This Week in Boston Sports - 11/10/2010

Kevin Garnett has always been a passionate person. It's obvious that he has a strong love for the game of basketball and likes to release his aggression on the court. This was especially apparent in the Celtics' game this past Tuesday in which they beat the Detroit Pistons 109-86. Garnett's fervor led to him scoring 10 points in the first quarter and 22 total points in the game. While Garnett was the star of this game, Paul Pierce was close behind him with 21 points and 5 rebounds. He also sunk 3 of his 7 three-point shots. When asked about this he grinned and replied, "How do they leave the three-point champion wide open in the corner?" While he may not be the "champion" per se, Pierce ranks fifth in the NBA for three-pointers made, which is quite impressive. Rajon Rondo also continued to make double-digit assists, with 17 of the team's 33 total in the game.

When it came down to it though, Garnett was the star. "We try to establish Kevin every night," Pierce said. "We saw it in training camp. He's feeling good out here this year. When we were successful in '08, that's what we did: we played through Kevin. He opens up a lot of things when he gets his offense going and you saw it tonight."

The next game was also a success for the Celts, as they traveled to Milwaukee to beat the Bucks 105- 102 in overtime. This proved to be Pierce's night, as he reached a milestone of 20,000 career points on a free throw with 13.3 seconds left in overtime. He even admitted that he cried about achieving this feat, and I don't think anyone could blame him. Pierce became the 36th player in NBA history to record that many points and the third to score all of them in a Celtics uniform. With time still left in the game, Pierce had to put his emotions behind him and keep it up to win the tight game. "When I thought about it, it wouldn't have felt as good to do it if we didn't get the win. So I tried to keep my composure, relax, take deep breaths and keep composed," Pierce said. Ray Allen had 23 points in this game and made three of his eight three-pointer attempts.

The excitement for the Celtics didn't end there, as they were forced into overtime again in their 110-105 win over the Chicago Bulls this past Friday. These two games were the first back-to-back overtime games the Celtics have played since their three straight in the 2009 playoffs, in which they also played the Bulls. In this game, Garnett had 16 points, Allen had 25 points and Rondo had 10. The Celtics are now on a four-game winning streak and have played these past three games without their Tower of Terror, Shaquille O'Neal, who has been out with a bruised right knee. Doc Rivers has said that he is not certain when O'Neal will return.

The Bruins also had a busy week, taking on the Buffalo Sabres, the Washington Capitals and the St. Louis Blues. They won 5-2 over the Sabres with goals scored by Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Blake Wheeler, Michael Ryder and Milan Lucic, respectively. Goalie Tim Thomas also had an impressive 33 saves, but gave up a goal in the second period and another in the third. The Bruins then went on to lose a tough game to the Capitals, 5-3. No goals were scored in the first period, but Washington changed that in the second period with three goals. The Bruins then had three straight goals of their own by Michael Ryder, Nathan Horton and Shawn Thornton in the third period to tie the score at 3-3. Washington pulled ahead soon after, however, with two goals to cement the final score. The Bruins lost again Saturday night 2-1 to the Blues. These past two games have been their first back-to-back losses of the season. Their only goal came in the third period, slapped in by Gregory Campbell. This game also sent David Krejci from the ice, injured from a hard check by the Blues' TJ Oshie. It is not certain when he will return. The Bruins hope to get back on track when they play the Pittsburgh Penguins this Wednesday.

The Patriots suffered a blow on Sunday courtesy of the Cleveland Browns. They lost not only the game, 34-14, but also their best record in the AFC East. They are now tied with the New York Jets. This game also broke their five-game winning streak. Their two touchdowns were both completed by Aaron Hernandez in the second and fourth quarters. When it comes down to it, it was a sloppy performance by the Pats that included fumbles and dropped balls. As Tom Brady explained, "You don't lose because of one play…if we play the way we played today, we're not going to beat anybody. We just had an awful day." Hopefully they can start another winning streak against the Pittsburg Steelers next week.