NBA Notebook | Magic puts end to Celtics’ perfect mark
ORLANDO, Fla. - The Boston Celtics’ big three - and big three-point attack - come up short Sunday.
The Celtics, the NBA’s best-shooting team, found themselves uncharacteristically down 20 points and trailing after three quarters. They came back and made it close, but Paul Pierce missed an off-balance jumper with time running out and Orlando dealt Boston (8-1) its first loss, 104-102.
“We’re not perfect,” said Kevin Garnett, who had 14 points and 11 rebounds. “We didn’t think we were going to go 82-0. But we are a team of character. We do play hard. We do play together - just not perfect.”
Garnett, Ray Allen and Pierce were each averaging 20 points. Only Pierce topped the mark Sunday, scoring 28 points and keying several quick runs that brought Boston back. Ex-Sonic Allen finished with 19, but had just eight points on 4-of-12 shooting before the fourth quarter.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game on the road - two of the top teams in the East right now,” Pierce said.
It was a chance for Orlando (9-2) to show it deserved the conference’s second-best record. The Magic forced 20 Boston turnovers, shot 50.8 percent and won despite the Celtics’ 41-28 rebounding edge. Perhaps more important, it didn’t collapse when Boston made a late run.
It was the first time a team shot better than 50 percent against the Celtics and the first time Boston trailed at the half and entering the fourth quarter.
Orlando was up as much as 20, but the Celtics chipped away in the third and fourth quarters. Mounting several small runs, Boston finally claimed its first lead - 88-87 - halfway through the fourth on consecutive threes by Eddie House and James Posey.
“I said to them after the game, ‘It’s great, guys, that you answered the run again, but some nights it’s OK to not let them have a run and just win the game, so I can live to 50,’ ” said Magic coach Stan Van Gundy.
Notes
• Raptors C Rasho Nesterovic will miss one to two weeks with a sprained right ankle. He was injured in the third quarter of last Wednesday’s home loss to Utah, when he landed on the foot of Mehmet Okur after coming down with a rebound.
• Lakers C Kwame Brown was helped off the court Sunday after injuring his left leg in the first quarter against Chicago. A team spokesman said Brown sustained moderate sprains of his left ankle and knee when Bulls center Ben Wallace fell into him under the Los Angeles basket with 8:18 left in the opening period. X-rays were negative.
• The Warriors signed C DJ Mbenga, waiving second-round draft pick Stephane Lasme to make room.
Mbenga has been out of the league since Dallas cut him Oct. 30. He played only 21 games last season before tearing ligaments in his right knee Feb. 7.