Celtics 103, Pacers 95

 

The NBA gave a very special Christmas present to the Celtics this year: a December 22 game against the lowly Indiana Pacers (6-21). And what did the C's do with that generous gift? They fell behind in the game by 20 points, 63-43, early in the third quarter.

And then the holiday miracle showed up in the form of one Hugo González. He played for nearly the entire second half and logged over 36 minutes total, more than anyone else on the team. While he didn't score a lot of points (he finished the night with only six), his 11 rebounds and two blocked shots,  his steal and his assist, his presence all over the court, contributed to his +21 in the game and the Celtics' eventual comeback and eight-point win.

Mr. Brown had 31 points and Mr. White 19. Nobody was hot from outside - the Pacers had more threes in the game and also more rebounds. But we had González, and that made all the difference.

The Celtics are 18-11, 2½ back from the Knicks. They're off until the 26th, when the NBA will regift them with another Pacers game, and this time at home.