The champ reveals secret of success

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - As is his wont everytime he comes home from a victorious fight, Pacquiao went to the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene (Quiapo) Church, arriving late for the 9 a.m. Mass.

Manny Pacquiao?s arrival drew more worshipers to the church. The crowd inside the basilica reached at least 1,500 for the Mass celebrated by Fr. Jack Padua.

Bernard Enrique, 52, of Pasig City, was late for the 6 a.m. Mass that he and his wife usually attend and decided to stay for the 9 a.m. Mass.

?I only found out he (Pacquiao) was coming when I saw the media. I asked around and was told he was attending Mass today," Enrique said, regretting not bringing a camera or a phone with a camera.

After the Mass, Pacquiao took the lector?s stand and preached to the Mass-goers about the importance of faith.

?I only dreamed of being the (boxing) champion in the Philippines. I had many setbacks but I continued to pray," he said.

?We should be close to God. The way we seek to be close to our family, the way we struggle for ourselves, we should be that close to God. We rarely tell God we love Him, not as much as we say ?I love you? to our loved ones," Pacquiao said.

?That is the secret of Manny Pacquiao. God always comes first in my life ... I hope that each victory I achieve serves as an inspiration and dream to you," he said.

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SC may allow live coverage of massacre trial

MANILA, Philippines - There is a possibility that the Supreme Court will allow the live coverage of the Maguindanao massacre case, SC spokesman Jose Midas Marquez said Sunday.

In an interview with radio dzMM, he said: “May posibilidad… Ang inihain ng [National Union of Journalists of the Philippines] nung Friday ay magandang oportunidad para ma-review and doktrina na ibinaba 9 years ago (There is a possibility. The NUJP petition is a good opportunity for a reversal of the decision issued 9 years ago.)”

Marquez, who is also Court Administrator, is referring to the SC decision in 2001 wherein it banned the television coverage of the plunder trial against former President Joseph Estrada before the Sandiganbayan.

Nine of 15 magistrates voiced out concerns that a live coverage of the plunder trial may jeopardize the rights of the accused.

On Friday, the NUJP formalized its petition before the SC, saying it is about time to give weight to the public’s right to information.

Marquez noted that most of the 9 magistrates who came out with the present jurisdiction have already retired.

Weighing the repercussions

He noted, however, that the current composition of the full court will have to weigh the pros and cons of opening the case for live coverage.

“Nandiyan pa rin yung karapatan ng akusado…that he should not be subjected to a trial by publicity (The right of the accused is still there.),” he said.

Another concern is the authenticity of the testimony of 1 witness, which may be affected by the testimony of another.

“Kapag live coverage, napapanood sa national TV…pati ng mga bata. Napakaselan nito para sa kanila. Lalo na may mga testimoniya ang mga witnesses describing the incident (Children may get to watch the case, it’s a very sensitive issue),” he noted.

Right to information is paramount

In a separate phone interview with www.abs-cbnnews.com, NUJP chairman Nestor Burgos said “there are always some trade-offs…but the right to information has more weight.”

He noted the NUJP is willing to accept restrictions.

“For example, there may just be one camera [for all to use], it will be a stationary camera,” he said. This is to ensure that several testimonies will not unduly hurt the sensitivities of the public.

The NUJP is now preparing for a nationwide commemoration of the November 23 incident, which claimed the lives of 57 civilians, including journalists.

The NUJP came out with 5 television commercials produced by volunteer experts reminding the public of the worst massacre case in the Philippines. A video shows the families of the victims.

“We hope that networks will air these for free as part of their public service,” Burgos said.

The group is also hoping that the print industry and other publications will come out with editorials commemorating the incident.

Compromise

To weigh the “competing values,” the SC may invite “friends of the court” or amici curiae, Marquez said.

“Maraming competing values na dapat ibalanse…On one hand, pinag-uusapan din natin ang transparency, right to information, freedom of the press,” he said.

He said the NUJP petition may be included in the en banc session on Tuesday. This will be the first session for the magistrates after coming from a break.

He clarified the live coverage may not help to hasten the resolution case.

“It’s more of the right of many…that they will be able to monitor what is happening. That the court is not taking one side,” he said.

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Hornets trade Stojakovic to Raptors

NEW YORK (AP) -- The New Orleans Hornets sent Peja Stojakovic to Toronto on Saturday in exchange for guard Jarrett Jack as part of a five-player trade.

