Pierce, Baker lead Celtics to win

["Stephen Beauregard" <sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Pierce, Baker lead Celtics to win
By Jon Krawczynski, Associated Press, 11/11/2003

INDIANAPOLIS -- Vin Baker hit a fallaway jumper in the lane with 20 seconds
left to give the Boston Celtics a 78-76 victory over the Indiana Pacers on
Tuesday night.

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Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal missed a short jumper with time winding down and
Boston's Eric Williams corralled the loose ball to seal the victory.

Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 19 points, nine assists and six rebounds, and
Baker had 12 points and four rebounds.

O'Neal had 25 points and 11 rebounds for Indiana, which lost for the first
time in six games to drop to 6-2.

O'Neal had 21 points and nine rebounds in the first half to help the Pacers
take a 48-34 lead.

But O'Neal got into foul trouble in the second half, and Indiana went cold
from the floor to allow Boston back into the game. O'Neal went to the bench
with his fourth foul with 7:22 to play in third.

Raef LaFrentz hit a baseline jumper early in the fourth to give Boston the
lead at 63-62. That shot came in the middle of a 9-0 run by Boston to open the
quarter that pushed the lead to 68-62, and started a back-and-forth final
period.

The Pacers came right back with eight points in a row to take back the lead at
70-68.

The lead would change hands five more times. O'Neal's layup with 37 seconds to
play gave Indiana its last lead at 76-75.

Baker followed with his shot and Mike James added a free throw to cap the
scoring.

Al Harrington added 17 points and six rebounds for Indiana, which turned the
ball over 20 times.

James and Tony Battie each scored 11 points for Boston.

Notes: Pacers coach Rick Carlisle received a technical foul in the first
quarter for arguing a call. Carlisle began his NBA playing career with the
Celtics in 1984. He played three seasons in Boston and was teammates with
Pacers president Larry Bird and Boston executive director of basketball
operations Danny Ainge.

Thanks,

Steve
sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx