=== Boston Celtics Team Report - April 15 === (My Sportsbook) - Marcus Banks scored a career-high 28 points and dished out five assists, as the Boston Celtics finished the regular season on a winning note by beating the Atlanta Hawks, 137-132, on Wednesday at the FleetCenter. The game was the highest-scoring regulation contest in the NBA this season. Mark Blount contributed 27 points and 12 rebounds while Jiri Welsch had 14 points, 12 boards and seven assists for the Celtics. Ricky Davis added 24 points and seven assists for Boston, which snapped a five-game losing streak. Boston again played without star forward Paul Pierce, who is sidelined with an ankle injury. He suffered the injury during last Wednesday's contest against the Heat, and rested it as a precautionary measure with the team already locked into the eighth position in the Eastern Conference. Boston finished the regular season with a 36-46 record. The Celtics will face the conference-leading Pacers in the first round of the playoffs. The two clubs met in the opening round of the postseason last year and Boston ousted Indiana in six games. Boston and Indiana will play the first game of the best-of-seven series on Saturday at Conseco Fieldhouse. |