New Orleans also received center David Andersen and guard Marcus Banks, while guard Jerryd Bayless, acquired by New Orleans from Portland less than a month ago, will go to Toronto.

New Orleans, which missed the playoffs last season, is off to a 10-1 start with three-time All-Star Chris Paul healthy and playing well. Yet the surprisingly strong start wasn't bound to dissuade general manager Dell Demps from making moves aimed at finding the depth to keep the Hornets' point guard as fresh as possible throughout the season.

Stojakovic entered the season saying he understood he could be traded because of his expiring $15.3 million contract.

His odds of being shipped out only rose when he lost his starting job this season to Marco Belinelli, who was acquired in an offseason trade and is currently New Orleans' third-leading scorer, averaging 12.7 points.

Stojakovic, 33, was inactive for several games earlier this season but has seen more action in the past week. He has played in six of the Hornets' 11 games, averaging 7.5 points.

Known for his accurate shooting from behind the 3-point line, Stojakovic has averaged 17.3 during his 12-year career. Returning from back surgery in 2007-08, he was a key contributor when the Hornets won a franchise-record 56 games, earned their first division title and came within a game of advancing to the Western Conference finals.

However, he has been injured more frequently the past two seasons, raising concerns about his durability as he moves toward the twilight of his career.

"Peja has been a valued contributor as a Hornet for years and we wish both Peja and Jerryd all the best in their future and thank them for their recent contributions in helping us get off to a strong start," Demps said in a statement.

The 27-year-old Jack has started 13 games for the Raptors this season, 10.8 points, 4.5 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 27 minutes per game. At 6-foot-3, he is a combination guard who could back up Paul at the point and also play shooting guard.

His contract runs through the 2012-13 season and pays him more than $5 million each of the next two seasons.

The Hornets hoped Bayless, a former first-round draft choice, would emerge as Paul's primary backup. His play was sporadic, however. He has averaged 4.5 points and 2.5 assists in 13.5 minutes, with his best performance coming against the Los Angeles Clippers when he had 15 points and nine assists.

Andersen, a 6-11 Australian, has averaged 5.1 points and 3.1 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per game with Toronto.

Banks has had trouble cracking the regular rotation in Toronto, getting into only three games and averaging 2 points.

Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Who will be the final Eastern playoff teams?

Roy Hibbert and the Pacers are, so far, on track to earn an East playoff spot. (Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)

Before the season, most folks divided the the Eastern Conference into two broad tiers: six playoff locks (Miami, Boston, Orlando, Atlanta, Chicago and Milwaukee) and nine teams slap-fighting for the bottom two playoff spots. I was secretly hoping that one of those bottom nine teams would get off to a fast start and tweak this narrative a bit.

Nope.

Through Friday, none of the presumed bottom nine were over .500, and seven of the nine took up the last seven spots in the conference standings.

There is a school of thought that making the playoffs and losing in the first round is a good thing, that it gives young players valuable exposure to a more intense NBA atmosphere, and that it creates loyalty among fans. I’m not convinced on either of those counts, but let’s pretend for now that all of these teams (and their fans) really want to make the playoffs.

Are any of them ready to stand up and make the 1-8 and 2-7 series interesting for at least a quarter or two? Probably not. And though predicting teams’ postseason potential this early is a crapshoot, we’ve decided to give it a shot anyway. So, based on both numbers and all the game-watching that goes on at The Point Forward’s headquarters, here are the leading candidates for those last two playoffs spots in the East.

(All stats and records are through Nov. 19.)

1. Indiana Pacers (5-5)

If there’s a team among this group that is quietly interesting, this is the one. They’ve gone 5-5 against a pretty decent schedule, which is why various power rankings have the Pacers well above their fellow Eastern Conference also-rans. They’re the only team among this group that ranks in the top half of the league in both points scored and allowed per possession, they’re protecting the defensive glass and they’re running more conventional half-court plays (pick-and-rolls and post-ups) instead of sprinting down the floor like banshees. That’s good for center Roy Hibbert, which is probably good for Indy’s overall offensive health.

One potential landmine: The team’s decent offense is based entirely on good shooting, particularly its 39 percent mark from three-point range. Indiana ranks near the bottom in turnovers, offensive rebounding and free-throw attempts. If the shots start clanking, can the Pacers still score enough to win?

