NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
WASHINGTON 26 26 18 17 87
BOSTON 28 30 24 26 108 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: WAS - MITCH RICHMOND 19, OTIS THORPE 17, JUWAN HOWARD 17
BOS - PAUL PIERCE 23, RON MERCER 17, ANTOINE WALKER 15
HIGH REBOUND: WAS - OTIS THORPE 11, TERRY DAVIS 6
BOS - ANTOINE WALKER 10, PAUL PIERCE 8
HIGH ASSISTS: WAS - ROD STRICKLAND 6, THREE PLAYERS WITH 3
BOS - DANA BARROS 5, FOUR PLAYERS WITH 3
ATT: 15,901
Extended Box
WASHINGTON (87) AT BOSTON (108)
WASHINGTON
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
HOWARD F 36 6-16 5-8 0 4 4 1 2 1 4 17
THORPE F 35 7-11 3-4 3 8 11 3 3 0 4 17
DAVIS C 22 3-4 0-0 3 3 6 2 2 0 1 6
RICHMOND G 32 7-14 3-6 0 3 3 3 0 1 3 19
STRICKLAND G 30 2-7 4-6 1 0 1 6 0 3 2 8
CHEANEY 23 1-6 0-0 1 4 5 0 4 1 2 2
COKER 5 0-0 0-0 0 3 3 0 0 0 1 0
JACKSON 6 1-1 3-3 2 0 2 1 1 0 0 5
LEGLER 19 4-8 0-0 2 1 3 1 1 1 1 8
MCINNIS 18 1-6 0-0 0 3 3 3 1 1 3 3
C WHITNEY 14 0-6 2-2 1 3 4 0 0 2 1 2
WALLACE DNP - SORE RIGHT KNEE
TOTALS 240 32-79 20-29 13 32 45 20 14 10 22 87
(.405) (.690) TEAM REBS: 12 TOTAL TO: 22(31 PTS)
BOSTON
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
PIERCE F 29 9-13 3-5 3 5 8 3 2 0 2 23
WALKER F 34 5-16 4-7 4 6 10 2 2 1 2 15
POTAPENKO C 17 2-4 0-0 3 3 6 3 3 1 2 4
ANDERSON G 27 7-12 0-0 0 3 3 2 3 2 3 14
MERCER G 36 8-22 1-1 3 2 5 1 1 5 0 17
BARROS 22 6-9 0-0 0 1 1 5 2 2 0 14
BATTIE 27 4-8 0-0 4 3 7 3 4 2 0 8
GARNETT 6 1-3 0-0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 2
MCCARTY 10 0-1 0-0 1 1 2 1 4 0 0 0
MINOR 24 3-4 0-1 1 3 4 3 1 0 3 7
RILEY 5 2-3 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 4
SCHINTZIUS 3 0-1 0-0 0 2 2 0 1 0 0 0
TOTALS 240 47-96 8-14 19 31 50 24 24 14 14 108
(.490) (.571) TEAM REBS: 4 TOTAL TO: 15(21 PTS)
WASHINGTON 26 26 18 17 - 87
BOSTON 28 30 24 26 - 108
BLOCKED SHOTS: WASHINGTON - JACKSON. BOSTON - BATTIE, PIERCE, WALKER,
MCCARTY.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: WASHINGTON 3-17 (.176), RICHMOND 2-6, STRICKLAND 0-1,
CHEANEY 0-2, LEGLER 0-1, MCINNIS 1-2, C WHITNEY 0-5. BOSTON 6-15 (.400),
PIERCE 2-4, WALKER 1-4, MERCER 0-1, BARROS 2-4, GARNETT 0-1, MINOR 1-1.
TECHNICALS: BOSTON - WALKER.
OFFICIALS: KEN MAUER, HANK ARMSTRONG, LEON WOOD.
A - 15,901. T - 2:05.
Box Score
WASHINGTON (87)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Howard 36 6-16 5-8 0-4 1 2 17
Thorpe 35 7-11 3-4 3-11 3 3 17
Davis 22 3-4 0-0 3-6 2 2 6
Richmond 32 7-14 3-6 0-3 3 0 19
Strickland 30 2-7 4-6 1-1 6 0 8
Cheaney 23 1-6 0-0 1-5 0 4 2
Coker 5 0-0 0-0 0-3 0 0 0
Jackson 6 1-1 3-3 2-2 1 1 5
Legler 19 4-8 0-0 2-3 1 1 8
Mcinnis 18 1-6 0-0 0-3 3 1 3
C Whitney 14 0-6 2-2 1-4 0 0 2
Wallace DNP - sore right knee
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 240 32-79 20-29 13-45 20 14 87
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.405, FT-.690. 3-Point Goals:
3-17, .176 (Richmond 2-6, Strickland 0-1, Cheaney
0-2, Legler 0-1, Mcinnis 1-2, C Whitney 0-5).
Team rebounds: 12. Blocked shots: 1 (Jackson).
Turnovers: 22 (Howard 4, Thorpe 4, Mcinnis 3,
Richmond 3, Cheaney 2, Strickland 2, C Whitney,
Coker, Davis, Legler). Steals: 10 (Strickland 3,
C Whitney 2, Cheaney, Howard, Legler, Mcinnis,
Richmond).
