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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
BOSTON (AP) -- Paul Pierce has another reason to call his
comeback complete.
|  | | Boston's Paul Pierce attacks the basket -- and the Nuggets' Raef LaFrentz. |
Pierce hit a jumper from the top of the key as time expired
Sunday to lift the Boston Celtics to a 104-102 overtime win over
the Denver Nuggets.
Two months ago, Pierce's life was in jeopardy after suffering
multiple stab wounds at a Boston nightclub. After it was clear he
would survive, his NBA future was uncertain for a brief period.
After missing the team's first three preseason games, he made a
remarkably quick recovery and returned for Boston's home opener.
On Sunday night, he was beaming after nailing the game-winner.
"It felt good right away," a smiling Pierce said. "I felt
like it was going to go in when I released it."
Kenny Anderson's one-handed runner from the right baseline gave
Boston a 102-100 lead with 22 seconds left, but Nick Van Exel hit a
jumper from the foul line with 6.8 seconds to go.
Boston didn't call a timeout. The Celtics rushed the ball up
before Milt Palacio eventually passed it to Pierce, who let his
shot fly as the buzzer sounded.
"I looked over to the bench to see if we were going to call
timeout and Tony (Battie) inbounded the ball quickly," Pierce
said. "I was just trailing the play. When I got the ball, I
thought I was going to have to take a 3. I saw three seconds on the
clock and dribbled it in before taking the shot."
Pierce led the Celtics with 28 points and Antoine Walker had 26
points and 11 rebounds. Anderson finished with 13 points.
Antonio McDyess led the Nuggets with 37 points and 18 rebounds.
Voshon Lenard had 21 points.
"They executed the last play and our guys didn't get back as
quick as they should," Denver coach Dan Issel said.
Walker agreed that the Nuggets may have been surprised.
"They stopped and thought we were going to call timeout,"
Walker said. "We kept going and Paul got a good look at a
15-footer."
In overtime, Boston pulled ahead 96-91 on Tony Battie's two free
throws with 3:38 left, but McDyess had two turnaround jumpers and a
key steal as Denver tied it at 97 with 1:28 to go.
Pierce and Lenard traded 3-pointers 23 seconds apart.
McDyess' two free throws gave the Nuggets an 88-83 advantage
with 4:55 remaining in regulation. Boston scored eight of the
game's next 11 points and tied it when Bryant Stith hit the second
of two free throws with 44 seconds left.
After Stith's free throw, Denver's Raef LaFrentz missed a
one-hander in the lane with 29 seconds left.
On the ensuing possession, Pierce missed a jumper before
Denver's Tracy Murray missed a long jumper and the teams scrambled
for the rebound as the horn sounded.
McDyess scored the Nuggets' final nine points in regulation.
The Celtics held a 56-50 edge at halftime.
Game notes
Van Exel was whistled for a technical foul in the first
quarter. ... Boston activated Anderson before the game and placed
Chris Carr on the injured list with a sprained left ankle. Anderson
missed 16 games with a fractured jaw. ... Boston rookie forward
Jerome Moiso had a crowd-pleasing reverse, two-hand slam midway into
the second quarter.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Denver Clubhouse
Boston Clubhouse
RECAPS
Phoenix 95
Toronto 87
Boston 104
Denver 102
Dallas 99
New Jersey 73
Sacramento 101
Miami 97
LA Lakers 112
Detroit 88
 FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
Antoine Walker Official Site
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