CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Celtics survived their sixth back-to-back situation of the season last night, completing another two-game sweep with their 89-84 win over the Bobcats.
There's little doubt this tough early run will pay off for them as the schedule heads into the second half of the season.
``It feels like the season has been two months old already,'' said Ray Allen. The Celtics are now 10-2 in back-to-backs, including a 5-1 record in the second game. The only blemish on the back end of these games was a Nov. 1 loss to Indiana, which happened to be their first back-to-back test of the season.
``I love what we did,'' said Doc Rivers. ``Think about playing six back-to-backs in one month, and this being the sixth. We were tired. You could see jump shots hitting the front of the rim. But we figured out how to get it done.''
Brown nearly green
Larry Brown was back where he belonged last night, on the sidelines with an NBA team - his ninth, the Charlotte Bobcats. Though the legendary coach came close to becoming a Celtics assistant last year, giving what Rivers described last night as a ``Larry Brown yes,'' the C's coach admitted he probably would have had the most overqualified assistant in the league on his bench.
``He would have been a great guy to lean on,'' Rivers said before last night's game against the Bobcats. ``He's overqualified - that's why I would have loved to have him.'' The Celtics eventually ended up with Tom Thibodeau, not a bad consolation prize in retrospect.
Not a Dud
Though Jared Dudley missed the Bobcats' overtime win in Indianapolis on Friday night, the former Boston College forward was back on the floor last night, playing three scoreless minutes in the Bobcats' loss. The person most thankful for that was the most important one of all - Dudley's coach.
``He's been terrific,'' Brown said of the 6-foot-7 forward.
``You plug him in where you need him and he responds.'' Promising development Bill Walker and J.R. Giddens made their NBDL debuts for the Utah Flash on Friday night, and did the organization proud. Giddens finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds and hit the game-winner. Walker had a team-high 23 points and assisted on Giddens' game-winning jumper. . . . C's legend Robert Parish, who lives in Charlotte, was at the game.
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