2. Charlotte Bobcats (4-8)

Your incumbent seventh seed, and still the only team here I’d put money on to make the playoffs. The Bobcats are just 4-8, but you know a hardscrabble Larry Brown team is going to finish better than it starts. The Bobcats are the same lousy offensive outfit they were last season, and that’s not likely to change. What is new, though, is Charlotte is middling on defense after leading the league last season in points allowed per possession. Like the Lakers, the Bobcats last season managed to both hold opponents to an extremely low three-point percentage and avoid fouling. They also forced turnovers more often than all but two teams.

Each of those trends has regressed to the mean this season, especially enemy long-range shooting. Opponents have hit 37 percent from deep. Expect that number to come down — and expect Charlotte’s defense to find its stinginess again.

3. New York Knicks (5-8)

Why are the Knicks No. 3? Because the math says they almost have to start shooting better from three-point range, where they have hit only 33 percent. They were bad from deep last year, too, but they weren’t this bad, and Danilo Gallinari especially is due to start shooting more like himself and less like Wilson Chandler.

They’ve also been unusually brick-tastic on long twos. The Knicks have made just 33.8 percent of their long two-point jumpers, the worst mark in the league. That should improve, and any nudge upward in long-range shooting will be more than enough to offset a coming cold streak on shots at the rim; the Knicks have hit 68 percent of those, and that won’t last.

The Knicks have the profile of an average team once you remove their early struggles from long range. They’re finishing well at the rim and drawing a lot more fouls than they did last season. Average would be plenty good enough to beat out most of this group.

4. New Jersey Nets (4-8)

I sort of like this team. I like that it’s been mildly competitive despite missing Troy Murphy and Terrence Williams for stretches, and despite Brook Lopez’s awful start. Lopez’s slow start is a big reason why the Nets are dead last in both shooting percentage on shots at the rim and made baskets per game on such shots. Both numbers will come up, and New Jersey’s offense, its weakest link, will improve when they do.

The Nets have improved on last year’s miserable three-point shooting, and that should hold up, even as Travis Outlaw’s three-point percentage gradually comes down from its current perch at 47 percent. Devin Harris is healthy and has rediscovered his shooting stroke, and this team is defending so much better. Don’t be totally shocked if the Nets snag a playoff spot.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers (5-6)

Apologies to Cleveland fans, since the Cavs have the second-best record among this group, but their schedule has just been too soft for me to read much into it. This team is fun to watch, and it isn’t doing anything particularly poorly — or particularly well — so far. There’s nothing here that appears unsustainable, in either direction.

And that’s the problem, because there’s no place I can point to and say, “The Cavs are due to get better at this!” as they get deeper into a much thornier section of their schedule (which started with Friday’s loss at New Orleans).

Understand: This team isn’t bad. Not nearly as bad as many expected it to be without LeBron James. Daniel Gibson has looked better at point guard than anticipated, J.J. Hickson is working hard and Anderson Varejao is never going to stop working hard. The Cavs have hung in despite the fact that their ostensible go-to guy (Mo Williams) has missed half their games.

But I just can’t see this team scoring enough to beat enough good teams.

6. Philadelphia 76ers (3-10)

Why is Philadelphia here? There’s really no good reason, other than the abject awfulness of the three teams below it. The Sixers are 3-10, they have no viable center, they can’t score and there’s at least a chance their best all-around player (Andre Iguodala) gets dealt by the February trade deadline.

But they’re the only team in this group other than the Pacers ranked above the league average in defensive efficiency, and that should count for something. They’re forcing misses, and they are cleaning up the defensive glass; only seven teams have grabbed a higher percentage of defensive rebounds. Those are fundamentally good things.

Elton Brand looks good (if not as good as he looked 10 days ago), Jrue Holiday is developing into a stud and my unreasonable affection for Thaddeus Young’s weird game continues to make me like the Sixers more than I probably should. Their defense and small lineups should be enough to win some games against teams that don’t feel like dealing with them in February.

On the other hand, opponents have hit just 29.9 percent of their threes, and when that number starts to come up, the 76ers could be in trouble.

