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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- To Vancouver Grizzlies coach
Sidney Lowe, the same fans who may soon be without a home team were
the biggest factor in their comeback 99-98 win over the Boston
Celtics.
With Mike Bibby scoring 11 of his 25 points in the fourth
quarter Tuesday night, the Grizzlies closed the game on a 17-5 run
to win for only the third time in 14 contests.
Antoine Walker scored 27 for Boston, which opened a seven-game
road trip.
The game was played before a crowd announced at 11,735, which
was subdued until the Grizzlies opened the second half with a 9-2
run which got them back in the contest. It was the first game since
NBA commissioner David Stern gave Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley
permission to seek a new home for his struggling franchise.
Several fans brought signs expressing their anger toward
Heisley, who was not in attendance.
The crowd, Lowe said, played a factor down the stretch.
"It was the key to our guys having the energy down the
stretch," said Lowe, whose club trailed 95-90 with 2:22 left but
only allowed a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer the rest of the
way. "I've got to be honest, it surprised me. I didn't know what
kind of reaction we would get. It really said a lot. They stepped
up the way we talk about players stepping up. It was noticed."
What was also evident were the kind of hustle plays the
Grizzlies had largely avoided making in crucial situations. Bryant
Reeves, who played a factor with 24 points and 12 rebounds, called
a key timeout with Vancouver leading 96-95, enabling the Grizzlies
to retain possession after a scramble.
Grant Long also hustled to gain a jump-ball situation, which he
won with 15.8 seconds left.
"To me the star of the game was Long," said Boston coach Jim
O'Brien. "They tried to put him on anyone who was going to isolate
and he did a terrific job on Antoine and Paul (Pierce)."
"They've been supportive of us for five years and they'll
support us as long as we're here," Long said of the Vancouver
crowd. "The fans that are here aren't as knowledgeable, but they
do support us."
"I didn't think anybody was going to show up," said
Vancouver's Shareef Abdur-Rahim. "There's a whole other side about
things as far as the team moving out of Canada. People don't think
about the fans who have grown and supported the team, or the people
who will lose their jobs who need that income. It's bigger than us
running up and down the court. The compassionate part of it is
forgotten."
Pierce scored 25 for the Celtics, who led by as many as 12
points early in the fourth quarter, before fouling out with 1:04
left.
Game notes
Bibby's outburst was his fourth 20-plus point effort in his
last five games... Reeves continued to feast on the absence of a
dominant Boston center. He scored 41 points against the Celtics on
Jan. 15, 1988 which still stands as the Grizzlies franchise record.
... Boston continues its marathon trip Thursday in Seattle. ...
Grizzlies president Dick Versace denied Heisley had planned all
along to move his team. "I can honestly say that there was never
any subterfuge involved or any pre-plan," Versace said in response
to widespread criticism in Vancouver that Heisley made no attempt
to salvage the Grizzlies' economic plight. Versace also said the
state of basketball in Canada is no better with the Toronto Raptors
than it is in Vancouver "Toronto is one year away from being where
we are, based on whether Vince Carter stays or not."
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Boston Clubhouse
Vancouver Clubhouse
RECAPS
Charlotte 77
Indiana 66
Toronto 120
Cleveland 105
Miami 101
LA Clippers 99
LA Lakers 113
New Jersey 110
Philadelphia 107
Milwaukee 104
Sacramento 97
Utah 94
Chicago 96
Atlanta 92
Houston 99
Washington 89
San Antonio 104
Dallas 92
Denver 96
New York 77
Portland 109
Minnesota 88
Vancouver 99
Boston 98
Phoenix 93
Golden State 83
FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
Antoine Walker Official Site
Mike Bibby Official Site
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