Mar 12, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; Boston Celtics shooting guard Courtney Lee (11) dribbles the ball during the first half against the Charlotte Bobcats at Time Warner Arena. Mandatory Credit: Curtis Wilson-USA TODAY Sports

No Kevin Garnett, no problem, as the Boston Celtics decimate the Charlotte Bobcats 105-88. Tonight was a complete team effort, from Paul Pierce to Shavlik Randolph, everyone contributed and scored in the game. Brandon Bass and Chris Wilcox did a great job filling in for Garnett and as it turned out, the Celtics didn’t need him for tonight’s contest. Boston had some stints throughout the first half but could never get the lead over nine points. The second half was a completely different story as they dominated on both end of the floor to rout the Bobcats and carry some momentum heading into Monday’s game versus the Miami Heat.

The Celtics came into tonight doing everything right. The ball movement was great and everyone got involved early which really set the tone for the rest of the game. Boston out-rebounded Charlotte 42-35 and their activity on the offensive glass set themselves up for easy second chance buckets and wide open perimeter shots. But without the defense, tonight’s win wouldn’t have been possible.

Gerald Henderson only scored 16 points which was much more acceptable than the 35 points he put up on Tuesday. The Celtics played great defense on Henderson, not allowing him to get to the basket easily and completely taking him out of his rhythm early in the game. In fact, Henderson only had 8 points at half and his lack of offensive production was a factor to Boston’s lead in the first half.

In the second half, Boston flat-out dominated on both ends of the court. The defense clamped down and forced the Bobcats to take some ill-advised jump shots and limited their second chance opportunities. When the Celtics got their first double-digit lead early in the third quarter, they never looked back. Boston didn’t allow Charlotte to build up confidence and make them feel as if they had a shot at coming back in the game.

The Celtics points distribution was the key to their blowout victory. It wasn’t just one player with a majority of the points, it was a team effort. Six players finished with double figures in scoring, and that evenly balanced offensive production was too much to handle for the the Bobcats. Paul Pierce was the main ball distributor as he finished with 8 assists in the game. By him moving the ball around and finding his teammates who had a better look at the basket, he set the tone which got everyone involved. If it wasn’t the best team win this season, it was pretty close.

Ubuntu was alive and well for the Celtics tonight, and for fans, they can only hope that continues through Monday when they face the Heat. To blowout a team, even if it was the lowly Bobcats, without Kevin Garnett, speaks volumes. Boston’s confidence should be soaring as they head into next week after two consecutive good games. If Garnett is cleared to play, I fully expect the TD Garden to be rocking as this is the biggest test for Boston so far. It’s possible that the Heat will extend their winning streak to 22 as they face the Toronto Raptors tomorrow. The Houston Rockets 22 game winning streak back in 2008 ended when they faced the Boston Celtics, so we can only hope that history repeats itself on Monday.

January 14, 2013; Boston, MA USA; Boston Celtics small forward Paul Pierce (34) takes the ball to the basket during the second half against the Charlotte Bobcats at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Five days ago, the Boston Celtics got blown out by the Charlotte Bobcats in the ugliest game Boston has played this season. Tonight, they look to return the favor to the now 14-51 Bobcats, who’s only win this week came at the hands of the Celtics. In Boston’s defense. captain Paul Pierce had the night off, and even though every game is important as the season comes to an end, the Celtics didn’t have any sense of urgency and didn’t seem to care about the outcome on Tuesday night. To avoid another embarrassment, here are the keys to an easy victory so Boston can be well rested to face the Miami Heat on Monday.

