| March 3, 2008 Pierce leads Celtics to 98-88 win over Hawks
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BOSTON (AP) - Paul Pierce scored 30 points, 17 in the pivotal
third quarter, and Kevin Garnett had 20 points and 16 rebounds
Sunday night to lead the Boston Celtics to their fifth consecutive
win, a 98-88 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
Ray Allen scored 17, and Kendrick Perkins had 11 points and a
season-high 12 rebounds to go with a career-high six assists. Point
guard Rajon Rondo had six points and eight assists one day before
the Celtics are expected to bring in backup Sam Cassell, who was
waived last week by the Los Angeles Clippers.
Josh Smith scored 20 points and added nine rebounds, and Al
Horford had 14 and 11 for the Hawks, who missed a chance to move
into a tie for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern
Conference. Newly acquired Mike Bibby had 14 points and nine
assists.
The Hawks led 46-41 after Bibby's alley-oop to Horford for the
first basket of the second half. But Boston scored the next 13
points - including nine in a row from Pierce - before Smith hit a
free throw with 8:42 left in the quarter.
Pierce added a jumper that gave him 11 consecutive Boston points
and gave the Celtics a 58-47 lead. Atlanta came within three points
several times, the last at 73-70, before Eddie House hit a
3-pointer with 9:05 to play.
Notes: P.J. Brown did not dress for the Celtics. ... Cassell was
bought out by the Clippers on Friday and is expected to clear
waivers at 6 p.m. Monday. ... The Celtics play the Detroit Pistons
on Wednesday in a