7. Detroit Pistons (4-8)

A total mess for reasons everyone knows — the split among the older and younger guys, and weekly clashes between coach John Kuester and one of their key players. A lack of size prevents the Pistons from doing anything good in the paint, on either end of the court. Even their once-elite offensive rebounding has fallen below league average; Ben Wallace can’t crash the boards by himself, and Detroit feels the absence of Jonas Jerebko in this area.

The scary thing for the Pistons: They are winning the three-point battle by a huge margin, and that doesn’t figure to last. Only the Sixers and Jazz have held opponents to a lower shooting percentage from deep, and only three teams have outshot Detroit from long range. That differential won’t hold up. An optimist would say the same about Detroit’s bad rebounding and lack of interior scoring, but I don’t see the personnel on hand to flip those trends.

8. Toronto Raptors (4-9)

Maybe the weirdest team in the league so far, but not one I can see making a realistic run at the playoffs. The Raptors were a good three-point shooting team last year; now they’re ranked 28th, at 29.9 percent. They used to be careful with the ball; now they turn it over a lot. They ranked 24th in offensive rebounding last season; they’re in the top five this season behind Reggie Evans, perhaps the most bizarre player in the league. They lost Chris Bosh and they’re somehow getting to the foul line more often.

Good luck figuring out which of these extremes is for real and which will reverse itself as the season goes on. It might not even matter, to be honest.

The one trend that makes complete sense: Teams are shredding the Raptors inside, shooting a high percentage on shots within 10 feet and forcing Toronto to foul often. In possibly related news: Andrea Bargnani is the Raptors’ starting center.

9) Washington Wizards (4-7)

The optimist sees a team shooting at a league-average rate and wonders if the Wiz might be able to leap a bunch of these other teams if they can just figure out how to stop turning the ball over and get to the foul line once in a while. John Wall’s continued growth should help in both of those areas, right? And JaVale McGee will get better, and the team will figure out how to use Gilbert Arenas, and Yi Jianlian might finally pan out, and Andray Blatche is a beast in 30 games per season. And so on.

But you see this team do things on defense every night that would shame even last season’s Raptors. There is just too much chaos here, too much youth and too many guys who alternate too often between caring about the team and caring about themselves.

The Wizards might very well finish ahead of some teams on this list. They clearly have a brighter future than many of them. But no team would surprise me more by making the playoffs.

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Paul-led Hornets trip Kings, roll to NBA-best 11-1

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- David West had 17 points, and Trevor Ariza added 16 to help the New Orleans Hornets improve to 11-1 with a 75-71 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

The Hornets have won three straight to match San Antonio for the best record in the NBA.

Donte Greene had 15 points and 10 rebounds for Sacramento. The Kings have dropped nine of 10 games since opening the season 3-1.

The Hornets completed a trade Saturday that sent Peja Stojakovic and Jerryd Bayless to Toronto for point guard Jarrett Jack, center David Andersen and guard Marcus Banks. The three new players are expected to join the Hornets on Monday night in Los Angeles for a game against the Clippers.

Marco Belinelli scored 12 points, and Chris Paul had 14 assists for the Hornets, who shot 32 percent and had a season-low point total. Paul shot 2 of 12 and scored nine points.

Luther Head had 11 points for the Kings, and Tyreke Evans was limited to nine.

Kings rookie center DeMarcus Cousins had a three-point play to cut the Hornets' lead to two points with 32 seconds left, but Belinelli made two free throws with 6.4 seconds left to extend New Orleans' lead to 75-71.

After New Orleans failed to score for 3 1/2 minutes, Ariza connected on a 3-pointer to put the Hornets in front 69-68 with 3:23 left. After another scoring drought, West made consecutive jumpers to give New Orleans a 73-68 advantage with 1:24 remaining.

After the Hornets went ahead 66-64, the Kings answered when Cousins dunked off a fast break and Evans scored on a drive for a 68-66 lead with 4:37 remaining.

Despite shooting 30 percent and having a season-low point total for a half, the Hornets went into intermission tied at 39, thanks to Ariza's 3-pointer at the buzzer. Ariza had nine first-half points.

NOTES: New Orleans opened the game by missing 14 of 17 shots and finished 6 of 24 in the first quarter. ... Jack and Hornets coach Monty Williams were together in Portland for three seasons when Williams was an assistant.

