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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
BOSTON (AP) – The Boston Celtics ended nearly a decade of
frustration at the hands of the Utah Jazz and inched closer to the
Indiana Pacers for the eighth playoff spot in the East.
|  | | Utah's Olden Polynice had his hands full trying to unload this pass. |
Paul Pierce scored 12 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter as
the Celtics extended their home winning streak to seven games and
defeated the Jazz in Boston for the first time since Dec. 20, 1991,
with a 103-99 victory.
"We have a few games at home and we have to take care of
business," Pierce said. "We can't have a letdown now. We have an
opportunity to make and run and we have to take advantage of it."
The Celtics closed within 1 1/2 games of the Pacers, who lost at
home to Seattle.
"It was a huge win, whether Indiana lost or not," Celtics head
coach Jim O'Brien said.
Pierce hit a career-high 18 free throws -- including eight in the
fourth quarter -- as the Celtics extended their longest home winning
streak since the 1992-93 season.
In addition, it was was the first time the Celtics defeated the
Jazz in Boston since Dec. 20, 1991.
"We didn't execute on the defensive end," Jazz forward Karl
Malone said. "It's disappointing, but you have to give them
credit, they won the ballgame."
Pierce scored eight straight points in the fourth, including
four straight free throws to give the Celtics a 99-93 lead.
Trailing 95-92 following a layup by Pierce, Bryon Russell hit
the front end of a pair of free throws. Greg Ostertag, who scored
18 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for the Jazz, grabbed the
rebound and tipped it to Russell. John Stockton missed a 3-pointer
and Ostertag missed the putback, leading to Pierce's string of free
throws.
"It was a grind-it-out game, and whoever made the big plays
down the stretch was going to win the game," Pierce said.
Antoine Walker scored 26 points and Bryant Stith added 14 for
Boston.
The lead changed 14 times in the third quarter, with neither
team leading by more than four points.
Russell scored 18, Malone added 17 points, and Donyell Marshall
and Stockton had 12 apiece for the Jazz, owners of the top mark in
the Western Conference who defeated the Celtics soundly in Salt
Lake City on Feb. 19, 114-99.
"They have a lot of solid players. There's not a lot of
difference between the teams at the top and the teams at the
bottom, but it's about attitude," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said.
The Celtics held a 54-50 lead at the break thanks in large part
to the shooting of Walker, who was 7-for-8 from the field,
including 5-for-5 from 3-point land.
Game notes
The Celtics are now 4-8 against Midwest Division opponents.
... Sloan was named Coach of the Month for February. The Jazz were
10-2. ... The Jazz have an 18-9 road mark, good for second best in
the NBA behind the Philadelphia 76ers. ... Jazz guard John Starks
was injured in the second quarter when he ran headfirst into a Mark
Blount pick. Starks injured his right eye in the collision with
Blount's elbow, but returned toward the end of the third quarter.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Utah Clubhouse
Boston Clubhouse
RECAPS
Seattle 86
Indiana 83
Philadelphia 107
Washington 102
Charlotte 105
Atlanta 99
Boston 103
Utah 99
Orlando 120
Cleveland 94
Toronto 107
New Jersey 90
Miami 97
Detroit 93
Chicago 81
New York 72
Minnesota 89
Denver 71
LA Clippers 88
Sacramento 81
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