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 "We just tried to fight and win it for Ryan," forward Anthony
Davis said after his big fourth quarter helped his team battle to a
95-92 victory over the Boston Celtics. "When he went down, it's
tough. He loves to play the game, so we just tried to win it for
him."
Anderson was taken off the court on a stretcher, his neck in a
brace, with 11:02 left after banging heads with Boston forward
Gerald Wallace. Anderson, who had 13 points and seven rebounds in 25
minutes, was on his back on the floor for more than five minutes,
with players from both teams gathered around him for much of the
time. He was alert and talking the entire time.
Anderson was taken to a hospital and the report was he had suffered
a cervical stinger.
"Right now we're just concerned with Ryan and his condition," said
coach Monty Williams, who didn't have many details. "We're just
praying for his health. He looked like he was OK. I was more worried
for his mother. I know she's at home, a nervous wreck, so hopefully
she hears this message and she's cool with the fact that he's OK and
he's in good hands."
Asked if the news sounded good, Williams said: "I'm not quite sure.
That's what we're praying for ... In any situation like that, you're
worried about the neck, the head. But he was lucid the whole time.
He was talking to the doctors, the trainers, so that was a good
sign. We just haven't gotten any details as to how he feels right
now."
Wallace, the first Celtics player to go near Anderson as he was
tended to, stood off to the side, with a towel in his mouth.
"I just wanted to make sure that he was fine," Wallace said.
Anderson left to an ovation from the crowd.
Davis scored 10 of his 23 points and had five of his eight rebounds
in the fourth quarter to lead the Pelicans (15-16) to only their
fourth win in their last 10 games.
Boston, playing after the snowstorm kept them from getting in from
Chicago until 1 p.m., led by two when Anderson left but Davis scored
five straight points to put the Pelicans back in front. The Celtics,
losing another close one at home, led 88-85 on a jumper by guard
Jordan Crawford with 3:27 left but didn't score another basket.
Davis hit a lefty running hook to put his team ahead to stay with
1:41 left.
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Boston, losers of six of its last seven to fall to 13-20, had
a last-second chance to tie, but forward Jared Sullinger missed
a 3-pointer.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens was asked after the game what the
challenge is of keeping his team's morale up in this adversity,
and with a five-game western trip coming.
"Focusing on the right things, focusing on what you can control.
Yeah, it's frustrating, three one-point losses in the last three
weeks.
"So that's a hard thing to swallow, but at the same time it's
not like they're lying down. They're coming out and competing
and tonight they had every excuse in the book if they wanted to
use it, and they didn't."
Guard Tyreke Evans came off the bench with 16 points, eight
rebounds and six assists, center and former Celtic Greg Stiemsma
scored a season-high 12 points, guards Eric Gordon and Brian
Roberts had 12 and 11 points, respectively and the New Orleans
bench totaled 52 points. Roberts nailed two clutch free throws
with 6.4 seconds left.
The Celtics grabbed a season-high 22 offensive rebounds to stay
in the game, nine by Sullinger, who had 13 points, and six each
by forwards Brandon Bass and Kris Humphries. Bass had 16 points
on 8-for-10 shooting) and 11 total rebounds, while guard Avery
Bradley scored 22 points and forward Jeff Green 16.
Crawford had 11 assists, but was just 2-for-14 from the floor.
NOTES: Pelicans G Jrue Holiday suffered through a 2-for-11
shooting night and had four turnovers, but he also had five
assists. ... New Orleans coach Monty Williams changed his
starting lineup, bringing F Ryan Anderson off the bench. ... New
Orleans was playing the second game of a four-game road trip,
which continues in Indianapolis on Saturday and ends in Miami on
Tuesday. .... The Celtics open their five-game western trip at
Oklahoma City on Sunday night. ... Last year's New Orleans visit
saw rookie G Austin Rivers playing against his father's team.
But Doc Rivers is now coaching the Los Angeles Clippers, so the
younger Rivers' second visit was no big deal, and he didn't
play. ... The Pelicans came in with four players averaging over
15 points per game, the first time since 1992-93 that has
happened.
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