Game recap - "It sent chills through my body''

[CeltsSteve@AOL.com]

<A HREF="http://www.sportsline.com/u/partners/aol/frameset.htm?http://scores.sportsline.com/scoreboards/nba/2001/0421/boxscore/NBA_20020421_PHI@BOS.htm">Celtics-Sixers Game 1 Box Score</A>


Pierce, Walker Lift Celtics Past Sixers for Game 1 Victory 

By HOWARD ULMAN 
.c Associated Press

BOSTON (April 21) -- The <A HREF="aol://1722:Celtics/">Boston Celtics'</A> return to the playoffs was much 
better than Allen Iverson's. The Celtics won their first postseason game 
since 1995, beating Iverson's <A HREF="aol://1722:76ers/">Philadelphia 76ers</A> 92-82 Sunday to open their 
Eastern Conference series as last season's league MVP missed 11 of 15 
field-goal attempts.

    
Walter McCarty and the Celtics take a 1-0 series lead over the Sixers. 
    
Iverson missed the 76ers' final 14 games of the regular season after breaking 
his left hand, which was heavily bandaged Sunday. Paul Pierce led the way for 
Boston with 31 points, 11 rebounds, four steals and three blocks. Fans yelled 
"M-V-P! M-V-P!'' after Pierce's layup put Boston up 89-73 with about 3 1/2 
minutes left, then repeated the chant when his 3-pointer made it 92-75. 

"It sent chills through my body,'' Pierce said. Iverson, who led the league 
in scoring average at 31.4 points, said his hand felt fine. And he did lead 
the 76ers with 20 points. But his only field goals came in the first quarter, 
when he had 15 points, and he missed his last nine shots. 

"I was just playing like I usually play. I didn't think a whole bunch about'' 
the hand, he said. "I'm cool. I can run forever.'' 

He'll have plenty of time to rest before Thursday night's second game of the 
best-of-5 series. 

"You're anxious to get back out on the court, even though we won, just to get 
back in that atmosphere,'' Pierce said. "I could do this every day.'' 

The Celtics led throughout the last three quarters and by double figures for 
the last 18 minutes. Pierce, third in the NBA in scoring average (26.1), hit 
a 3-pointer to open a 14-6 run that gave the Celtics a 73-59 lead after the 
third quarter. 

"It was very important for us, myself and Paul and some of the young guys who 
have not had playoff experience to get a win under our belt,'' Antoine Walker 
said. 

The Celtics -- owners of an NBA-record 16 titles but without a playoff series 
win in the past nine years -- got 20 points from Walker and a surprising 14 
from Walter McCarty, who averaged 3.8 this season. Matt Harpring scored 18 
for the 76ers. 

"We weren't playing with any organization at all,'' Philadelphia coach Larry 
Brown said. The Celtics "were so far superior to us in terms of preparation 
and execution, it wasn't even close.'' 

Iverson broke a bone in the non-shooting hand while playing on the same floor 
nearly a month ago when he was hit by the Celtics' Tony Battie. Iverson 
missed the rest of the regular season -- the 76ers went 7-7 -- but he was 
cleared to play Sunday morning after being examined by Dr. Jack McPhilemy, 
the 76ers' team physician. 

Iverson started well Sunday, hitting the game's first shot, then converting 
two free throws for a 4-4 tie. He had 15 points in the first 11 minutes. But 
he provided little offense after that as Boston won the first NBA playoff 
game in the FleetCenter, where the team moved from the Boston Garden before 
the 1995-96 season. 

"I don't think it was my great defense,'' Boston guard Kenny Anderson said. 
"I just tried to make him work, harass him, slow him down.'' 

The Celtics led 54-48 at halftime, and Iverson couldn't lead the defending 
Eastern Conference champions back. 

"I just missed shots,'' he said. "It didn't have anything to do with the hand 
or with the defender.'' 

Midway through the fourth quarter, McCarty made a layup and was fouled. 
Before the free throw, Pierce held up his left hand to his ear to encourage 
the cheering crowd. 

"I thought I knew what the playoff atmosphere was like, but I didn't until I 
got out on the court,'' said Pierce, in his fourth season with Boston. 
McCarty hit the shot for an 82-67 lead with about seven minutes remaining. 
The closest the 76ers came after that was the 10-point final deficit. 

Notes
Ten minutes before the game, the crowd stood and cheered as Celtics president 
Red Auerbach and former players Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, K.C. Jones, Tom 
Heinsohn and JoJo White crossed the court. They stopped at midcourt and 
chatted with Iverson. 

The 76ers are in the playoffs for the fourth straight year after missing them 
for seven in a row. 
Iverson entered the game with a 33.5-point average against the Celtics this 
season. The 76ers were 3-1 against Boston in the regular season. 

Boston won eight of its last nine games entering the playoffs, while 
Philadelphia lost its last two without Iverson, Dikembe Mutombo or Derrick 
Coleman. 

04/21/02 17:10 EDT 
Copyright 2002 
The Associated Press.   
    

CeltsSteve