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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, December 18, 2009

NBA: Sixers snap Celtics’ 11-game streak with 98-97 win


By JIMMY GOLEN
AP Sports Writer

BOSTON — Elton Brand had 23 points and eight rebounds, giving Philadelphia the lead on a tip-in with 7.7 seconds left, and the 76ers snapped Boston’s 11-game win streak with a 98-97 victory over the Celtics on Friday night.

The Sixers had won only once in their previous 14 games.
Marreese Speights scored 17 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, but he missed a jumper in the closing seconds with a chance to give Philadelphia the lead. Brand tipped it in before Paul Pierce missed a jumper in the final seconds that would have put Boston ahead. Ray Allen was unable to get off a good shot after the rebound.
Andre Iguodala scored 18 points and Willie Green added 16 for Philadelphia.
Kevin Garnett had 21 points and 10 rebounds, Kendrick Perkins scored 12 points to go with 16 boards, Ray Allen scored 17 and Rajon Rondo had 13 points and 10 assists.
The 76ers were without newly acquired Allen Iverson, who has arthritis in his left knee and had it drained twice this week. And the Celtics played most of the game without Rasheed Wallace, who was ejected in the second quarter after drawing two technicals and having to be restrained by an assistant coach.
But even without him, Boston didn’t figure to face such a challenge from a team that had lost 12 in a row before beating Golden State on Monday. The Celtics hadn’t lost since Nov. 20 against Orlando and fell to 8-4 at home. Boston is 12-1 on the road.
The Celtics led by as many as 15 points, 59-44, early in the third quarter before Philadelphia scored 10 straight — six of them by Green. Boston led 73-67 with a minute left in the third before the Sixers cut it to two points, then made it a one-point game, 81-80, with 8:27 to play.
It was tied at 84 when Perkins fouled Brand with the shot clock winding down; he hit both free throws to give the Sixers their first lead since the opening minutes. The teams swapped leads, and Garnett was fouled going for an alley-oop with 23 seconds left, making the free throws to put Boston ahead 97-96.
Tony Allen had a season-high 10 points, all in the first half in his fifth game back from a right ankle injury. Brand scored 12 off the bench in the half, and Perkins had 13 boards by the break.
Wallace was ejected for the 30th time in his NBA career — the most for any player since 1992. He also has 10 technicals this season; 16 is an automatic suspension.
Wallace was complaining about calls, and when the technical was announced he moved menacingly toward referee Bill Kennedy before being held back by assistant coach Tom Thibodeau.
NOTES: The Celtics had a pregame ceremony to recognize Ray Allen’s 20,000th point, which came Dec. 10 against Washington. Garnett presented him with the official game ball. He’s the sixth player to reach the milestone as Celtic, and the 33rd in NBA history. ... Celtics fan Chris Miller, of nearby Quincy, made a half-court shot during a break to win $50,000.