Boston 99, Atlanta 93

This game was broadcast on NBATV, so I can comment only on what I can glean from the box score.

[recap] [box score] [highlights]

Kevin Garnett sat this one out with soreness in the knee that had kept him out for the past month or so. It's unclear, at this point, if he'll play Sunday against Oklahoma City, but I wouldn't count on it, even though the discomfort was so minor that Garnett reportedly didn't see a doctor. This also probably sets back his timetable for returning to full service. He'd averaged about 16 or 17 minutes in his four games back, and was reportedly set to play another eight per game starting next week. They've been very cautious -- perhaps overly so -- in bringing him back, so I would expect a full night out of Garnett until the playoffs. I'm not yet concerned about him not being full-strength for the playoffs, but it's something to keep an eye on.

With Garnett and Leon Powe out, heavy responsibility -- along with the start -- went to Glen Davis, and he responded in a big way with 19 points, tying a career-high with 12 rebounds. But the man they call Big Baby was just one of a handful of second-team players who came up big Friday night. Eddie House led the way with 12 points off the bench, and Stephon Marbury finally found his shooting stroke, hitting three of four three-pointers on his way to 11 points, his high since joining the Celtics 15 games ago. Hopefully Marbury, who has struggled mightily with his jumper, will get a little rhythm going. Mikki Moore had ten rebounds in 30 minutes, his playing time increased because Kendrick Perkins played just 21 minutes before fouling out.

Boston also put in a solid defensive effort, an encouraging sign for a team that really struggled on that end of the floor without Garnett. The Hawks shot 42% for the game and scored only 60 points through three quarters.

Ray Allen and Paul Pierce had 22 and 21 points respectively, but this one's a loss without the play of the second team. Perkins and Rajon Rondo had off-nights, KG and Powe were out, and the second team stepped up and filled their shoes, on the road, against the fourth-place team in the East.