Box Score

 

BOSTON (93)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
E Williams          33   6-9   3-6   0-7   4   3   17
A Walker            45  6-18   1-2   2-7   1   4   14
T Battie            31   3-6   2-2   2-7   2   4    8
T Delk              37  7-12   0-0   1-3   1   2   16
P Pierce            39  5-14 16-18   0-5   6   4   28
K Brown             13   0-3   0-0   0-1   0   1    0
S Williams          20   3-5   0-0   1-3   3   3    8
V Baker             15   0-3   0-0   2-4   2   2    0
W Mccarty            5   0-1   2-2   0-1   0   2    2
M Moore              2   0-0   0-0   0-0   0   1    0
B Sundov           DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
J Bremer           DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 30-71 24-30  8-38  19  26   93
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.423, FT-.800. 3-Point Goals:
9-28, .321 (E Williams 2-4, A Walker 1-8, T 
Delk 2-4, P Pierce 2-5, K Brown 0-2, S 
Williams 2-4, W Mccarty 0-1). Team Rebounds: 
11. Blocked Shots:2 (V Baker, T Battie). 
Turnovers:14 (A Walker 5, P Pierce 4, E 
Williams, T Delk, T Battie, S Williams, K 
Brown). Steals: 9 (P Pierce 3, E Williams, A 
Walker, T Delk, T Battie, S Williams, K 
Brown).


NEW ORLEANS (83)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
J Mashburn          43  9-23   2-2   0-3   1   5   21
P Brown             30   1-4   4-6   1-5   1   2    6
J Magloire          20   1-5   2-4   3-7   3   5    4
D Wesley            42  6-14   3-4   1-3   8   3   17
C Alexander         39  8-17   2-3   1-4   4   2   20
J Moiso             15   0-2   0-0   1-6   1   3    0
E Campbell          21   2-3   3-4   3-6   1   4    7
B Drew               3   0-1   0-0   0-0   1   0    0
S Augmon            14   1-3   2-2   0-2   1   0    4
R Traylor            7   1-4   2-2   2-4   0   0    4
G Lynch              6   0-1   0-0   1-1   0   1    0
B Davis            DNP  - BACK SPASMS                                    
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 29-77 20-27 13-41  21  25   83
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.377, FT-.741. 3-Point Goals:
5-19, .263 (J Mashburn 1-5, D Wesley 2-7, C 
Alexander 2-4, B Drew 0-1, S Augmon 0-1, G 
Lynch 0-1). Team Rebounds: 12. Blocked 
Shots:4 (E Campbell 2, J Magloire 2). 
Turnovers:14 (D Wesley 5, J Mashburn 2, J 
Moiso 2, J Magloire 2, E Campbell, P Brown, C
Alexander). Steals: 5 (D Wesley 3, J Mashburn
2).

-------------------------------------------
BOSTON               20  22  27  24   -  93
NEW ORLEANS          27  19  24  13   -  83
------------------------------------------- 

Technical fouls: New Orleans - 2 (E Campbell,
2:20 3rd; J Magloire, 8:17 3rd).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 16,898. T: 2:29. 
Officials: Eddie F. Rush, Mike  Henderson, 
Ronnie Nunn.

Extended Box

 

BOSTON (93) AT NEW ORLEANS (83)

BOSTON

                                               REBOUNDS                        
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
E WILLIAMS        F    33    6-9      3-6      0   7   7    4   3   1   1   17
A WALKER          F    45    6-18     1-2      2   5   7    1   4   1   5   14
T BATTIE          C    31    3-6      2-2      2   5   7    2   4   1   1    8
T DELK            G    37    7-12     0-0      1   2   3    1   2   1   1   16
P PIERCE          G    39    5-14    16-18     0   5   5    6   4   3   4   28
K BROWN                13    0-3      0-0      0   1   1    0   1   1   1    0
S WILLIAMS             20    3-5      0-0      1   2   3    3   3   1   1    8
V BAKER                15    0-3      0-0      2   2   4    2   2   0   0    0
W MCCARTY               5    0-1      2-2      0   1   1    0   2   0   0    2
M MOORE                 2    0-0      0-0      0   0   0    0   1   0   0    0
B SUNDOV              DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
J BREMER              DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
  
TOTALS                240   30-71    24-30     8  30  38   19  26   9  14   93
                            (.423)  (.800)  TEAM REBS: 11 TOTAL TO: 14 (13 PTS)    

NEW ORLEANS

                                               REBOUNDS                         
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
J MASHBURN        F    43    9-23     2-2      0   3   3    1   5   2   2   21
P BROWN           F    30    1-4      4-6      1   4   5    1   2   0   1    6
J MAGLOIRE        C    20    1-5      2-4      3   4   7    3   5   0   2    4
D WESLEY          G    42    6-14     3-4      1   2   3    8   3   3   5   17
C ALEXANDER       G    39    8-17     2-3      1   3   4    4   2   0   1   20
J MOISO                15    0-2      0-0      1   5   6    1   3   0   2    0
E CAMPBELL             21    2-3      3-4      3   3   6    1   4   0   1    7
B DREW                  3    0-1      0-0      0   0   0    1   0   0   0    0
S AUGMON               14    1-3      2-2      0   2   2    1   0   0   0    4
R TRAYLOR               7    1-4      2-2      2   2   4    0   0   0   0    4
G LYNCH                 6    0-1      0-0      1   0   1    0   1   0   0    0
B DAVIS               DNP  - BACK SPASMS                                              
  
