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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
WASHINGTON (AP) – With their playoff chances hanging in the
balance, the Boston Celtics couldn't afford a letdown against the
Washington Wizards.
|  | | Bryant Stith, left, scored 10 points to help the Celtics avoid an upset. |
Antoine Walker had 28 points and 13 rebounds as the Celtics beat
the Washington 102-100 Saturday night to move within one game of
the last playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.
"I feel good about our playoff chances," Walker said. "We're
going to need a little luck on our side. We're going to have to
hope for Indiana to fall a little bit. And we are still playing
some tough teams, so we've got to win out."
Reserve Eric Williams scored 20 points and Chris Herren hit
three key 3-pointers in the fourth quarter as Boston rallied from a
seven-point deficit to snap a two-game losing streak.
"It's huge. It helps keep our playoff chances alive," Herren
said. "Every minute counts from here on out. Even practice counts
tomorrow."
The Celtics trail idle Indiana by one game in the race for the
eighth playoff spot in the East. Boston has five games left, while
Indiana has seven.
Richard Hamilton scored 38 points for the Wizards, who have lost
four straight and seven of eight. Courtney Alexander added 21
points.
Hamilton scored six straight points early in the fourth quarter
as Washington moved out to its largest lead of the game at 88-81.
But consecutive 3-pointers by Herren helped Boston to a 99-96
advantage with 4:23 left.
Washington coach Leonard Hamilton said there has been a common
thread in each of the setbacks in the losing streak – and not just
the fact that the Wizards have lost a fourth-quarter lead.
"In each game, it seems as though each team has had somebody
who has stepped up and made some big plays on us. It hasn't always
been ... the superstar," he said.
Williams' 3-pointer with 2:24 left gave Boston a 102-98 lead.
The Wizards cut the lead on Hamilton's running jumper, but Jahidi
White missed a pair of free throws with 10.6 seconds left and
Hamilton's jumper at the buzzer was short.
"We're coming together as a team, but we have to find ways to
stay in the ballgame," said Washington's Laron Profit.
Hamilton had 20 first-half points, but Walker scored 11 of his
18 first-half points in the second quarter as Boston forged a
56-all tie at intermission.
Washington led 50-47 late in the second quarter before Walker
scored five straight points on a strong inside move and a 3-pointer
as the Celtics took a 52-50 lead.
Walker scored off a long lead pass to give Boston a 77-75 lead
late in the third quarter. But the Wizards outscored the Celtics
7-2 over the final 2:53 on a 3-pointer by Alexander, Hamilton's
baseline jumper and a layup by Popeye Jones.
Game notes
Wizards G Hubert Davis missed his sixth consecutive game
with a strained right hamstring. ... Boston leads the all-time
series between the teams, 152-86. ... Milt Palacio replaced the
injured guard Randy Brown (right adductor strain) in the Celtics'
lineup. The Celtics had started the same lineup for 21 straight
games. Brown is day-to-day. ... Profit's eight assists were a
career high. ... Boston's reserves outscored the Wizards' 35-10.
... The Celtics were only 15-for-27 from the foul line.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Boston Clubhouse
Washington Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 102
Washington 100
Detroit 97
Charlotte 92
Phoenix 102
Cleveland 98
Utah 116
Dallas 103
Houston 110
Atlanta 97
Denver 98
Vancouver 97
San Antonio 93
LA Clippers 83
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