Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Justin Quinn

On this day: Bird goes for 31 vs. Mavs, and Antoine Walker 22 vs. Raptors

On this day in Boston Celtics history, three games of note were won by the storied ball club during recent decades. The first of the trio was a 111-98 home win that took place at the old Boston Garden against the Dallas Mavericks in 1990.

Hall of Fame Celtics small forward Larry Joe Bird led all scorers with 31 points. The Hick From French Lick (as Bird was sometimes called as a nickname) added 12 rebounds and 5 assists on 13-of-22 shooting, including going 2-of-4 from beyond the arc, and power forward Michael Smith added 21 points and 5 boards.

Wing Reggie Lewis chipped in 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists to help secure the win for Boston.

AP Photo/Ed Nessen

It is also the date of a 90-85 win against the Toronto Raptors at the new Boston Garden (called the FleetCenter at that time) in 2003 that saw Antoine Walker hang 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists on the Raptors.

Point guard J.R. Bremer added 20 points, 6 boards, and 5 assists, and forward Eric Williams contributed another 18 points. Vince Carter led Toronto with 18 points.

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Finally, it is the anniversary of a 107-102 road win at the Utah Jazz in 2011 in which sharpshooter Ray Allen scored 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting, hitting 5-of-8 from 3-point range.

He had help from Paul Pierce, who had 21 points and 7 rebounds; Rajon Rondo, who had 18 points and 11 assists; and Kevin Garnett who had 16 points and 14 rebounds.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.