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Celtics grab the lead after first-quarter tie

Boston Celtics' Chris Wilcox reached for a rebound in front of Charlotte Bobcats' Josh McRoberts in the first quarter.AP

The Celtics maintained the lead for most of the second of the half, though Boston was playing terribly in keeping ahead of Charlote in the final quarter.

The team had outscored the Bobcats 33-23 in the third quarter, and all five starters scored in the double figures.

Game recap:

Fourth quarter, 2:56, Celtics 101-86: It wasn't that things got suspenseful but the Celtics were playing terribly in holding a 26-point lead so Doc Rivers inserted Courtney Lee and Brandon Bass to restore order. And it has somewhat worked. Jannero Pargo has 16 points in 18 minutes off the bench and 11 in the quarter.

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Fourth quarter, 5:45, Celtics 97-79: The Bobcats are on an 8-2 run during what is supposed to be garbage time so Doc Rivers called a timeout. Jannero Pargo, who was on the Celtics' radar, has 11 points in 15 minutes off the bench for Charlotte.

Fourth quarter, 7:32, Celtics 95-71 Shavlik Randolph is having his best game as a Celtic with 6 points and seven rebounds in 10 minutes. The Celtics are winning the rebounding war 38-27 and six players have scored in double figures.

End of third quarter, Celtics 83-66: Celtics outscore Bobcats 33-23 in the quarter with 11-for-17 shooting. All five starters have scored in double figures led by Paul Pierce's 14. Courtney Lee scored 7 of his 12 points in the third quarter.

Third quarter, 2:45, Celtics 75-57: The Celtics have made things comfortable with a 16-4 run, sparked by Courtney Lee, who has 7 points in the quarter and 12 for the game. Paul Pierce just canned his second 3-pointer as the Celtics are now shooting 53.7 percent. The Bobcats are led by Gerald Henderson and Kemba Walker with 14.

Third quarter, 6:10, Celtics 65-53: The Celtics are on a 6-0 run as they have used defensive rebounding to start fastbreaks. Courtney Lee just hit a running jump shot and now has 7 points. Paul Pierce and Avery Bradley lead the Kevin Garnett-less Celtics with 11 while Jeff Green has 10. Kemba Walker has 14 for Charlotte.

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Third quarter, 8:52, Celtics 57-49: The Celtics are fighting hard to put some space between them and the Bobcats and they have scored the last two baskets, prompting a timeout from Charlotte coach Mike Dunlap. Kemba Walker has been hard to stop so far with 12 points while Gerald Henderson has 10. Ten Celtics have scored, led by Paul Pierce and Avery Bradley with 9 points.

Halftime, Celtics 50-43: It was a grind for the Celtics, who are shooting 48.8 percent but the Bobcats have turned their eight turnovers into 13 points. Paul Pierce warmed up near the end of the half and leads the Celtics with 8 points while Kemba Walker has 10 for the Bobcats.

Second quarter, 1:55, Celtics 46-41: The game has been a struggle as the Bobcats have proven to be formidable opponents, with 10 players having already scored. They are shooting 47.1 percent and have 10 assists on 16 made baskets. The Celtics are shooting an even 50 percent and Paul Pierce is trying to get going after a very slow start.

Second quarter, 5:06, Celtics 40-36: The Celtics have led by as many as 9 points but they can't stop Charlotte runs, and the Bobcats have scored the last 5 points and are going to the line for two free throws. The Celtics have eight turnovers that have led to 13 Bobcats points. Gerald Henderson and Kemba Walker each have 8 points for the Bobcats. Avery Bradley has 7 for the Celtics but it's been a while since he scored.

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Second quarter, 8:39, Celtics 33-28: Celtics trying to create some distance but it hasn't been easy. The Celtics are killing themselves with missed free throws and turnovers (7), which has resulted in 9 Charlotte points. Avery Bradley has 7 points for the Celtics, who have had eight players who have scored. Gerald Henderson leads the Bobcats with 8 points.

End of first quarter, Tied at 24: The Celtics get outscored 11-2 to end the quarter and are in a dogfight. Some teams just give the Celtics trouble and Charlotte is one of them. The Bobcats shot 52.6 percent in the first quarter and got 6 points in four minutes from Ben Gordon.

First quarter, 2:45, Celtics 22-18: The Bobcats are on a 5-0 run, causing Doc Rivers to call a timeout. The Bobcats are 7-for-13 shooting and have hit two 3-pointers. Gerald Henderson is on his way to another big game, already scoring 8 points.

First quarter, 4:09, Celtics 20-13: Without Kevin Garnett, the Celtics are still playing with energy and are playing well offensively. The Celtics are still having trouble with Gerald Henderson, who has 6 points. Paul Pierce just picked up his second foul and is headed to the bench. Brandon Bass has hit three jumpers, good for 6 points for the Celtics.

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