AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Paul Pierce scored 33 points as the Boston Celtics atoned for one of their most dubious losses with an 81-71 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night.
It was the first meeting between the teams since Detroit won 118-66 on Jan. 31 in Boston – the most lopsided loss in the Celtics’ long history. The 52-point margin also was the largest in the Pistons’ history.
Antoine Walker added 17 points for the Celtics, who have won seven of 10.
Chauncey Billups scored 19 points and Ben Wallace had 21 rebounds to lead Detroit, which had won four straight.
Boston led by as many as 16 in the first half and still had a 48-37 edge at the break, thanks to 14 points from Pierce. After Wallace’s dunk to open the second half, Pierce converted two straight three-point plays to put the Celtics up 54-39.
Richard Hamilton scored the next eight points to get the Pistons back into the game. Pierce and Walker combined to score all 13 of the Celtics’ points in the third quarter, and Detroit trailed only 61-57 heading into the fourth.
The Pistons were still within four when Corliss Williamson was called for a flagrant foul on Pierce. He hit both free throws, then hit a short jumper after the inbounds pass, putting Boston up 73-65 with six minutes left.
Detroit didn’t get closer than four the rest of the way.
Wizards 89, Heat 82
WASHINGTON – Jerry Stackhouse scored 37 points, and the Washington Wizards rediscovered defense in the second half to gain control of a close game and beat the Miami Heat 89-82 Saturday night.
Michael Jordan added 19 points for the Wizards, who need a victory in nearly all of their few precious remaining home games to keep pace in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Washington had lost five of seven overall to fall into ninth place, and it plays 11 of its final 16 on the road.
The game was tied 48-48 after a largely uninspiring first half, but the Wizards rattled the Heat with seven steals in the third quarter to build a seven-point lead. Jordan completed the surge early in the fourth with a jumper and three-point play off a driving layup to get the lead to 10.
Stackhouse, who arrived the arena early for treatment on a turned ankle sustained the night before at Detroit, made 11 of 22 shots and 14 of 15 free throws.
Magic 96, Hornets 86
ORLANDO, Fla. – Tracy McGrady had 33 points, nine rebounds and five assists, and the Orlando Magic beat the New Orleans 96-86 Saturday night, handing the Hornets just their third loss in the last 13 games.
Gordan Giricek had 13 points and seven rebounds, while Drew Gooden added nine points and 11 rebounds.
Orlando (34-33), which had lost three of its last four, avoided a drop below .500 for the first time in two weeks.
The Magic outrebounded New Orleans 48-42, leading to the Magic’s 29-10 advantage in second-chance points. It was the first time in 21 games that the Hornets failed to top their opponent on the boards.
David Wesley scored 24 points, nine in the first quarter, to lead the Hornets. P.J. Brown had 18 while Jamaal Magliore added 15 points and nine rebounds.
Jamal Mashburn was held to eight points, matching his season low, on 4-for-13 shooting. He did have nine assists.
Baron Davis, in his third game back following a 20-game layoff due to knee surgery, looked out of sorts until scoring seven points in the last few minutes. He played the entire second quarter, shooting 0-for-4 with three personal fouls and a technical.
McGrady scored 10 points in the final 5:14 of the third quarter, allowing the Magic to break away from a tie game. His 3-pointer at the period’s close put Orlando up 72-65.
McGrady was on the bench for the start of the final quarter but Orlando, with little-used players Steven Hunter and Jeryl Sasser on the floor, outscored the Hornets 10-4 over the first 5:21 to open a game-high 14-point lead.
Orlando led 47-41 at the break following a half that featured 10 ties and nine lead changes. Neither team led by more than five until the closing seconds, when Giricek converted a breakaway layup into a three-point play.
New Orleans scored 14 points in the second quarter on 5-for-21 shooting, including misses on its last eight shots.
The Hornets’ shooting woes continued into the second half, as the Magic converted two misses into baskets for a 10-point lead.
But the Hornets went on a 17-7 run that erased the deficit in less than five minutes. Brown sparked the comeback, scoring five of New Orleans’ eight baskets.
That was as close as New Orleans would get, though. After Magliore tied the game at 58, McGrady hit a jumper to put Orlando back in the lead.
Notes: New Orleans had 16 free throws in the first half, but it took until the 3:09 mark of the fourth quarter until the Hornets went to the line again. … New Orleans’ string of outrebounding its opponents was the first time since 1995 a team has accomplished that feat. San Antonio was the last to put together such a streak. … McGrady and Mashburn are the only players in the Eastern Conference averaging at least 20 points, six rebounds and five assists. … Among the 15,601 in attendance was future NFL quarterback Byron Leftwich.
AP-ES-03-15-03 2151EST
Send questions/comments to the editors.