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Iverson has two points in Turkish league debut

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Allen Iverson scored two points in his Turkish league debut for Besiktas Cola Turka in a 74-67 defeat to defending champion Fenerbahce Ulker on Sunday.

Iverson missed three shots in the first quarter and was taken off with less than a minute left. He returned at the beginning of the second half, but did not score until late in the third. He then returned to the bench for the rest of the game.

Besiktas trailed 40-35 at half time and rallied to tie the score 53-all going into the fourth quarter, but Fenerbahce regained control to maintain its perfect league record.

It was Besiktas' second loss in a week after a 94-91 defeat to Hemofarm Stada in the European Cup on Tuesday, when Iverson scored 15 points on his debut with the team.

Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Amar'e, Knicks get past Clippers

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The New York Knicks were sorry to leave California, though happy to get away from Blake Griffin.

The Los Angeles Clippers ' talented rookie had career highs of 44 points and seven assists while pulling down 15 rebounds. But Amare Stoudemire had 39 points and 11 rebounds, Danilo Gallinari scored 17 of his career high-tying 31 points in the fourth quarter, and the Knicks completed a three-game California sweep with a 124-115 victory on Saturday night against the team with the NBA's worst record.

"Athletically, I think we saw probably the best you can be - from both teams," Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said. "Griffin had some dunks that you don't see very often. But we had Amare, Danilo and Raymond (Felton), and that was a little bit too much. Everybody contributed something, and that's how it has to be."

Felton had 20 points, one night after scoring a career-high 35 against the Warriors. Wilson Chandler, the first player off the Knicks' bench, scored 10 points before fouling out with 3:37 left.

With center Chris Kaman missing his sixth straight game with a sprained left knee and point guard Baron Davis sidelined for the 10th time in 11 games with a swollen left knee, the Clippers were unable to contain Stoudemire and Felton.

But Griffin gave the crowd of 18,325 something worth remembering with 5:40 left in the third quarter - an in-your-face posterizing of Russian rookie Timofey Mozgov on a driving slam dunk in which Griffin balanced himself by putting his left hand on the right side of Mozgov's face in the air. The first overall pick in the 2009 draft completed the three-point play after Mozgov's face was called for a foul.

"Randy (Foye) passed the ball to me at the right time and Mozgov kind of helped me get up a little bit once I got on top of him," Griffin said. "I just tried to throw it in because I knew I couldn't get it to the rim."

The play created a buzz that carried into the Knicks' dressing room.

"That was actually incredible," Stoudemire said. "That was a play that definitely sparked the crowd and sparked us. We weren't expecting that. I've had a few of those in my career, so I can understand the feeling he's going through right now. I've been in those shoes before.

"I remember when Blake was in college and he attended my skills academy camp. I definitely saw a lot of me in him then," Stoudemire said. "He's playing well for a rookie. This is his breakout game, and he's going to be very good."

The Knicks, who ended a six-game losing streak with consecutive road wins over the Kings and Warriors, won three games in California on the same trip for the first time. The Golden State has had at least three NBA teams since the 1978-79 season, when the Buffalo Braves moved to San Diego and were renamed the Clippers.

"The Warriors beat us in New York, so we knew that was going to be a tough game for us," Stoudemire said. "We've lost to some other teams that were in the same categories as those three teams, so we knew this trip was going to be a challenge for us regardless. And we wanted to make sure we set a tone early."

Stoudemire, who signed a five-year contract worth nearly $100 million in July after leaving the Phoenix Suns as a free agent, is averaging 26.9 points over his last seven games. The transition hasn't been easy for the five-time All-Star, who publicly questioned his teammates' heart following a home loss to Houston last Sunday.

"This was a fun game to play in, especially because of the fact that we won. It was like a video game," Stoudemire said. "There were very exciting plays on the court, but the positive from this is that we're on a three-game winning streak and our chemistry's now starting to come together. We showed how good we can be and what it takes to win, and we're showing winning qualities. We've just got to keep it going."

Eric Gordon had 25 points for the Clippers (1-13), off to their worst start since opening the lockout-delayed 1999 season 0-17. They have dropped nine in a row under new coach Vinny Del Negro since beating Oklahoma City 107-92 - the team's longest skid since a 12-game drought two seasons ago.

