NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
BOSTON 30 19 25 25 99
ORLANDO 23 37 19 27 106 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: BOS - RON MERCER 29, PAUL PIERCE 23, VITALY POTAPENKO 14
ORL - DARRELL ARMSTRONG 28, ANFERNEE HARDAWAY 24, MATT
HARPRING 18
HIGH REBOUND: BOS - ANTOINE WALKER 8, TWO PLAYERS WITH 6
ORL - HORACE GRANT 8, ANFERNEE HARDAWAY 7
HIGH ASSISTS: BOS - DANA BARROS 9, RON MERCER 7
ORL - ANFERNEE HARDAWAY 7, HORACE GRANT 5
ATT: 17,248
Extended Box
BOSTON (99) AT ORLANDO (106)
BOSTON
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
MCCARTY F 27 2-7 1-2 3 2 5 1 5 1 1 7
WALKER F 33 5-13 0-0 3 5 8 3 5 0 4 12
POTAPENKO C 27 7-10 0-2 3 3 6 1 5 0 0 14
MERCER G 41 13-25 2-2 1 2 3 7 4 6 3 29
PIERCE G 33 9-18 1-2 4 2 6 4 4 4 2 23
BARROS 33 4-8 0-0 0 1 1 9 3 2 0 10
BATTIE 26 1-4 0-0 0 1 1 1 2 0 2 2
GARNETT 3 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
MINOR 17 1-1 0-0 1 1 2 2 2 2 0 2
ANDERSON DNP - NOT WITH TEAM
BOWEN DNP - COACH'S DECISION
SCHINTZIUS DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 42-87 4-8 15 17 32 28 30 15 13 99
(.483) (.500) TEAM REBS: 8 TOTAL TO: 15(26 PTS)
ORLANDO
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
GRANT F 31 3-7 1-1 1 7 8 5 1 1 2 7
M HARPRING F 45 5-14 8-9 2 3 5 1 1 1 2 18
AUSTIN C 19 3-7 0-0 3 2 5 3 4 0 3 6
D ARMSTRONG G 35 8-12 8-8 1 1 2 4 3 1 6 28
A HARDAWAY G 42 9-14 6-7 1 6 7 7 1 3 4 24
B ARMSTRONG 13 2-6 2-3 0 1 1 0 0 2 1 6
DOLEAC 21 3-6 2-5 2 4 6 4 3 1 0 8
SIMON 6 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0
STRONG 26 4-7 1-1 4 1 5 1 0 0 1 9
D WILKINS 2 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ANDERSON DNP - STRAINED LEFT HAMSTRING
SCHAYES DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 37-75 28-34 14 26 40 25 13 9 20 106
(.493) (.824) TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 21(28 PTS)
BOSTON 30 19 25 25 - 99
ORLANDO 23 37 19 27 - 106
BLOCKED SHOTS: BOSTON - BATTIE 2, PIERCE, WALKER, MERCER, POTAPENKO.
ORLANDO - GRANT 2, DOLEAC, AUSTIN, STRONG.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: BOSTON 11-17 (.647), MCCARTY 2-3, WALKER 2-2, MERCER
1-1, PIERCE 4-5, BARROS 2-5, GARNETT 0-1. ORLANDO 4-12 (.333), M HARPRING
0-2, D ARMSTRONG 4-7, A HARDAWAY 0-1, B ARMSTRONG 0-1, STRONG 0-1.
TECHNICALS: BOSTON - WALKER, ILLEGAL DEFENSE.
OFFICIALS: MIKE MATHIS, VIOLET PALMER, NOLAN FINE.
A - 17,248. T - 2:13.
Box Score
BOSTON (99)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Mccarty 27 2-7 1-2 3-5 1 5 7
Walker 33 5-13 0-0 3-8 3 5 12
Potapenko 27 7-10 0-2 3-6 1 5 14
Mercer 41 13-25 2-2 1-3 7 4 29
Pierce 33 9-18 1-2 4-6 4 4 23
Barros 33 4-8 0-0 0-1 9 3 10
Battie 26 1-4 0-0 0-1 1 2 2
Garnett 3 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Minor 17 1-1 0-0 1-2 2 2 2
Anderson DNP - not with team
Bowen DNP - coach's decision
Schintzius DNP - coach's decision
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 240 42-87 4-8 15-32 28 30 99
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.483, FT-.500. 3-Point Goals:
11-17, .647 (Mccarty 2-3, Walker 2-2, Mercer 1-1,
Pierce 4-5, Barros 2-5, Garnett 0-1). Team
rebounds: 8. Blocked shots: 6 (Battie 2, Pierce,
Walker, Mercer, Potapenko). Turnovers: 15 (Walker
4, Mercer 3, Battie 2, Pierce 2, Garnett,
Mccarty). Steals: 15 (Mercer 6, Pierce 4, Barros
2, Minor 2, Mccarty).
ORLANDO (106)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Grant 31 3-7 1-1 1-8 5 1 7
M Harpring 45 5-14 8-9 2-5 1 1 18
Austin 19 3-7 0-0 3-5 3 4 6
D Armstrong 35 8-12 8-8 1-2 4 3 28
A Hardaway 42 9-14 6-7 1-7 7 1 24
B Armstrong 13 2-6 2-3 0-1 0 0 6
Doleac 21 3-6 2-5 2-6 4 3 8
Simon 6 0-0 0-0 0-1 0 0 0
Strong 26 4-7 1-1 4-5 1 0 9
D Wilkins 2 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Anderson DNP - strained left hamstring
Schayes DNP - coach's decision
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 240 37-75 28-34 14-40 25 13 106
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.493, FT-.824. 3-Point Goals:
4-12, .333 (M Harpring 0-2, D Armstrong 4-7, A
Hardaway 0-1, B Armstrong 0-1, Strong 0-1). Team
rebounds: 13. Blocked shots: 5 (Grant 2, Doleac,
Austin, Strong). Turnovers: 21 (D Armstrong 6, A
Hardaway 4, Austin 3, Grant 2, M Harpring 2, B
Armstrong, Simon, Strong). Steals: 9 (A Hardaway
3, B Armstrong 2, D Armstrong, Doleac, Grant, M
Harpring).
