Final
Garnett hits game-winner, Celtics top Warriors
Mar 15, 2012 - 7:27 AM Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Kevin Garnett hit the eventual game-winning jumper with 6.6 seconds remaining, lifting the Celtics over the Warriors, 105-103 at Oracle Arena.Garnett broke a 103-103 tie with a 19-footer as the shot clock was winding down, and the Celtics improved to 2-1 on their eight-game road trip after Nate Robinson missed a potential go-ahead three-pointer at the other end.
The basket gave Garnett 24 points to lead Boston, which got 22 points from Brandon Bass and 15 apiece from Paul Pierce and Mickael Pietrus.
Klay Thompson, in his second straight start since the trade of Monta Ellis, scored a career-high 26 points for Golden State. David Lee and Robinson chipped in 22 and 20 points, respectively, as the hosts had their three- game win streak snapped.
The Warriors, playing their first home game since a surprising Tuesday deal sent Ellis, forward Ekpe Udoh and center Kwame Brown to Milwaukee for Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson, had a chance to take their first fourth-quarter lead with Brandon Rush at the foul line.
Rush, though, went 1-for-2 at the stripe to tie the game at 95-all with 4:21 remaining. Boston scored eight of the next 10 points to pull ahead, but Golden State responded with six straight to pull even again.
Robinson tied it with a drive to the basket with 30 seconds on the clock.
On the next possession, Pierce, who missed a fall-away jumper from the right elbow prior to Robinson's tying bucket, drew a double team in the lane before kicking it back out the Garnett for the go-ahead jumper.
Robinson rose from behind the arc quickly off the halfcourt inbounds pass and was short on the attempt to send the home fans quietly to the exits.
"We were going for all the marbles," Warriors head coach Mark Jackson said of the final possession. "Got a good look. The play wasn't for Nate [Robinson], but we had shooters on the floor so we were fine with whatever the opening was."
The Warriors controlled the paint early on, scoring 20 of their 25 first- quarter points on the inside en route to a four-point lead.
A high-scoring seesaw battle in the second ended with Golden State holding a 60-55 advantage.
After their 35-point quarter, the Warriors were held to 17 in the third. Greg Stiemsma's putback slam in the closing seconds gave the Celtics an 81-77 advantage heading to the final 12 minutes.
"We didn't play a lick of defense tonight, but we played defense when it mattered," said Pierce.
Game Notes
Before the game, the Celtics announced forward Chris Wilcox will miss the rest of the season because of an aortic abnormality. He will have surgery later this month after a recent scan showed a significant enlargement of his aorta...Rajon Rondo finished with 14 assists to go with eight points for Boston...Boston's Ray Allen, who was nursing an ankle injury, scored just seven points on 2-of-7 shooting...The Warriors won the battle in the paint, 60-42...There were 13 lead changes and 14 ties...The Warriors host Ellis and the Bucks on Friday.
- BOSTON: 105
GOLDEN STATE: 103
Final
Mar 15 12:55 AM - BOSTON: 81
GOLDEN STATE: 77
End of 3rd
Mar 15 12:20 AM - BOSTON: 55
GOLDEN STATE: 60
Halftime
Mar 14 11:39 PM - BOSTON: 21
GOLDEN STATE: 25
End of 1st
Mar 14 11:06 PM - BOSTON: 0
GOLDEN STATE: 0
1st Quarter - 12:00
Mar 14 10:42 PM
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