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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
BOSTON (AP) – Jamal Mashburn is going back to Miami and this
time he wants to beat the Heat.
|  | | Although they missed the playoffs, Paul Pierce and the Celtics connected with the Boston fans. |
Mashburn had 21 points and 10 rebounds as the Charlotte Hornets
beat the Boston Celtics 97-92 Wednesday night to head into the
playoffs against his former team with a four-game winning streak.
"I've started a new chapter in my NBA career with the Charlotte
Hornets," said Mashburn, obtained in a nine-player offseason
trade. "I have no hard feelings but I want to beat them."
P.J. Brown, acquired in the same trade, had 15 points and 11
rebounds, including a putback layup that gave the Hornets a 95-92
lead with 23 seconds left.
"We match up well with Miami, especially on defense," he said.
The Celtics missed the playoffs for the sixth straight year and
had their eighth consecutive losing record at 36-46. But they were
24-24 since Jim O'Brien took over as coach on Jan. 8 after Rick
Pitino resigned.
O'Brien is expected to be rehired in the next few days.
"He's earned the respect of the players," said Antoine Walker,
who led Boston with 32 points. "He deserves (a chance) to
implement his system."
Charlotte was a team of streaks, starting at 20-9 but losing
four straight games before recovering in their last four. Still,
they were 26-27 after their strong start. They were 2-2 against
Miami.
"It's been a season of stresses and we're just trying to get
everybody healthy," Hornets coach Paul Silas said. "You've got to
tighten up your rotation in the playoffs."
Silas got contributions from most of his team Wednesday as six
of the 10 Hornets who played scored in double figures, including
Hersey Hawkins with 15 points.
Paul Pierce had 25 for the Celtics, who competed with Indiana
for the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference before losing
eight of their last 11 games.
"We fought extremely hard, especially the second half of the
season," Pierce said. "Hopefully (the loss) will make us hungrier
for next year."
Charlotte led 89-83 before the Celtics came back in the last
four minutes.
Milt Palacio's layup and Pierce's 3-pointer cut the lead to
89-88. Mashburn hit a jumper, but Walker made it 91-90 with two
free throws.
Mashburn made two free throws before Palacio's layup left
Charlotte ahead 93-92 with 1:08 remaining.
The critical play came when Baron Davis missed a shot from the
top of the key, but Brown tipped the ball in with 23 seconds to
play.
The Celtics missed their next shot and the Hornets ended the
scoring with Mashburn's two free throws with 8.8 seconds remaining.
"We only shot eight free throws in the first half,"
Charlotte's David Wesley said. "We talked at halftime about taking
the ball to the basket."
Trailing 58-52 early in the third quarter, the Celtics got the
next eight points and led 60-58 with 7:10 left in the period. The
Hornets entered the fourth quarter with a 75-74 lead after Jamaal
Magloire hit a tie-breaking free throw with 30 seconds remaining.
Game notes
Christopher Masse of Cranston, R.I., won $77,777 by sinking
a 3-point shot and a halfcourt shot after the first quarter in a
promotion staged by Foxwoods Resort casino in Mashantucket, Conn.
He was randomly selected after entering to participate in the
contest, held once every home game. ... Pierce went 4-for-4 from
the free-throw line and finished with a club record 738 free-throw
attempts. Cedric Maxwell, now a radio broadcaster for the Celtics,
set the old record of 716 in 1978-79. ... Charlotte swept the
season series with Boston 4-0.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Charlotte Clubhouse
Boston Clubhouse
RECAPS
Charlotte 97
Boston 92
Chicago 92
Philadelphia 86
Toronto 98
Washington 92
Indiana 105
Cleveland 101
New York 94
Detroit 88
Miami 103
Orlando 91
Dallas 120
Minnesota 100
Denver 110
Sacramento 100
Seattle 105
San Antonio 67
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