Pierce, Celtics open home-and-home set with Cavs

Basketball Betting Lines

01/29/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Paul Pierce and the banged-up Boston Celtics aim to climb above the .500 mark when they welcome Cleveland to TD Garden for the front end of a home-and-home set.

With starters Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen and Jermaine O'Neal out of the lineup, "The Truth" has set Boston free.

Pierce put the Celtics on his back Friday, netting 17 of his 28 points in the third quarter as Boston took down Indiana, 94-87, for their fourth straight win. Pierce also added 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Celtics.

"I like to come out in the third quarter and be aggressive," Pierce said. "I focus on trying to get better as the game goes on."

Rondo sat out his fifth consecutive game due to a wrist injury, while Allen missed his third straight contest with a jammed left ankle and O'Neal sat for the second straight time with a balky left knee. But Pierce has really stepped up in their absence, averaging 23.4 points, 8.2 assists and 6.4 rebounds over his last five outings -- including Friday night's game.

"We had unbelievable energy," Celtics head coach Doc Rivers said. "We thought the key was to force them into playing versus our half court defense. Thought we did that."

It's unclear when Rondo or Allen will return to the lineup but both are listed as day-to-day while O'Neal has been pegged as probable for Sunday's contest.

The Cavs, meanwhile, have struggled recently, losing five of their past six games, including Friday's 99-96 setback to New Jersey in the Forest City. Rookie star Kyrie Irving led the way for Cleveland in that one scoring a career-high 32 points including 21 in the fourth quarter.

Antawn Jamison added 20 points and six rebounds and Ramon Sessions scored 11 off the bench for the Cavaliers.

"Obviously not happy with the way the game went," said Cleveland head coach Byron Scott. "It started from the beginning of the game. I didn't think we came out with the energy that we needed. If we don't come out and play aggressively and with that type of energy from start to finish, we're going to keep having these up and down type games."

Cleveland, which will host Boston on Tuesday, lost two of three to the C's last season.

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