C's got their "Mo Joe" workin'

[CeltsSteve@xxxxxxx]

Joseph Forte scored 8 of his game-high 20 points in the third quarter to lead
the undefeated Boston Celtics to a 86-77 win over the Philadelphia 76ers and
set up a matchup for the Shawbs Pro Summer League Championship against the
unbeaten Atlanta Hawks.

Boston (5-0) erased a 13 point first quarter deficit, broke open a close game
in the third quarter and held of a late Philadelphia rally, to win going
away. Boston took command with a 10-0 run midway through the third quarter. A
pair of free-throws and a layup by Derrick Alston, a fast-break layup by
Kedrick Brown off a Forte steal, a Darius Songalia layup after another steal
by Forte and a free-throw by Songalia made it 51-41. Philadelphia closed it
to 7 with 1:35 left in the quarter and could have gotten closer had it not
been for the Boston defense.

Brown stole the ball from Eric Murdock and fed it to J.R. Bremer for the
fast-break layup. On the ensuing inbounds pass, Terquin Mott ran up to steal
a long pass from Damone Brown and fed Forte for a 15-foot jumper at the
buzzer to put the Celtics up 63-52 after three.

Boston carried that momentum into the fourth quarter, starting it with an 8-0
run on a layup by Mott, a three-pointer by Bremer and a free-throw by Forte
to take a 71-52 lead. The 76ers came back to make it close, outscoring the
Celtics 22-7 over the next 6:23 behind 6 points each by Johnny Taylor and
Nate Johnson. But Brown emphatically ended the 76ers rally with a fast-break,
thunderous, left-handed dunk that brought the house down and put the Celtics
back up by 8 with 50 seconds left in the game.

Bremer hit four clutch free throws and Forte added two more to seal the win.
The 76ers (2-3) took an early19-6 lead in the first quarter on the strength
of 9 points from Efthimios Rentzias. Boston clawed back into it late in the
second quarter. Forte scored five points in a span of 1:06, including a
17-foot jumper (that shot will be there anytime he wants it) to tie the game,
32-32. Terquin Mottbs layup gave Boston a 34-32 lead at the half.

Brown had 17 points and 7 rebounds and Bremer added 15 points. Rentzias led
the 76ers with 14 points.

<A HREF="http://www.nba.com/media/celtics/game25.pdf";>READ THE COMPLETE BOX
SCORE</A>

CeltsSteve

"Life Is a Bowl of Gumbo. Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much!"