BOSTON (108)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Pierce 29 9-13 3-5 3-8 3 2 23
Walker 34 5-16 4-7 4-10 2 2 15
Potapenko 17 2-4 0-0 3-6 3 3 4
Anderson 27 7-12 0-0 0-3 2 3 14
Mercer 36 8-22 1-1 3-5 1 1 17
Barros 22 6-9 0-0 0-1 5 2 14
Battie 27 4-8 0-0 4-7 3 4 8
Garnett 6 1-3 0-0 0-1 0 1 2
Mccarty 10 0-1 0-0 1-2 1 4 0
Minor 24 3-4 0-1 1-4 3 1 7
Riley 5 2-3 0-0 0-1 1 0 4
Schintzius 3 0-1 0-0 0-2 0 1 0
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 240 47-96 8-14 19-50 24 24 108
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.490, FT-.571. 3-Point Goals:
6-15, .400 (Pierce 2-4, Walker 1-4, Mercer 0-1,
Barros 2-4, Garnett 0-1, Minor 1-1). Team
rebounds: 4. Blocked shots: 4 (Battie, Pierce,
Walker, Mccarty). Turnovers: 15 (Anderson 3,
Minor 3, Pierce 2, Potapenko 2, Walker 2,
Garnett, Riley). Steals: 14 (Mercer 5, Anderson
2, Barros 2, Battie 2, Potapenko, Riley, Walker).
____________________________________________
Washington 26 26 18 17 - 87
Boston 28 30 24 26 - 108
____________________________________________
Technical fouls: Boston 1 (Walker, 9:00 3rd).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 15,901. T: 2:05.
Officials: Ken Mauer, Hank Armstrong, Leon Wood.
Game Story
BOSTON (Ticker) -- Rookie Paul Pierce collected 23 points, eight
rebounds and three assists as the Boston Celtics snapped the
second-longest home losing streak in team history with a 108-87
pounding of the fading Washington Wizards.
Ron Mercer had 17 points and five rebounds and Dana Barros
contributed 14 points off the bench, including a 3-pointer with
9:09 left that capped a 19-5 run and gave the Celtics a
commanding 91-72 advantage.
"We really wanted to up-tempo it against them tonight," said
Celtics coach Rick Pitino. "Considering that they were playing
for consecutive nights, we knew they played last night against
New Jersey and wanted to use that to our advantage. I think we
did."
Boston led by as many as 27 points in the fourth quarter as it
turned 22 Washington turnovers into 29 points and won at the
FleetCenter for the first time since March 17, a span of six
games. The Celtics dropped a team-record seven straight home
games in February 1997.
A coaching change has failed to spur the Wizards, who have lost
both games since Jim Brovelli replaced Bernie Bickerstaff. They
have lost four straight overall and are a season-worst eight
games under .500 at 13-21.
"We didn't show up tonight," Brovelli said. "I don't know what
it was but I could tell from the get-go that we didn't have much
energy. We had a couple of good spurts there in the first half
and one in the third quarter, but then we just fell apart. I'm
not blaming any one guy but we simply didn't execute."
Mitch Richmond had 19 points and Juwan Howard and Otis Thorpe
added 17 apiece for Washington. Howard suffered a bruised and
swollen right eye after being hit elbowed in the third quarter.
Howard's 3-pointer with just over four minutes remaining in the
third quarter capped a 6-0 run and quickly cut an 11-point
deficit to 72-67. But it was the closest the Wizards would get
the rest of the game as Greg Minor drained a 3-pointer to ignite
Boston's game-deciding spurt.
"We got close, made some shots and then they had two big field
goals after two turnovers," said Howard. "That kind of killed
our momentum and that seemed to be the ball game."
Boston's Antoine Walker and Howard each made one free throw
before Mercer and Barros scored on consecutive possessions,
pushing Boston's advantage to 80-68 with 1:04 left in the
quarter. Rod Strickland made two free throws for Washington,
but Minor found Walker for a layup to give Boston a 12-point
advantage entering the fourth.
The Celtics put away the game by scoring the first six points of
the final period on baskets by Pierce, Tony Battie and Barros.
Richmond made the second of two free throws, but Barros drained
his 3-pointer to make it a 19-point lead and give Boston
complete control.
Walker had 15 points and 10 rebounds for Boston, which shot 49
percent (47-of-96), including 6-of-15 from beyond the arc, and
held a 50-45 rebounding advantage.
"Obviously, it feels good," said Walker. "Our defense and our
focus was there tonight. The key now is to put it together for
the rest of the season. We've got two tough games coming up (at
Toronto and against Philadelphia) and we want to see how far we
can take this."
Boston's biggest lead of the game came with 3:11 remaining when
Kenny Anderson drained a 15-foot jumper to make it 106-79.
Anderson, who scored 14 points, returned to lineup after not
making the trip to Orlando on Monday. The point guard
reportedly had an argument with a member of the coaching staff.
"The thing with Coach (Pitino) is all over," said Anderson. "I
think that showed tonight. We all played together. There was
no feuding. There was really never any problem. And that
speech from Russell really got our attention. When he says,
`Play hard defense', you tend to listen to someone who has 11
rings."
Anderson was refering to a pre-game speech made to the Celtics
by former Boston great and Hall-of-Famer Bill Russell.
Thorpe pulled down 11 rebounds for the Wizards, who made 40.5
percent (32-of-79) of its field goals and was just 3-of-17 from
3-point range.
The Wizards played without forward Ben Wallace, who is sidelined
due to a sore right knee.
