WASHINGTON (AP) -The Washington Wizards rallied from a seven-point, fourth-quarter deficit and closed the game with a 15-4 run Saturday night for an 85-78 victory over the Boston Celtics
Both teams showed the aftereffects of tough games the night before. Boston, which has lost two of three, finished with 21 turnovers and had its lowest point total of the year.
The Wizards had 20 turnovers and made only 2 of 18 3-pointers, but they outrebounded the Celtics 49-30, made 27 of 30 free throws and had the fortitude when it mattered – in the fourth quarter.
Antonio Daniels made a 3-pointer with 1:51 remaining to give the Wizards a 75-74 lead, and Brendan Haywood forced the Celtics’ 20th turnover at the other end by getting his hands in the way of a bad pass by Kevin Garnett. DeShawn Stevenson took advantage by drawing a foul while attempting a 3-pointer as the shot clock was about to expire – and making all three free throws.
Stevenson led the Wizards with 19 points. Caron Butler had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Antawn Jamison survived a 4-for-15 shooting night to score 10 points while grabbing 16 rebounds.
Garnett scored 19 points to lead the Celtics, who played without point guard Rajon Rondo.
Pistons 103, Bobcats 100, OT
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – Richard Hamilton hit the go-ahead jumper and two clinching free throws in the final 17 seconds to lead Detroit.
Hamilton, who scored 26 points, hit a baseline jumper with 16.2 seconds left to put the Pistons ahead 101-100. After Emeka Okafor was called for basket interference at the other end, Hamilton hit two free throws with 0.2 seconds left to seal Detroit’s second straight win.
Chauncey Billups scored 27 points and Tayshaun Prince added 22 for the Pistons.
One night after losing in double-overtime to Cleveland, the Bobcats dressed only eight players and were without point guards Raymond Felton (ankle) and Jeff McInnis (thigh) and the emergency point guard, Derek Anderson (knee).
Gerald Wallace scored 26 points, Jason Richardson added 20 and Emeka Okafor had 19 points and 15 rebounds for the Bobcats. Nazr Mohammed added 19 points and 13 rebounds.
Spurs 105, Timberwolves 88
SAN ANTONIO (AP) – Manu Ginobili scored 22 points and Tony Parker had 21 to help San Antonio snap a two-game losing streak and get coach Gregg Popovich his 600th regular-season victory.
Tim Duncan added 15 points and nine rebounds for the Spurs.
Al Jefferson led the Timberwolves, who have the worst record in the Western Conference, with 24 points. Ryan Gomes added 21 points and nine rebounds and Rashad McCants scored 17 points.
The Timberwolves have now lost two in a row and nine of their last 10. They’ve dropped 14 straight on the road.
The Spurs trailed 45-44 at halftime before they took the lead for good with an 11-2 run in the run capped by a 3-pointer from Michael Finley.
Suns 122, Bucks 114
PHOENIX (AP) – Steve Nash scored 26 of his season-high 35 points in the second half and the Suns beat the Milwaukee Bucks in Phoenix for the 20th consecutive time.
Nash was 11-of-13 shooting, 4-of-5 of them 3s, in the final two quarters, showing no effect from the stomach flu that had kept him out of Thursday night’s loss in Utah. Amare Stoudemire had 31 points and Boris Diaw, starting while Grant Hill recovers from an appendectomy, had a season-best 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Andrew Bogut made 14-of-16 shots, all near the basket, for a career-best 29 points to lead the Bucks. Michael Redd added 18 points but on 5-of-16 shooting in his first start in six games.
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