Box Score

 

TORONTO (85)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
J Williams          37  6-12   0-4  6-10   1   1   12
M Peterson          37  3-10   3-4   2-8   4   1   11
A Davis             40  5-10   3-4  8-14   5   4   13
V Carter            34  5-18   6-6   1-4   2   4   18
A Williams          33  5-14   0-0   1-3   2   2   11
R Alston            15   2-4   0-0   0-0   7   2    5
M Bradley           14   1-3   2-2   0-2   0   2    4
V Lenard            25  3-11   4-4   0-5   0   2   11
M Baston             5   0-0   0-0   0-0   0   2    0
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 30-82 18-24 18-46  21  20   85
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.366, FT-.750. 3-Point Goals:
7-16, .438 (M Peterson 2-4, V Carter 2-6, A 
Williams 1-2, R Alston 1-2, V Lenard 1-2). 
Team Rebounds: 13. Blocked Shots:6 (M Bradley
3, A Davis, J Williams, V Carter). 
Turnovers:13 (A Davis 4, V Lenard 2, A 
Williams 2, V Carter 2, J Williams, R Alston,
M Peterson). Steals: 6 (J Williams 2, M 
Peterson 2, V Lenard, R Alston).


BOSTON (90)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
A Walker            41  9-28   4-6  4-11   9   1   22
E Williams          29  6-12   6-6   1-4   1   2   18
T Battie            17   3-5   0-0   1-3   0   4    6
K Brown             23   1-4   0-0   1-6   1   3    2
J Bremer            36  7-10   1-2   0-6   5   1   20
M Blount            23   4-5   0-0   2-3   0   2    8
T Delk              26   3-5   3-5   0-0   2   2   11
W Mccarty           30   0-5   1-2   0-3   3   1    1
G Long              15   1-2   0-0   2-4   1   3    2
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 34-76 15-21 11-40  22  19   90
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.447, FT-.714. 3-Point Goals:
7-18, .389 (A Walker 0-4, K Brown 0-2, J 
Bremer 5-7, T Delk 2-3, W Mccarty 0-2). Team 
Rebounds: 7. Blocked Shots:3 (G Long, M 
Blount, J Bremer). Turnovers:8 (A Walker 5, T
Delk 2, J Bremer). Steals: 9 (E Williams 3, T
Delk 2, T Battie, M Blount, K Brown, J 
Bremer).

-------------------------------------------
TORONTO              23  18  19  25   -  85
BOSTON               27  17  23  23   -  90
------------------------------------------- 

Technical fouls: Toronto - 1 (Defensive 
Three, 1:24 2nd). Boston - 2 (Defensive 
Three, 11:23 2nd; G Long, 1:48 3rd).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 18,624. T: 2:19. 
Officials: Greg Willard, Pat Fraher, Ron 
Garretson.

Extended Box

 

TORONTO (85) AT BOSTON (90)

TORONTO

                                               REBOUNDS                        
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
J WILLIAMS        F    37    6-12     0-4      6   4  10    1   1   2   1   12
M PETERSON        F    37    3-10     3-4      2   6   8    4   1   2   1   11
A DAVIS           C    40    5-10     3-4      8   6  14    5   4   0   4   13
V CARTER          G    34    5-18     6-6      1   3   4    2   4   0   2   18
A WILLIAMS        G    33    5-14     0-0      1   2   3    2   2   0   2   11
R ALSTON               15    2-4      0-0      0   0   0    7   2   1   1    5
M BRADLEY              14    1-3      2-2      0   2   2    0   2   0   0    4
V LENARD               25    3-11     4-4      0   5   5    0   2   1   2   11
M BASTON                5    0-0      0-0      0   0   0    0   2   0   0    0
  
TOTALS                240   30-82    18-24    18  28  46   21  20   6  13   85
                            (.366)  (.750)  TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 13 (9 PTS)     

BOSTON

                                               REBOUNDS                         
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
A WALKER          F    41    9-28     4-6      4   7  11    9   1   0   5   22
E WILLIAMS        F    29    6-12     6-6      1   3   4    1   2   3   0   18
T BATTIE          C    17    3-5      0-0      1   2   3    0   4   1   0    6
K BROWN           G    23    1-4      0-0      1   5   6    1   3   1   0    2
J BREMER          G    36    7-10     1-2      0   6   6    5   1   1   1   20
M BLOUNT               23    4-5      0-0      2   1   3    0   2   1   0    8
T DELK                 26    3-5      3-5      0   0   0    2   2   2   2   11
W MCCARTY              30    0-5      1-2      0   3   3    3   1   0   0    1
G LONG                 15    1-2      0-0      2   2   4    1   3   0   0    2
  
