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Originally published Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 12:00 AM

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NBA Roundup | Raptors too hot to stop

Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers looked at the boxscore and shook his head at the shooting percentages Toronto had just compiled. "Fifty-eight percent [from the...

AP Sports Writer

BOSTON — Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers looked at the boxscore and shook his head at the shooting percentages Toronto had just compiled.

"Fifty-eight percent [from the floor]; 71 percent from the three; 100 percent from the foul line. At least the foul line wasn't guarded," Rivers said after the Raptors made 15 of 21 three-point attempts to beat Boston 114-112 on Wednesday night.

"Half the guys in our league couldn't shoot 15 for 21 if they were in a gym by themselves," he said. "It was almost like we didn't believe they would shoot another one."

Jose Calderon converted a go-ahead, three-point play with 10.5 seconds left and finished with 24 points and 13 assists. Chris Bosh and Anthony Parker scored 23 points apiece and Andrea Bargnani had 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Raptors.

Kevin Garnett scored 26 for Boston, which had won three in a row and hadn't lost to an Atlantic Division rival in 10 tries this season. Paul Pierce had 19 points and nine assists, and Ray Allen also scored 19 for Boston, which still holds an 11-game lead over second-place Toronto in the division.

"It was really important to beat them — so we could see if we could," Calderon said. "We knew how to play them after already playing them three times."

Carlos Delfino was 5 for 5 from three-point range. Calderon was 4 of 6, but the key basket was a traditional three-point play after he took the inbounds pass and circled around the lane to drive for a layup over Pierce.

"We knew they wouldn't leave Chris," Raptors coach Sam Mitchell said. "So I changed the play I drew up, and Jose was able to turn the corner."

Calderon drew the foul and sank the free throw, giving the Celtics the ball with 10.5 seconds left.

They went for the win, working the ball around to Eddie House for a three-point attempt from the right side. He missed, and Allen got the rebound to the right of the lane near the baseline; he triple-pumped, getting off a clean shot but a high-arcing one that bounced off the rim and out.

Toronto (23-19) won for the sixth time in eight games, improving to 1-3 against Boston (33-7). It was just the fifth time this season the Celtics had allowed more than 100 points in a game.

Note

• After griping about each other through the media earlier this week, Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy and owner Donald Sterling spoke on the telephone Wednesday and apparently patched things up.

"Everything's good," Dunleavy said before the Clippers played Sacramento. "I had a good conversation with [Sterling] today, and overall I think I made him feel comfortable and he made me feel comfortable. Anyway, it's all good and we're going forward."

Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company

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