NBA Europe Live report: Toronto 85-89 Boston
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In an all-NBA confrontation on the first night of NBA Europe Live presented by EA Sports, the Boston Celtics edged the Toronto Raptors 85-89 at Palalottomatica in Rome, Italy on Saturday. Paul Pierce bagged 21 points to lead the winners, who were playing for the first time with new players Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Garnett followed with 19 points while Eddie House added 14 and Allen 10. T.J. Ford led the Raptors with 15 points, while Rome native Andrea Bargnani added 13. Jose Manuel Calderon and Chris Bosh added 12 points apiece for Toronto, which will play again in the series against Real Madrid in the Spanish capital on October 11. Boston, meanwhile, faces the Minnesota Timberwolves in London, England on October 10.
Pierce opened the scoring from the foul line and Kendrick Perkins soon extended Boston's lead to 2-8. Palalottomatica exploded when Andrea Bargnani hit a three-pointer for Toronto, but Garnett answered by slamming the ball and adding a free throw as the Celtics led 5-11. Ray Allen and former Euroleague MVP Anthony Parker exchanged baskets while Jason Kapono, from downtown, gave Toronto its first lead in the game, 15-13. Ford nailed a triple to make it 20-13 before Eddie House put his side closer at 18-20. Garbaojsa, after a pick-and-pop play, hit a triple to push the Raptors ahead 25-20, to which Rasho Nesterovic added a mid-range jumper for a 27-20 scoreboard after 12 minutes.
 Another former Euroleague star, Carlos Delfino, pushed Toronto in front 29-20 early in the second quarter, before Calderon's three-point-play forged the first double-digit margin at 32-22. Garbajosa assisted Nesterovic to up Toronto's cushion to 34-22 but 5 consecutive points from House kept Boston alive. Garnett soon fed Perkins for a dunk to make it 38-31, so when Allen score from beyond the arc and Rajon Rondo added a short jumper, Boston was within 36-40. That set the stage for Pierce to complete the comeback with a drive to the rim for a 40-40 tie, but Boston wasn't done yet. Garnett dunked to give Boston the lead back and hit 1 of 2 free throws to leave the Celtics in front by 40-43 at halftime after a 6-21 run.
After the break, Bargnani's free throws put Toronto ahead again, by 47-45, but Garnett's three-point-playtook the lead back for the Celtics. Back and forth they went, as Ford hit from downtown to make it 52-50 Toronto and Garnett dunked for a new tie. Pierce started a personal show by posting three consecutive mid-range fadeaway jump shots for a 56-62 Boston advantage. Ford continued pacing Toronto with 4 points in a row at 61-65 late in the third quarter. Bosh tapped in a rebound and dunked in transition to keep Toronto close at 65-66. That allowed Ford to tie it up, 68-68, from beyond the arc while Ray Allen penetrated for a left-handed layup and a 68-70 Boston advantage after 36 minutes.
 House extended the Celtics advantage to 68-74 early in the fourth quarter, but was answered by Calderon, whose triple meant a 73-76 scoreboard. House remained on fire from mid-range and also stole to earn easy points in the open court and keep Boston ahead 75-81. Jamario Moon had a soft jumper to revive Toronto, but Leon Powe scored on a fastbreak layup at 77-84 for Boston. Joey Graham ketp Toronto in the game with a layup at 81-84 with 3 minutes left. A silky move by Glen Davis helped Boston, as did Juan Dixon's back-to-back baskets for the Raptors, making it 85-88 with 90 seconds left. Dixon missed the potential game-tying triple, letting Gabe Pruitt seal the win of Boston at the foul line.
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Saturday, October 06, 2007
Euroleague.net
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