NBA Roundup | Morrison's 26 power Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Adam Morrison was answering a reporter's question when someone turned on the locker-room television, showing that North Carolina had an early 10-point lead on his old school, Gonzaga.

"Oh no," Morrison said, stopping in mid-sentence. Raymond Felton, a North Carolina product, then started ribbing him.

It was the only time the two didn't work together all night Wednesday.

Morrison broke out of his shooting slump to score 26 points, and Felton added 16 points and nine assists while playing all 48 minutes as the Charlotte Bobcats held on to beat the Boston Celtics 92-83.

"We've been in every game and it's tough when you lose those games," Morrison said. "Hopefully we can play together like this and start hovering around .500."

Morrison's jumper with 2:11 left put Charlotte ahead 85-77. He then fed Emeka Okafor for a layup with 38 seconds left and made one free throw in the final minute to ice it, finishing one shy of his career high set last week against San Antonio.

Morrison, the No. 3 pick in the June draft, shot 8 of 17 after going 8 for 29 in the previous two games.

"There is going to be a transition point that people don't understand," said Morrison, whose ex-college team went on to beat the second-ranked Tar Heels 82-74. "My shooting percentage is not where I want it right now, but I'm taking good shots. I'm happy that the coaching staff and the players have stuck with me."

The Bobcats blew a 12-point first-quarter lead and a 10-point edge in the second quarter. After Charlotte went ahead 80-68 with 5:28 left, the Celtics scored nine straight points. But Matt Carroll and Morrison made back-to-back jumpers to help the Bobcats snap a two-game losing streak.

Paul Pierce had 28 points and 12 rebounds but got little help for the Celtics, who shot 40 percent and committed 19 turnovers.

Said Boston coach Doc Rivers: "This was an embarrassing effort on our part."

Notes

• Knicks coach Isiah Thomas sent G Steve Francis to the bench and replaced him in the starting lineup with G Jamal Crawford.

Thomas and Francis met after New York's loss to Houston on Monday, and they spoke again at the morning shoot-around. Francis agreed with the decision, according to Thomas.

"I totally get the sense from him that he's thought this through," Thomas said. "... He definitely sees himself fitting in in the way he thinks he can help us."

Francis and Crawford each had 19 points in the Knicks' loss to Minnesota on Wednesday.

• Milwaukee PG Mo Williams missed the Bucks' game with a bruised left elbow.

• Memphis Grizzlies rookie G Kyle Lowry will be out indefinitely after breaking his left wrist.