Home » Sports » Basketball » Celtics/NBA
Celtics deep-six Sixers, advance to conference finals
BOSTON -- Rajon Rondo had 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists and Kevin Garnett had 18 points and 13 rebounds as the Boston Celtics topped the Philadelphia 76ers, 85-75, in Game 7 to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.
Rondo took over after Paul Pierce fouled out, scoring 11 points during the final four minutes to lead the Celtics into the conference finals against the Miami Heat. Game 1 is Monday in Miami.
Andre Iguodala scored 18 points, Jrue Holiday had 15 points and nine assists and Elton Brand scored 15 points for Philadelphia, which shot just 35 percent from the field.
Boston led by just one point with 11 minutes left but opened up a 69-61 lead on Ray Allen's 3-pointer with 5:50 remaining.
Iguodala scored five points during a 7-2 run and the Sixers received further momentum when Pierce fouled out with 4:16 left. Rondo then scored nine straight Boston points and his two free throws gave Boston an 80-70 lead with 1:45 remaining.
Brandon Bass scored 16 points and Pierce added 15 for Boston.
The Celtics had an eight-point halftime lead and boosted the lead to 49-38 on a basket by Bass with 8:03 left in the third quarter. Philadelphia got back into the game with a pair of 7-0 runs and cut Boston's lead to 53-52 on Iguodala's dunk with 34.5 seconds left.
Boston led 41-33 at halftime despite shooting 37.5 percent and missing all nine of its 3-point attempts. Philadelphia shot just 28.2 from the field and committed eight first-half turnovers.
- - - - - - -
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Celtics hit 20 of 22 free throws. ... Holiday had five of Philadelphia's nine steals. ... Boston missed its first 14 3-point attempts until Allen hit one with 9:52 left in the game. The Celtics finished 3 for 17. ... Iguodala went 5 for 8 from the free-throw line in Game 7 and was just 18 for 37 (48.6 percent) in the series.
- Nashua elementary teacher honored for real-world lessons - 1
- Elementary students in Farmington offered seven habits of healthy kids - 0
- Afterschool activities canceled in Jaffrey - 0
- Experts weigh in on UNH logo designs - 15
- Texting + driving = deadly consequences - 0
- Deerfield teacher honored by national science organization - 0
- Institute of Art graduates its largest class in Manchester - 0
- UNH hires firm to redesign one of its logos - 23
- Lakes Region, Great Bay CC hold commencement ceremonies - 0
Pushback against logo plan for UNH heats up
READER COMMENTS: 1- House kills Hassan-backed casino bill, 199-164 - 10
- Threats at Goffstown High ‘not credible’ - 0
- House votes to ban lead sinkers and jigs over an ounce - 8
- House passes auto dealers bill of rights - 2
- Rochester man facing up to 30 years in prison for brutal assault - 1
- Man who confronts burglar in Nashua gets bit - 0
- Police say Nashua man struck woman with Jeep - 0
- Pease chosen to receive new KC-46A refueling tanker; to bring 100 jobs - 9
- FBI agent kills Florida man during questioning about Marathon bombing suspect - 3