____________________________________________
Boston 30 19 25 25 - 99
Orlando 23 37 19 27 - 106
____________________________________________
Technical fouls: Boston 2 (Walker, 3:10 2nd;
Illegal Defense, 4:37 3rd). Flagrant fouls: None.
A: 17,248. T: 2:13. Officials: Mike Mathis,
Violet Palmer, Nolan Fine.
Game Story
ORLANDO, Florida (Ticker) -- Darrell Armstrong did not come off
the bench but you couldn't tell the difference.
Armstrong, the leading candidate for the Sixth Man Award, scored
a career-high 28 points as the Orlando Magic avenged their worst
loss of the year with a 106-99 victory over the Boston Celtics.
Armstrong started his third straight game in place of guard Nick
Anderson, Orlando's leading scorer who is sidelined with a
hamstring injury. He made 8-of-12 floor shots and 8-of-8 from
the line as the Magic improved to 17-2 at home.
The 6-1 sparkplug scored 19 points in the second quarter, when
the Magic erased a 12-point deficit and built a 60-49 halftime
lead. After Orlando fell behind early in the fourth quarter,
Armstrong and Penny Hardaway scored five points apiece in a
decisive 16-3 burst.
"We needed a lift and I got going," Armstrong said. "We needed
somebody to step up and I got going and then Penny got going and
everybody just started getting stops."
Playing alongside Armstrong has invigorated Hardaway, who had 24
points and seven assists and is averaging 26 points since moving
to shooting guard in Anderson's absence. After an 84-73 loss to
Washington six days ago, Magic coach Chuck Daly implored
Hardaway to take charge and the star has responded.
"I'm having a lot of fun playing the 2-guard," Hardaway said.
"There's just more freedom and it has shown the last three
games. My offense is coming along because of my freedom. I'm
trying to put my ego to the side and go out and get everyone
involved."
"He's played his best basketball," Daly said. "He plays better
off the ball. He's happier there and that's what he wants to
do."
Rookie Matt Harpring scored a season-high 18 points for Orlando,
which has won three in a row and 11 of 14. The Magic are 25-10,
the best record in the Eastern Conference. Orlando suffered a
111-79 loss at Boston on February 24.
Ron Mercer scored 29 points and rookie Paul Pierce added 23 for
the Celtics, who have lost four in a row and 15 of 18. Boston
was without starting guard Kenny Anderson, who was instructed to
not travel with the team by coach Rick Pitino after reportedly
having an argument with a member of the coaching staff.
"Call it a suspension if you want," Pitino said before the game.
A spokesman said Anderson would rejoin the team on Wednesday.
"It's not a big deal," Pitino said afterwards. "I left him home
to think about something. I wanted him to think and reflect on
something that he did. It's not a big deal. I like Kenny an
awful lot."
A layup by Hardaway gave Orlando its largest lead at 68-54 with
9:12 left in the third quarter before Boston went to its press
and got back in the game. Mercer scored eight points in a 16-3
burst, including a jumper with 5:23 to go that cut the deficit
to 71-70.
"They demonstrated how to play with constant pressure in a
94-foot game," Daly said. "When you are not used to playing
against it -- because they are basically the only team that does
this -- then you've got to find a rhythm to get into the game.
... They are a difficult team to play against and really come at
you defensively."
Boston trailed 79-74 entering the fourth quarter but Pierce made
a 3-pointer to cap a 10-2 spurt and give the Celtics an 84-81
advantage with 9:51 to play before Hardaway and Armstrong took
control.
Mercer scored 10 points in the first period as Boston's bigger
lineup gave Orlando problems and provided a 30-23 lead. The
Celtics scored the first five points of the second period and
could have had more, but Mercer missed a dunk to spark Orlando.
Armstrong made consecutive 3-pointers, then hit two jumpers as
the Magic rallied. His free throw following a technical foul on
Boston's Antoine Walker pulled Orlando into a 47-47 tie with
3:10 left in the half.
Armstrong buried a 3-pointer to give the Magic the lead and
trigger an 11-2 burst. Hardaway scored four points and a layup
by B.J. Armstrong just before the buzzer gave Orlando a 60-49
lead.
"I fell into a zone real quick," Darrell Armstrong said. "I
knew I was in a zone when I hit that second (3-pointer) from so
far out. Then Penny came up with a steal and hit a jumper and I
got fouled on a 3-point shot. When I'm being aggressive, there
is a 70 percent chance I'll make a shot."
Derek Strong scored nine points and Horace Grant grabbed eight
rebounds for the Magic, who shot 49 percent (37-of-75) from the
field and held a 40-32 rebounding edge.
Vitaly Potapenko scored 14 points and Walker was limited by foul
trouble to 12 for the Celtics, who shot 48 percent (42-of-87),
including 11-of-17 from behind the arc. Boston forced 21
turnovers that led to 28 points.
"We were up by a lot of points and I felt we played hard enough
to win the game," Mercer said. "We just didn't get it done. It
is really easy to make excuses but we still should have pulled
the game off."
