Game 54: Warriors 119 - Celtics 117
February 21st 2008 12:18 am
Stephen Jackson had to sit out this night’s game against the Boston Celtics due to the sprained ankle injury he incurred the night before against the Utah Jazz. Without Jackson in the lineup, the Warriors had a 1-6 record this season. With him in the lineup, the Warriors were an amazing 31-15.
Without Jackson’s clutch shooting, defense and distributing skills, the Warriors had to dig deep and rely on their star player, Baron Davis, to play an efficient game. He did just that shooting 50% from the field and making the game-winning shot in the closing seconds. Davis had a variety of help from his teammates.
Taking over as the 2nd go-to guy on the team with Jackson out, Monta Ellis played an admirable game. He racked up 9 assists in the game to match his career-high. He also scored 12 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter to keep the team close. His bullet pass from the 3pt line to Biedrins down the middle of the lane past four Celtic defenders was a thing of beauty, reminiscent of the bullet passes Jackson routinely makes.
Andris Biedrins was a monster on the boards with 13 and clamped down on defense in the middle as well. Biedrins kept Garnett in check for most of the 2nd half, playing him one-on-one and inducing turnovers and harried baskets. He also chipped in 21 points to make up for the loss of scoring with the missing Jackson.
Off the bench, Al Harrington really sparked the team, both offensively and defensively. His accurate shooting and penetration in the 3rd quarter gave Baron Davis enough rest for his late-game dramatics. The most amazing stat on the game sheet for Harrington were the 12 boards he pulled down. Against a frontline of Garnett, Perkins, Powe, and Big Baby Davis, the rebounds were unexpected; but, very much needed.
Stephen Jackson led the team on the bench as much as he could. He was always the first one up to congratulate people during timeouts. There was a shot in the game of him instructing Pietrus on how to defend a play when MP sat down for a breather. He encouraged the fans to cheer louder as the game got tighter. He also helped Nellie out with his coaching duties during the game, making sure the guys on the court were in the correct positions.
Taken by Ben Margo of AP Photo
Stephen Jackson’s Replacement’s (Mickael Pietrus) Line:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO |
| 12 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| FG | FG% | 3PT | 3PT% | FT | FT% |
| 4-9 | .444 | 1-3 | .333 | 3-5 | .600 |