Pierce keeps Celtics undefeated BOSTON 1

By DAN GELSTON
AP Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA — Rasheed Wallace keeps making his hometown his
stomping ground.

Wallace rooted on the Phillies at Game 5 of the World Series and
he popped by to watch Philly boxing great Bernard Hopkins train
for an upcoming bout.

Boston’s top reserve didn’t stop having fun just because it was
time to play. Wallace hit six 3-pointers as part of a 20-point
effort and the Celtics remained unbeaten with a 105-74 victory
over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night.

“It’s home,” Wallace said. “A lot of friends and family don’t
get the opportunity to see me play. Everybody can’t get that
league pass and all that stuff. It’s always fun to come back
here and play.”

Wallace, who wore a black Phillies jacket to the game, easily
had his best game in his short stint with the Celtics. He pretty
much caught the ball, let it rip and watched it sink through the
net. Wallace made 6 of 8 3-pointers and sank each long attempt
about as easily as a layup in the paint.

Wallace was about the only Celtic who had his normal night, even
getting whistled for a technical foul for arguing with the refs
in the third quarter. His fuse burst late in the quarter when he
appeared to be fouled on a shot. The ref called a foul, he just
didn’t call it a shooting foul and denied Wallace a trip to the
free-throw line.

Wallace kept badgering the refs over the perceived blown call
until he was hit with the T with 4.5 seconds left in the third.

“I just wanted to get my point across,” Wallace said. “I wasn’t
going to get thrown out.”

Paul Pierce scored 21 points as the Celtics improved to 5-0 even
without the usual standout performances from Kevin Garnett and
Ray Allen.

“We’re going to win because of our defense no matter how good
our offense is,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said.

Allen didn’t score his first field goal until the third quarter
and had five points. Garnett made just one basket on seven shots
and scored three points when he was yanked with the game out of
hand.

By the time Wallace got his technical, the game had spiraled
into a blowout. Allen scored his first basket and Pierce hit a
3-pointer in a 14-2 run to open the quarter that shook off the
Sixers for good.

Eddie House made four 3s off the bench for the Celtics and
scored 12 points. Shelden Williams added 11 points, helping the
Celtics bench to a productive night after the starters and
Wallace made this one a rout.

Boston went 14 for 20 from 3-point range. The Sixers failed to
hit a 3 until Jrue Holiday made one with 1:28 left in the game.
The basket only cut Boston’s lead to 102-71.

Andre Iguodala led the Sixers with 17 points. Philadelphia
missed 15 of 16 3-point attempts.

Thaddeus Young was the only other Sixer in double digits,
scoring 11 points as they snapped their modest two-game winning
streak.

The Sixers have struggled in two losses against the elite teams
in the Eastern Conference (Orlando, Boston).

“They are veterans and we know they know how to play together,”
Young said.

Wallace, friends with Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins, didn’t
offer a World Series prediction. The Yankees hold a 3-2 lead in
the best-of-seven series.

“We’ve got the bats for it, we’ve got the pitching for it,”
Wallace said.

He was also smart enough to stay out of Hopkins way during an
afternoon visit at a local boxing gym. Hopkins, who attended the
game, will fight Enrique Ornelas in a light heavyweight bout on
Dec. 2 at Temple’s Liacouras Center.

“Nah, I didn’t get in the ring with him this time,” Wallace
said. “He’s got a fight coming up and I didn’t want to damage
him or nothing.”

Instead, he saved his blows for the 76ers.

Notes: Rivers said he did not expect to hear from the NBA over a
postgame incident in Boston involving New Orleans guard Chris
Paul and the Celtics’ Rajon Rondo. Rondo didn’t want to talk
about it. … The Celtics swept the season series (4-0) last
season. … The biggest cheer came for Phillies World Series
highlights.

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