BOSTON — Paul Pierce scored 35 points as the Boston Celtics
won their third consecutive game with a 98-90 win over the San Antonio Spurs in
the NBA on Sunday.
Ray Allen added 19 points and Rajon Rondo had 11 rebounds
and 12 assists to go with five points to help Boston improve their record
against Western Conference teams to 16-0.
"It was a great effort," Pierce said after the Celtics
chalked-up another win without injured forward Kevin Garnett.
"We played with a lot of intensity, and that’s what it’s
going to take to beat these elite teams," Pierce added.
Tim Duncan had 22 points and 14 rebounds and Manu Ginobili
contributed 21 for San Antonio, who had a five-game winning streak snapped.
The Spurs trailed by three with 1:13 to play, but Michael
Finley missed a three-pointer and Boston outscored San Antonio 8-3 for the
remainder of the game.
"Too many bad plays down the stretch," Duncan said of the
defeat.
"A great shot by Mike that rattles in and out to actually
tie the game down the stretch there, and something like two turnovers in a
row."
Kobe Bryant scored 33 points as the Los Angeles Lakers
spoiled Shawn Marion’s Miami Heat debut with a 104-94 road win.
The loss was the seventh in a row and 22nd in 23 games for
the Heat. Marion had 15 points and 14 rebounds in his first game since joining
Miami from the Phoenix Suns in a trade for Shaquille O’Neal.
The New Jersey Nets scored 21 consecutive points and shocked
the Dallas Mavericks 101-82 behind Vince Carter’s 29 points.
The Nets turned a 40-34 deficit into a 55-40 lead with the
big run in the second and third quarters. The frustrated Mavericks shot a cold
36.5 percent from the floor with Dirk Nowitzki hitting only four of 16 shots in
a 21-point performance.
Carmelo Anthony scored 27 points and Allen Iverson had 25
points and 13 assists as the Denver Nuggets pounded the Cleveland Cavaliers
113-83.
LeBron James scored 30 points for the Cavaliers.
Tayshaun Prince connected on five three-pointers and scored 21 points to
lead the Detroit Pistons to an eighth consecutive win, a 113-87 romp past the
Charlotte Bobcats, who lost their sixth game in a row.