• Unlike most keys to victory being based on what a team should do or focus on, tonight should be more about how the Celtics deny the Bobcats from having any chance of winning. On Tuesday night, Charlotte got very confident when Boston decided not to show up for the game. The Bobcats have always given the Celtics trouble, and I expect nothing different tonight. For a team that is last in the Eastern Conference, they sure have a lot of confidence, especially when facing an elite team. So the first key to victory is to dishearten Charlotte as quickly as possible. The Celtics cannot allow the Bobcats to stay in the game, and starting the first half strong would send a clear message to this pesky team and deplete them of their confidence.
• Boston must show up tonight, plain and simple. If the Celtics had put a few ounces of energy into the game Tuesday, they probably would have walked away with the win. Pierce will play tonight, which should make a difference as there aren’t many times the Celtics get blown out while he’s on the floor. The team just needs to come into the game with energy and poise, and basically do everything they didn’t do Tuesday.
• One of the few things the Celtics must do tonight on the floor is stop Gerald Henderson. Just like his dad, he’s making a name for himself, unfortunately not in a Celtics uniform. Henderson had a career high in points Tuesday, scoring 35. He’s always had great games against Boston, but what he did in that blow out game was unacceptable. Henderson is averaging 14 points per game this season, and I’d like to think that the Celtics would want to keep his point production somewhere around his average tonight. He’s a dangerous player, one who can do it all on the floor, but playing defense goes a long way, and if Boston chooses to shut him down, the Bobcats will likely lose.
• If the starters for Boston don’t enter the game with energy, it’s up to the bench to light a fire under the team. Players like Jeff Green, Jason Terry, Chris Wilcox, and Jordan Crawford need to supply the Celtics with points, and some life if the older veterans don’t start the game off right. The bench has been playing well as of late, and with tonight’s opponent not being a good team, the starters minutes on the floor may be limited, so the role players might have to be relied upon in stretches during the second and third quarters.

Getting a win tonight is important. The Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls both came away with victories last night, so to keep pace and stay in a three way tie for fifth in the Eastern Conference standings, it would be nice if Boston gets past Charlotte fairly easily tonight. After tonight, the Celtics face the dominant Miami Heat who’ve won 21 straight games. A win tonight would be a nice way to continue that momentum into Monday, and give Miami a run for their money.

Mar 12, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers reacts to a call by referee David Guthrie (16) during the first half at Time Warner Arena. Mandatory Credit: Curtis Wilson-USA TODAY Sports

Last night the Boston Celtics got blown out by a Charlotte Bobcats team that had lost 10 straight games leading up to yesterday. This isn’t the first time Charlotte has done this to Boston. On February 11th, the Charlotte Bobcats managed to win only 1 game in their last 12 before beating the Celtics 94-91. Boston has never matched up well with Charlotte, and they’ve always had problems containing the worst team in the Eastern Conference. Last night was absolutely depressing, but there is no need for overreaction or concern, at least not yet.

The Celtics are still within striking distance for the fourth seed in the East. The Chicago Bulls are only one game ahead of Boston for fifth, and the Brooklyn Nets are three games ahead in fourth. They do have their work cut out for them. The Celtics have a difficult schedule remaining, facing the Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies, Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, and Atlanta Hawks within the next month.

I’m not completely sold on the Nets just yet. They’ve been good so far, but I question their depth. Boston does get one last crack at them in April before the playoffs, and it could possibly be a first round preview. The Knicks are having issues with injuries; Amar’e Stoudemire is out for the rest of the regular season after having knee surgery, and Carmelo Anthony isn’t 100% healthy. Boston still has their opportunity to get a higher seed, but quite frankly, last night was unimportant in the eyes of the Celtics. Paul Pierce sat out the game to get much needed rest, and having the pleasure of watching this team for years, they don’t care where they finish in the standings. The Celtics have the ability to flip the switch at any given moment, but that’s not to say that they’re throwing games.

Boston looked flat all night. They didn’t seem to care, there was no energy, and not much effort was put in to trying to get the victory. The Celtics know they’re good, even Pierce has stated that the team can beat anyone, but it remains to be seen. The teams ahead of Boston are having their struggles: the Knicks are falling apart health wise, the Chicago Bulls are still without Derrick Rose, and as I stated before, the Nets still lack depth.

If Boston is unable to capture the top spot in the Atlantic Division, it shouldn’t concern anyone. However, getting the fourth seed is a must because of the home court advantage. The remaining games this week are against the Toronto Raptors and the pesky Charlotte Bobcats. Last night with Pierce sitting out, that was a sign that Boston didn’t view the game as a must win. Personally, they should rest some veterans the rest of the week and get ready for the Miami Heat on Monday. Like I said, there is no need to overreact if you’re a Celtics fan. We’ve seen this from them the last few seasons, this year has been no different.