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NBA

Celtics capitalize on McGrady's absence

BOSTON -- Paul Pierce was relieved to learn before Sunday's game that NBA scoring leader Tracy McGrady wouldn't play for Orlando. He was even happier after the first triple double of his career.

"I'll take it," Pierce said of McGrady's absence. "Who wants the leading scorer playing?"

Pierce had 27 points, 13 rebounds and a career-high 13 assists as the Celtics beat the Magic 91-83.

McGrady missed the game to be with his fiance, who gave birth to a daughter Saturday night in an Orlando-area hospital. Jeryl Sasser started in his place and had a career-high 26 points with 10 rebounds and four steals.

"We hung in there and kept the game at our pace," Orlando coach Doc Rivers said. "I don't think Pierce ever worked so hard for his points."

He had to as the Magic didn't have to worry about guarding Antoine Walker, who missed his third straight game with a sprained right knee. Boston has won two of them and six of its past seven.

"I just took it upon myself to really elevate my game," Pierce said. "I haven't had 13 assists since high school."

Orlando made a late run, cutting the margin to 85-81 on Sasser's 3-pointer with 1:09 to go. Pierce then hit two free throws, but Pat Garrity made a basket for the Magic.

J.R. Bremer hit two free throws for Boston, but Orlando still had a chance until Mike Miller missed an 18-footer with 30 seconds left and Jacque Vaughn failed on a layup attempt with 23 seconds to go. Pierce then hit two free throws for the game's final points.

Orlando's starting forwards shot poorly, with Miller going 2-of-18 and Garrity 2-of-12.

RAPTORS 101, KINGS 97: Vince Carter, playing for the first time since Dec. 10, scored 22 as host Toronto snapped a five-game losing streak.

Carter, who missed 23 games with a strained right knee, scored the Raptors' last six on his 26th birthday. His fadeaway jumper gave Toronto a 97-91 lead with 1:36 left, and his two free throws made it 99-94 with 17.7 seconds remaining. Sacramento's Jim Jackson followed with a 3-pointer, but Carter made two free throws with 7.9 seconds left to give Toronto a four-point lead.

PACERS 108, CLIPPERS 101: Jermaine O'Neal had 21 points, 10 rebounds and eight blocks and Ron Artest and Al Harrington scored 17 each as Indiana won its 14th straight at home, the second-longest streak at Conseco Fieldhouse. The Pacers opened the fourth quarter with a 14-2 run, highlighted by a spectacular alley-oop from Al Harrington to Ron Mercer. Mercer sprinted down the right side, grabbed the ball with his right hand almost above the rim and put it in.

BLAZERS 100, MAVS 93: Zach Randolph scored all his 16 in the second half as Portland erased an early 14-point deficit by working the ball low and pounding away. The Trail Blazers scored 52 in the paint and had 16 more rebounds than Dallas, which lost at home for the first time since Dec. 30 against Milwaukee.

BULLS 100, ROCKETS 98: Marcus Fizer grabbed a loose ball in the lane and scored with .4 seconds left as host Chicago extended Houston's losing streak to four. Jalen Rose scored 29, 11 in the fourth quarter, then batted away a final Rockets lob pass to secure the victory.

KNICKS 106, SUNS 98: Kurt Thomas and Latrell Sprewell scored 28 each and host New York built a 22-point lead before holding off Phoenix. Suns rookie Amare Stoudemire had one of his worst games. The 20-year-old phenom had three points and six rebounds and made 1 of 4 free throws.

HORNETS: Guard Baron Davis is expected to have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and will be sidelined indefinitely.

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