On this day in Boston Celtics history, Celtics champion forward Paul Pierce scored 42 points in a 108-99 win at Fleet Center (now, TD Garden) in 2002 against the Minnesota Timberwolves and his future Banner 17 teammate and fellow Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett.
The Celtics improved to 17 wins and 9 losses for the 2002-03 season with the win, with Pierce’s full stat line being 42 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, and a block for the contest. The Inglewood native would go 11-for-25 from the floor that night, including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc.
Pierce made 16 of his 18 shots from the free-throw line over just under 45 minutes of playing time.
“There’s not much I can say about my shooting lately,” said Pierce via ESPN, who had shot just 2-of-20 from deep during the past five contests.
“It’s a little drought I’m going through, but I’ve just got to keep shooting,” he added. “I was just aggressive tonight and wanted to get to the line.”
It is also the date that legendary Celtic forward Larry Bird scored 40 points in a 113-109 win over the Utah Jazz in 1989.
Bird’s full stat line was 40 points, 8 boards, 5 assists, and 2 steals on 16-of-30 shooting, including 1-of-2 from 3. Larry Legend sunk all 7 of his free throws earned in his 41 minutes of playing time.
Finally, it is also the date that Celtics guard Saul Mariaschin left us in 1990. Born in 1924, Mariaschin played collegiately for Harvard before joining the Celtics for 43 games of the ball club’s second season of 1947-48.
The 5-foot-11 Navy veteran would average 7.7 points and 1.4 assists per game in a reserve role with Boston over that stretch — rest in peace.
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