him the turnover so I just finished it. Simple as that."
Against the current edition of the New Jersey Nets, it always is.
