RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
BOSTON (AP) -- Chauncey Billups is beginning to live up to the
expectations of a top draft pick.
Billups scored a game-high 29 points against his former team and
Kevin Garnett added 21 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Minnesota
Timberwolves to a 102-98 victory over the Celtics.
Billups was the No. 3 overall pick of the 1997 draft by Boston
and traded to Denver prior to the All-Star break in a deal that
brought Kenny Anderson to the Celtics. In his fourth season and
with his fourth team, Billups is playing like a top pick.
"Early on, he received a label and then the injuries hit, but
Chauncey's a terrific player," said Celtics swingman Bryant Stith,
a teammate of Billups' while with the Denver Nuggets. "He hit some
big shots tonight."
Billups and Szczerbiak accounted for Minnesota's first 13 points
of the fourth quarter, but Boston hung around and tied it at 80
with 7:39 left in the fourth on Antoine Walker's layup.
Billups put Minnesota ahead 94-90 on a jumper from just inside
the three-point arc, but Paul Pierce's tip-in cut it to 94-92. The
teams traded buckets and Garnett knocked down a 12-footer with 2:20
left to give the T-Wolves a four-point advantage.
"We made some key shots down the stretch," said Minnesota
coach Flip Saunders. "Kevin made some big buckets and big free
throws."
Terrell Brandon hit four free throws in the final 15 seconds to
put the game away for Minnesota.
"It's a tough loss," Pierce said. "We got ourselves back in
the game. I thought we played well enough on defense to win. We
just did a terrible job of taking care of the ball late in the
game."
Billups scored 10 third-quarter points to help give Minnesota a
74-69 lead at the end of the period. He finished three points shy
of his career high.
"We needed to win, desperately," Billups said. "It was even
better to come back to this building and play well. I'm more mature
now, but skill-wise there isn't much difference. But maturity in
this league is everything."
Pierce finished with 25 points and Tony Battie added a
season-high 19 points and 12 rebounds for Boston. Wally Szczerbiak
added 18 points for Minnesota.
Minnesota led nearly the entire first half. Boston cut the
deficit to 40-38 on Battie's jumper midway through the second
quarter. The Timberwolves closed the half with a 15-8 run that was
capped off by Terrell Brandon's 17-footer.
The victory was Minnesota's fifth straight against Boston and
its second in five games. The Celtics lost for the third time in
four games.
Game notes
Minnesota activated forward Tom Hammonds and placed Reggie
Slater on the injured list with tendinitis in his right knee. ....
Boston swingman Adrian Griffin (sore back) was eligible to come off
the injured list, but coach Rick Pitino said he won't be ready for
about another week. ... Garnett picked up his seventh technical of
the season early in the first quarter when he and Boston's Paul
Pierce picked up matching technicals for pushing each other. ...
Garnett has scored in double figures 226 straight games, the
longest active streak in the NBA.
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NBA Scoreboard
Minnesota Clubhouse
Boston Clubhouse
RECAPS
Philadelphia 95
Charlotte 74
Toronto 104
LA Clippers 95
Minnesota 102
Boston 98
Utah 94
Miami 92
Orlando 83
New Jersey 80
Detroit 103
Cleveland 93
New York 91
Chicago 86
Indiana 86
Vancouver 76
LA Lakers 109
San Antonio 100
Sacramento 105
Phoenix 98
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