TOTALS                240   34-76    15-21    11  29  40   22  19   9   8   90
                            (.447)  (.714)  TEAM REBS:  7 TOTAL TO: 8 (10 PTS)     
  
   TORONTO            23   18   19   25   -   85
   BOSTON             27   17   23   23   -   90
  
BLOCKED SHOTS: TORONTO - M BRADLEY 3, A DAVIS, J WILLIAMS, V CARTER.
BOSTON - G LONG, M BLOUNT, J BREMER.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: TORONTO 7-16 (.438), M PETERSON 2-4, V CARTER 2-
6, A WILLIAMS 1-2, R ALSTON 1-2, V LENARD 1-2. BOSTON 7-18 (.389),
A WALKER 0-4, K BROWN 0-2, J BREMER 5-7, T DELK 2-3, W MCCARTY 0-
2.
TECHNICAL FOULS: TORONTO - DEFENSIVE THREE. BOSTON - DEFENSIVE THREE, 
G LONG.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: GREG WILLARD, PAT FRAHER, RON GARRETSON.
A - 18,624. T - 2:19.

Game Story

BOSTON (Ticker) -- The Boston Celtics were missing Paul 
Pierce for the first time in more than three years.  Fellow
All-Star Antoine Walker had no problem picking up the slack.

Walker collected 22 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists and hit
a key basket down the stretch as the Celtics edged the Toronto
Raptors, 90-85 in the front end of a home-and-home series.

Rookie J.R. Bremer added 20 points and Eric Williams 18 for the
Celtics, who remained one-half game behind Philadelphia for
fourth place in the Eastern Conference playoff race.  The
Celtics had lost three of their previous five contests.

"Without Paul being there, we didn't know what we were going to
do in the full-court as far as scoring, but everybody stepped
up," Williams said.

Pierce, the NBA's fifth-leading scorer, sat out the contest
after slipping on a patch of ice at his home and straining his
lower back.  He had played in 257 straight games - the
third-longest actice streak in the league - since missing a game
at Orlando on January 26, 2000.

"We needed everybody to step up tonight," said Bremer, who made
7-of-10 shots, including 5-of-7 from the arc.  "And everybody
did a great job stepping up.  Luckily my shot came back
tonight."

"It was just one of those nights," Raptors forward Jerome
Williams said.  "They were trying to pound the ball down low in
terms of getting Eric Williams the ball, (and) he did a great
job for them.  But Bremer was really able to step it up.  He was
able to make the open three and put pressure on the outside. So
whenever you get into that continuity, with your offense going
inside and out, it's going to be a tough night to play defense."

The Celtics scored the last seven points of the third quarter
and the first four of the fourth to take a 71-60 lead.  They led
by 12 points midway through the second half before Toronto
closed to 87-85 on a 3-pointer by Alvin Williams with 38 seconds
left.

But Walker countered with a step-back jumper with 18 seconds to
play, and after Voshon Lenard missed a jumper, Tony Delk capped
the scoring by hitting 1-of-2 free throws with 14 seconds left.

"Yeah, it was a big shot, but it was about team tonight," Walker
said.  "We wanted to get some movement on the offensive end, we
wanted everybody to be aggressive.  It is tough to make up 35
percent of our offense, which comes from Paul."

Boston shot 45 percent (34-of-76) from the field and limited
Toronto to 37 percent (30-of-82).  The Raptors are just 2-20
when shooting below 40 percent.

"I didn't think our intensity defensively was up to a high
level, then it finally got there," Raptors coach Lenny Wilkens
said.  "But you've got to have that defensive intensity all game
long, otherwise it takes all the energy out of you. Then that
energy is going to be spent somewhere else.  It came down to the
end when we had some good looks, and couldn't convert."

"We played great half-court defense," Eric Williams said.  "We
got our hands on the ball and that's what our team does.  Paul
was out and we knew we had to pick it up on the defensive end."

Vince Carter scored 18 points but had just five after halftime
for Toronto, which has lost four of six since a four-game
winning streak.  Antonio Davis added 13 points and 14 rebounds
and Jerome Williams 12 and 10 for the Raptors, who host the
Celtics at the Air Canada Centre on Sunday.

Carter left the game with 1:27 remaining after Walker collided
with the back of his neck as they dived on the floor for a loose
ball.  He did not return.

"If (Vince) hadn't gotten hurt there, we had some momentum, and
we score, then all of a sudden it's real different," Wilkens
said.  "It was a very tough point in the game to lose him."

"The left side (of the neck) is sore," Carter said.  "I just
tried to get back up.  The pain was so excruciating."