NBA Champ Celtics trounce Bulls to improve to 2-0

Kevin Garnett became the youngest player in NBA history to play 1000 games and the Boston Celtics lived up to their championship expectations as they trounced the visiting Chicago Bulls 96-80 at the Fleet Center.  Garnett finished with 18 points and 10 boards as the Celtics atoned for a sloppy opening day victory and improved their record in the early stage of the NBA season to 2-0.

The 32 year old Garnett, who entered the NBA out of high school, beat the previous mark of 33 years held by former Seattle/Cleveland power forward Shawn Kemp.  Based on his comments, Garnett was having difficulty rationalizing his achievement:

"It feels crazy. To sit here and have a plateau with 1,000 games says a lot not only about my conditioning, but, through knocking on wood countless times, taking care of my body and trying to be the best player that I can be."

Paul Pierce added 14 points for the Celtics, a relatively quiet night following his 27 point opening game outburst that likely salvaged the win for his team.  Derrick Rose led the Bulls with 18 points, followed by Ben Gordon and Tyrus Thomas who chipped in 11 points apiece.  New Bulls coach Vinnie Del Negro sounded a warning for the rest of the NBA as he complimented the champs:

"They competed every possession and they have a swagger about them. We never developed any type of flow offensively."

The Celtics also made an impression on the Bulls rookie pointguard Rose, who learned a lesson from their early season intensity and professionalism:

"There ain't no time to wait. When you get the opportunity, you've got to take it. They don't waste no time when they come out. They mean business."