Celts Pull Away: Boston 121- Golden State 104

[Bill Cooper <wfcooper@tiac.net>]

	After a very, very lackluster first half, the Celts took
control of this contest with a 41 point 3rd quarter.  Once again,
antoine walker was the teams lodestone, as he carried the team through
the rough spots and ignited the burst that carried them to victory.

	Early on, though, it din't lok so good.  the two clubs traded
baskets early in the game, wiefforts of Pierce and walker being
balanced by Larry Hughes.  The Celts led much of the period, but wiht
about 3:00 to go Hughes hit a jumper to put the Warrios up 21-20.  By
the end of the period, the Warrios were leading 27-25.  There were 57
possessions, and a whole lot of free throws in the period.

	The Cetls continued to limp along at the start of the second.
the feel behind 35-27 early in the preiod.  they slowly began to turn
the game around, with offense from Walker and board presence from
Fortson (the Celts had a very hard time controlling their defesnive
board, before Fortson got into the game).  The Warrios were still up
49-45, with 1:20 to go, when the Celts scored the last 6 opints of the
period (2 assists by Toine), to take the lead 51-49 going into the
half.  My thought, was that they were very lucky to have the lead.

	The Celts came out in a much disciplined fashion to start the
3rd.  They outscored the Warriors 11-2 to take a 62-52 lead.  they got
assist on their first 7 baskets of the period.   Quite a few of those
assists belonged to Kenny Anderson, who apparently decided that an
assists would be better than yet another missed FGA.  Meanwhile,
Calbert Cheaney, who had been handling (more or less)_ Larry Hughes,
picked up his 4th foul.  In an ususual move, Pitino went to Doug
Overton to guard Hughes.  Overton actually had pretty good success.
the Celts continued to puos on the pressufe, and buklt the lead up to
76-61.  Overton not only played solid defense but also ahd one of his
better nights shoting the ball, as the Celts outscored Golden State
41-24 in the period, ontheir way to a 92-73 lead.  

	The Cetl;s coninuted to play solid ball for the first half of
the 4th, as they puched the lead up as high as 24 (112-88).  The rest
of the game was garbage time (hey, Pervis got to play the last 3:00).
The Celts came away with the 121-104 victory.

     For once the Celts had an edge in FG% .488-.411.  They combined
that with a big edge in shot taken 82-68.  AFter comminting quite a
few turnovers in the first half, they had just a couple in the second,
and had a 21-11 edge in that department.  Therre were 102 free throws
attempted in the game, with the Warriors getting the lion's hare with
58.  

Lineups:
Celts: Anderson, Pierce, Cheaney, Walker, Potapenko
Warriors: Blaylock, Hughes, Owens,