It has been an ugly, chippy, foul filled basketball game so far. 37 fouls have been called in the first half and Ron Artest is in midseason form. Bill Walker, however, will not back down from anyone. I like it.
Celtics pull out a close win at the end. Box Score
Update: Here are Scott Souza's quick thoughts on the game:
Another good night for Gabe Pruitt, who scored eight points on 4-of-7 shooting with four steals. He also hit the game-winning basket and manned the point during the final comeback. His spot on the opening night roster has to be getting safer by the night.
After sitting most of the night, Darius Miles responded with his best play of the preseason in the fourth quarter - especially on defense. It was an up-and-down night for Patrick O’Bryant, who picked up three fouls in three minutes in the first half and played much better in the second.
Then there was Bill Walker. While he struggled in several ways (5 fouls in 9 minutes, 1-of-4 foul shooting), the way he nearly came to blows with Tracy McGrady immediately won him the hearts of the Queen City faithful and earned him praise from both Rivers and Kevin Garnett after the game.
On the downside, Brian Scalabrine managed only one minute of play and still has not hit a shot this preseason. J.R. Giddens didn’t play until the final second, though he remained highly enthused on the bench. Tony Allen committed four fouls in 12 minutes and couldn’t follow up his 25-point outburst against the Cavaliers on Friday night. Sam Cassell also didn’t play, yet rarely stopped talking on the sideline.