The Knicks, who lost their first 10 games against the Clippers at Staples Center before ending that drought with a 113-107 win last April, led by as many as 14 midway through the third. The Clippers got as close as 113-108 on a spinning dunk by Griffin around Gallinari, but the Knicks pulled away again.

"I was just trying to help the team at a moment where the team needed me to help them," Gallinari said. "The fourth quarter is the most important part of the game, especially when you're playing a tight game. I was trying to read the defense and their defense was giving me that shot, so I was taking it."

There was an enormous disparity at the foul line during the first 21 minutes. The Knicks were 14 for 16 at that point, while the Clippers' only free throw came on a three-point play by Gordon with 8:38 left in the second quarter. That imbalance, plus 13 turnovers by Los Angeles, helped the Knicks take a 58-53 halftime lead.

New York finished 43 for 51 on free throws and the Clippers were 22 for 29.

"We were smart and were using our experience to read the defense and get to the foul line, and we did a good job of it," Gallinari said. "We have a lot of talent and a lot of experience. We were trying to play our game. Raymond was controlling things, and we were following him and following Amare."

NOTES: The Knicks began this four-game trip with a loss at Denver. ... None of the teams the Knicks have beaten - Toronto, Chicago, Washington, Sacramento, Golden State and the Clippers - finished above .500 last season. Their combined record was 187-305. ... The Knicks have had nine straight losing seasons since going 48-34 in 2000-01. The only franchises with longer streaks that didn't include the lockout-shortened '99 campaign were the Kansas City- Sacramento Kings (15) and the San Diego-L.A. Clippers (12).

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Penny considers comeback

10:38 AM ET 11.21 | Anfernee Hardaway is caught in the middle and wants to get out. He should be completing a brilliant NBA career but bad knees robbed him of that opportunity. He sits courtside at FedEx Forum in Memphis Nov. 13, a local icon, watching former teammate Shaquille O'Neal dunk and bull his way to 14 first-half points for the Celtics against the overwhelmed Grizzlies. And he wonders, "Why couldn't I have finished my career in grace?" Hardaway wants a chance to do that. At 39, he still feels he can contribute to a winning team. He believes he has enough skills left to come off the bench for spurts and enough experience to serve as a leader. "It's not about money," he said. "I saved my money, have all the money that I want. God has blessed me with that. It's really just the love of the game."

Boston Globe

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Raptors beat Celtics on Johnson FTs with 2.7 left

TORONTO (AP) -- The Boston Celtics are playing tough defense, as usual. Just not for the entire game, and it's costing them.

Amir Johnson made two free throws with 2.7 seconds left, Andrea Bargnani scored 29 points and the Toronto Raptors snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Celtics with a 102-101 victory Sunday.

Paul Pierce's shot bounced off the rim as the buzzer sounded, giving Toronto its first victory against Boston since a 114-112 road win on Jan. 23, 2008.

Boston, which lost 89-84 at home to Oklahoma City on Friday, suffered consecutive defeats for the first time this season.

"We can't just show up. We've got to play some D," a frustrated Kevin Garnett said. "These teams we're playing against are very high-caliber offense teams. We know what they are. On paper they might not be whatever but as far as talent, this league has a lot of talent and you've got to respect that."

Johnson had 17 points and 11 rebounds, Sonny Weems scored 16, Leandro Barbosa had 12 and Jose Calderon 11 for the Raptors, who have won a season-high three straight. Reggie Evans finished with 16 rebounds and a season-high nine points.

Toronto made 30 of 39 free-throw attempts.

Nate Robinson led Boston with a season-high 22 points, Pierce and Ray Allen each had 19 and Garnett and Glenn Davis both scored 12.

Pierce said Boston lacked the proper focus in the losses against the Thunder and Raptors.

"I know we're a better team than those two teams, I know we are," he said. "It's just mentally coming out and having the right mindset. I don't think we have the right mindset coming into these games against opponents that we're supposed to beat."

Toronto had won just one of its previous 12 against Boston, including six straight losses at home, but turned this one around with a 38-point second quarter, the biggest output by a Celtics opponent in any quarter this season.

"We may be the worst second quarter team in all of basketball," Pierce said. "We come out, get these leads and then we give them right away in the second quarter. We've got to do a better job and be more consistent throughout the game, quarter by quarter."

The Raptors led 82-75 to begin the fourth and extended their lead to 93-81 on a 3-pointer by Barbosa with just over 9 minutes left.

