honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 4:53 p.m., Tuesday, October 14, 2008

NBA: Celtics beat Cavaliers 90-86 in preseason game

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH — Leon Powe scored 17 points, including the go-ahead basket with just over two minutes left, to lead the Boston Celtics to a 90-86 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in a preseason game tonight.

Powe's final points of the game put the Celtics ahead 85-84. Boston trailed 81-74 following an 8-0 Cleveland run early in the fourth quarter.

Ray Allen had 15 points in 23 minutes for the Celtics (3-1). Paul Pierce added 14 points and Kevin Garnett had 11 points and seven rebounds. Each of Boston's "Big Three" left the game for good midway through the third quarter.

Daniel Gibson led Cleveland with 14 points. LeBron James had 12 points, three rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes. Jawad Williams added 13 points and Zydrunas Ilgauskas had six rebounds.

Boston, which beat Cleveland in seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals last season, has won both meetings in the preseason. The Celtics beat the Cavaliers 96-94 last Friday in Providence, R.I.

The Celtics' Kendrick Perkins, making his preseason debut following offseason shoulder surgery, had five rebounds and four fouls in 21 minutes.

Cleveland took a 49-47 lead just before halftime on James' final basket of the game. The Cavaliers outscored the Celtics 28-17 in the second quarter behind nine points from Gibson.

Allen scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the first quarter to help Boston go up 30-21. The Celtics trailed 9-5 before a pair of free throws and a lay-up from Pierce sparked a 15-2 run.

Notes:

Cavaliers F/C Ben Wallace remained in Cleveland to receive treatment for lower back tightness. ...Cleveland G/F Sasha Pavlovic (right ankle sprain) participated in the morning shootaround, but did not play in Tuesday night's game. ...Cleveland coach Mike Brown said before the game there is no timetable for the return of G Delonte West, who hasn't played this preseason because of undisclosed personal reasons. ...Tuesday night's contest was the first NBA game played at the University of Pittsburgh's Petersen Events Center.