TOTALS                240   29-77    20-27    13  28  41   21  25   5  14   83
                            (.377)  (.741)  TEAM REBS: 12 TOTAL TO: 16 (21 PTS)    
  
   BOSTON             20   22   27   24   -   93
   NEW ORLEANS        27   19   24   13   -   83
  
BLOCKED SHOTS: BOSTON - V BAKER, T BATTIE.  NEW ORLEANS - E CAMPBELL 2,
J MAGLOIRE 2.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: BOSTON 9-28 (.321), E WILLIAMS 2-4, A WALKER 1-
8, T DELK 2-4, P PIERCE 2-5, K BROWN 0-2, S WILLIAMS 2-4, W MCCARTY 0-
1. NEW ORLEANS 5-19 (.263), J MASHBURN 1-5, D WESLEY 2-7, C ALEXANDER 2-
4, B DREW 0-1, S AUGMON 0-1, G LYNCH 0-1.
TECHNICAL FOULS: NEW ORLEANS - E CAMPBELL, J MAGLOIRE.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: EDDIE F. RUSH, MIKE  HENDERSON, RONNIE NUNN.
A - 16,898. T - 2:29.

Game Story

NEW ORLEANS (Ticker) -- With a strong finish, the Boston 
Celtics got a tough road trip off to a great start.

Paul Pierce scored 11 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter,
when the Celtics held the New Orleans Hornets without a basket
for over eight minutes and rolled to a 93-83 victory.

"I think our team is looking at it as a challenge," Pierce said.
"I think our backs are against the wall. We haven't been
playing well. So it was good to go in here and get this first
win. We don't want to look too far ahead of ourselves, because
we've got some tough games coming up, but it's good to get off
to a good start."

The Celtics came in having lost two in a row and five of six,
not the way to start a trip of four games in six days that
includes the treacherous "Texas Triangle."  They sputtered
through the first 2 1/2 quarters, trailing by as many as 11
points.

But Boston rallied within 70-69 entering the final period and
took control with a flurry of 3-pointers.  Tony Delk hit a pair
before Pierce - who made 16-of-18 free throws - drilled one from
the arc for an 84-75 lead with 6:27 to go.

Meanwhile, the Hornets were mired in an awful drought.  After a
basket by Elden Campbell with 8:53 to play, they did not score
from the field until Courtney Alexander hit a jumper with 34
seconds left, missing 14 straight shots.

"What is it called, Jekyll and Hyde?" Hornets forward Jamal
Mashburn asked.  "It was difficult. It seemed like (the Celtics)
turned it up a notch, and we went down a notch for some strange
reason."

"We did a magnificent job of defending down the stretch,"
Celtics coach Jim O'Brien said.  "We became very physical."

Eric Williams scored 17 points and Delk added 16 for the
Celtics, who improved to 8-7 on the road.  They visit Dallas on
Friday, San Antonio on Sunday and Houston on Monday.

"It's always important to beat a good basketball team," O'Brien
said.  "We have had some success on the road. We're above .500
on the road. This is a tough building to come into and win. They
have a really nice home record. And certainly, any win that we
can scratch out on the road against a quality team is very
important to us."

"This is a big win to get our road (trip) off to a good start,"
Pierce said.  "We're looking at the schedule, you see you've got
four tough road games against great teams that play (well) at
home."

Jamal Mashburn scored 21 points and Alexander added 20 for the
slumping Hornets, who have lost seven of nine games and 10 of
13.  After winning their first 11 home games, they have lost
four of the last five at New Orleans Arena.

All-Star point guard Baron Davis missed his fourth straight game
with back spasms.  Without their floor general, the Hornets
settled for outside shots instead of exploiting their size
advantage and scored just 14 points in the paint.  New Orleans
shot under 38 percent (29-of-77), including 4-of-20 in the final
period.

"We just don't have enough firepower and it's just that simple,"
Hornets coach Paul Silas said.  "You take 17 points out of your
lineup and you're trying to manufacture points and it's tough."

There were five lead changes in the fourth quarter, the last on
Delk's 3-pointer that gave Boston a 76-74 edge with 8 1/2
minutes to go.

Campbell made a free throw before Pierce sank two from the line.
As the Hornets misfired, Delk and Pierce hit 3-pointers. After
a free throw by P.J. Brown, Williams threw in a hook and Pierce
made two more foul shots for an 88-76 bulge with 3:43 left.

"He drives it hard," O'Brien said.  "They have to honor his
outside shot, and he takes it hard, and he's got length. He
really has a great first step and he's a good finisher."

"If it was street ball, he wouldn't be on the line that much,
because you have to call your own fouls," Mashburn said.  "You
know what I mean?"

The Celtics won without a strong game from Antoine Walker, who
scored 14 points on 6-of-18 shooting and committed five
turnovers.  Boston shot 42 percent (30-of-71).

David Wesley had 17 points and eight assists for the Hornets.

The Celtics trailed, 42-32, with 4 1/2 minutes left in the
second period before Delk made a pair of jumpers in a 10-4 surge
that closed the quarter.

Wesley's 3-pointer gave New Orleans a 65-59 lead with 4 1/2
minutes to play in the third quarter before Pierce and Williams
sank 3-pointers to tie it.