Celtics squash Pistons; Iverson flat in home debut

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11/09/2008 - Auburn Hills, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tony Allen had 23 points off the bench, and Ray Allen added 17 points and eight rebounds, as the Boston Celtics defeated the Detroit Pistons, 88-76, in the teams' first meeting since last season's Eastern Conference finals.

Rajon Rondo chipped in with 13 points and Kevin Garnett had eight points and 12 boards for the Celtics, who have won four straight games and six of their first seven to start the season.

"Best defense of the year by far and it was all game," said Boston coach Doc Rivers. "We had active hands, were physical, got up in their bodies and it was neat to see and very nice."

Tayshaun Prince had 23 points and eight rebounds, while Will Bynum had 11 points for Detroit, which has lost two straight games. Allen Iverson, playing in his first home game since being acquired from Denver for Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb, had 10 points, four rebounds and four assists.

Rasheed Wallace had 10 points and 11 boards for Detroit, which was beaten in six games by the Celtics in the East finals.

It was a particularly tough night for Richard Hamilton, who finished 0-for-8 from the field and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line.

"Us not making shots didn't help," said Iverson. "We got a lot of good looks at the basket, we just didn't knock the shots down. I don't think offense is going to be a problem too much, that's a positive we take out of this game. We just could never get it going offensively. As we get our chemistry together and some time to play together we'll start hitting shots."

With the Celtics holding a 47-29 lead after one half of play, things continued to get worse for the hosts as Boston came out of the locker room and extended their advantage to 20 following a jumper by Paul Pierce.

Boston continued to maintain a double-digit lead through the entire third quarter and a jumper by Glen Davis in the closing seconds, put the visitors up by a 69-49 margin after three.

In the fourth, the storyline didn't change as the Celtics built a 76-53 advantage and coasted to the finish.

After the Pistons held a 19-17 advantage after one quarter, Boston exploded, going on a 20-6 run in the second, taking a 37-25 lead with 3:31 left in the half. Tony Allen had 10 of those points.

Boston finished out the stanza on a strong note, getting a jumper by Garnett and layup by Tony Allen as part of an 8-0 spurt to finish the half.

The Pistons shot just 3-of-16 in the second quarter while the Celtics went 11-of-17.

Game Notes

The Pistons will next play at Sacramento on Tuesday night, while Boston hosts Toronto on Monday night...Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey left early in the second quarter with dizziness and did not return...The Celtics went 2-1 against Detroit last season, but despite the loss the Pistons have won 14 of the last 18 matchups in this series...Prior to the contest, Boston had lost seven of eight and 10 of its last 12 games in the Motor City.

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FOOTBALL BETTING : Cassel Signs Contract

Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.

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After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."

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