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Sunday, Dec. 10 6:00pm ET
Pierce nails OT winner for Celtics

RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME FLOW

BOSTON (AP) -- Paul Pierce has another reason to call his comeback complete.

Paul Pierce
Boston's Paul Pierce attacks the basket -- and the Nuggets' Raef LaFrentz.
Pierce hit a jumper from the top of the key as time expired Sunday to lift the Boston Celtics to a 104-102 overtime win over the Denver Nuggets.

Two months ago, Pierce's life was in jeopardy after suffering multiple stab wounds at a Boston nightclub. After it was clear he would survive, his NBA future was uncertain for a brief period.

After missing the team's first three preseason games, he made a remarkably quick recovery and returned for Boston's home opener.

On Sunday night, he was beaming after nailing the game-winner.

"It felt good right away," a smiling Pierce said. "I felt like it was going to go in when I released it."

Kenny Anderson's one-handed runner from the right baseline gave Boston a 102-100 lead with 22 seconds left, but Nick Van Exel hit a jumper from the foul line with 6.8 seconds to go.

Boston didn't call a timeout. The Celtics rushed the ball up before Milt Palacio eventually passed it to Pierce, who let his shot fly as the buzzer sounded.

"I looked over to the bench to see if we were going to call timeout and Tony (Battie) inbounded the ball quickly," Pierce said. "I was just trailing the play. When I got the ball, I thought I was going to have to take a 3. I saw three seconds on the clock and dribbled it in before taking the shot."

Pierce led the Celtics with 28 points and Antoine Walker had 26 points and 11 rebounds. Anderson finished with 13 points.

Antonio McDyess led the Nuggets with 37 points and 18 rebounds. Voshon Lenard had 21 points.

"They executed the last play and our guys didn't get back as quick as they should," Denver coach Dan Issel said.

Walker agreed that the Nuggets may have been surprised.

"They stopped and thought we were going to call timeout," Walker said. "We kept going and Paul got a good look at a 15-footer."

In overtime, Boston pulled ahead 96-91 on Tony Battie's two free throws with 3:38 left, but McDyess had two turnaround jumpers and a key steal as Denver tied it at 97 with 1:28 to go.

Pierce and Lenard traded 3-pointers 23 seconds apart.

McDyess' two free throws gave the Nuggets an 88-83 advantage with 4:55 remaining in regulation. Boston scored eight of the game's next 11 points and tied it when Bryant Stith hit the second of two free throws with 44 seconds left.

After Stith's free throw, Denver's Raef LaFrentz missed a one-hander in the lane with 29 seconds left.

On the ensuing possession, Pierce missed a jumper before Denver's Tracy Murray missed a long jumper and the teams scrambled for the rebound as the horn sounded.

McDyess scored the Nuggets' final nine points in regulation.

The Celtics held a 56-50 edge at halftime.

Game notes
Van Exel was whistled for a technical foul in the first quarter. ... Boston activated Anderson before the game and placed Chris Carr on the injured list with a sprained left ankle. Anderson missed 16 games with a fractured jaw. ... Boston rookie forward Jerome Moiso had a crowd-pleasing reverse, two-hand slam midway into the second quarter.
ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard

Denver Clubhouse

Boston Clubhouse

RECAPS
Phoenix 95
Toronto 87

Boston 104
Denver 102

Dallas 99
New Jersey 73

Sacramento 101
Miami 97

LA Lakers 112
Detroit 88

FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT

Antoine Walker Official Site


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