Toronto went cold after that, missing its next 10 field goal attempts and allowing Boston to storm into the lead with a 17-1 run over the next 5 1/2 minutes. Allen tied it at 94 with a 3-pointer from the wing with 3:39 remaining, then made another 3 from almost the same spot on Boston's next possession.

Johnson ended Toronto's slump by making a hook shot with 2:46 to play, cutting it to 98-96. After Pierce made one of two from the line and Barbosa hit a jumper, Weems had a chance to put the Raptors ahead, but airballed his 3-point shot with 42 seconds left and Toronto trailing by one.

Evans fouled Davis on a drive to the basket with 21 seconds to go and the Celtics' big man made both, putting Boston up 101-98.

After Weems made a driving layup, Allen lost the ball at midcourt and Toronto recovered.

"I thought Ray got fouled," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "It's clear. But listen, you know they're going to swipe and you know they're going to after the ball and you've got to protect the ball."

Pierce was whistled for a foul on Johnson, who made both to give the Raptors a 102-101 lead. Rivers didn't like that call either, but refused to criticize the officials when asked whether he thought it should have been a shooting foul.

"You answer that," Rivers said. "I need my money, I have four kids. I'll let you answer that. I didn't see anything."

After a timeout, Allen inbounded to Pierce, who drove past DeMar DeRozan on the left wing but couldn't get his jump shot to fall.

"I thought I got a great look there for the last shot but it shouldn't even have come down to it," Pierce said.

Boston's Rajon Rondo, who left Friday's game with a strained left hamstring, was held out of the lineup. His replacement was Robinson, who made an immediate impact by scoring 16 points in the first quarter, including three 3-pointers, as the Celtics built a 31-23 lead.

Bargnani responded with 15 points in the second and Johnson added seven as the Raptors attacked the basket and got to the line. Toronto made 12 of 16 from the free throw line and carried a 61-58 lead into the break.

Boston's Shaquille O'Neal fouled out with 7:32 remaining. He had eight points and five rebounds in 20 minutes.

NOTES: Barbosa returned to the lineup after missing six games with a strained left shoulder. ... Jerryd Bayless and Peja Stojakovic, acquired by Toronto in Saturday's five-player deal with New Orleans, are expected to debut in Wednesday's home game against Philadelphia. ... The Raptors will assign forward Ed Davis to Erie of the D-League on Monday. Toronto's first-round draft pick last June, Davis has not played this season after injuring his right knee shortly before training camp.

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Rip, Villaneuva help Pistons trump Wizards in OT

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Richard Hamilton scored 12 of his 27 points in overtime in the Detroit Pistons ' 115-110 victory over the Washington Wizards on Sunday night.

Wizards rookie star John Wall missed his fourth straight game because of a sprained left foot. He was on the Wizards' active list, and coach Flip Saunders said before the game that he hoped to get a few minutes out of him, but Wall ended up watching in street clothes.

Charlie Villanueva added 25 points for Detroit. JaVale McGee had 20 points and 16 rebounds for the Wizards. Gilbert Arenas added 19 points and a career-high 16 assists.

Hamilton's fifth basket of the extra period put Detroit up 112-110 with a minute left, and two straight Wizards turnovers let the Pistons hang on for the win.

Washington only scored 17 points in the first quarter, but came alive against the Pistons' backup in the second. The Wizards hit eight of their first nine shots and finished the quarter with 38 points to take a 55-52 lead.

Detroit cut it to 78-77 after three, but Washington took advantage of the same matchups that had given them the big second quarter. The Wizards were up 96-89 with 5:17 to go, but Villanueva answered with his fourth 3-pointer of the game.

Five straight points from Andray Blatche put the Wizards up 102-98 with 1:40 left, but two defensive stops let Villanueva hit a tying layup with 20.9 seconds to go. Blatche had an open 3-pointer at the buzzer, but missed to set up overtime.

NOTES: The Pistons had to stop a promotion involving their mascot and a frozen turkey when the thawing bird dripped water in several parts of the floor. ... Arenas and McGee had double-doubles by the end of the third quarter. ... Several Pistons greeted Saunders - their former coach - before the game, although Ben Wallace did not. ... Detroit's Austin Daye didn't play after starting the last two games.

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