The Boston Celtics hope to win their first seven games of
the season for the second time in three years tonight at TD Garden, where they
will welcome one of the West's best in the Phoenix Suns.
Boston is 6-0 for the second time in three seasons, opening the 2007-08 NBA
championship campaign with eight consecutive victories, and is coming off
Wednesday's 92-90 victory at Minnesota. Newly paid point guard Rajon Rondo had
18 points and six assists, while veteran Ray Allen contributed 14 points and
five assists for the Celtics, who got 12 points and 11 boards from former
Minnesota star Kevin Garnett.
"(Minnesota) is a much-improved team. They're at home, we're only coming here
once," Garnett said. "We pretty much wanted to jump on them, but they're
young. They play with a lot of energy, they play hard. They have a lot of
young faces. So the future is bright here."
Kendrick Perkins had 13 points and Paul Pierce netted 10 in the win. The
Celtics have won nine straight home games in the regular season dating back to
last March.
Phoenix, meanwhile, is coming off its first loss in the Alvin Gentry era, a
122-100 setback at Orlando on Wednesday in the second installment of a five-
game road trip. Amare Stoudemire led Phoenix with 25 points and 14 rebounds,
as the Suns failed in their attempt to go 5-0 for the first time since
1984-85.
Steve Nash, who had 50 assists in the team's first four games, had just four
to go along with 12 points in defeat. Jared Dudley and Goran Dragic came off
the bench to add 17 and 15 points, respectively, for Phoenix.
"(Orlando) played well, They shot the ball well tonight," Stoudemire said. "I
think they were pretty upset about the loss in Detroit (on Tuesday). They came
out and pretty much took it out on us. We are going to be okay."
The Suns are 1-1 on the trek and will also visit Washington and Philadelphia.
Guard Leandro Barbosa is questionable for Friday's game with a wrist ailment,
and has missed back-to-back games.
Boston took both meetings with Phoenix a year ago and has won three straight
in the series. The Suns, though, are 10-5 in the last 15 meetings.
These two teams have split the past 10 contests in Beantown.
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