Bobcats add to Celtics slump with surprise overtime win
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Charlotte Bobcats stunned the Boston Celtics in overtime on Tuesday, grabbing a 114-106 victory to hand the NBA champions their fifth loss in seven games.
Raymond Felton scored 25 points, Gerald Wallace contributed 23 and rookie D.J. Augustin came up with 11 of his 20 points in overtime as the host Bobcats won for just the 13th time in 35 games this season.
"It was just a really good team effort," Bobcats coach Larry Brown told reporters. "Raymond made some huge plays and D.J., down the stretch, I was begging him to shoot."
The rebounding of center Emeka Okafor, who had 17 rebounds and 13 points, also was a big factor, Brown said.
Paul Pierce paced Boston (29-7) with 28 points while Ray Allen had 20 and it was a poor defensive performance that hurt the Celtics, according to coach Doc Rivers.
"We let them score at will," Rivers told reporters. "They shot over 50 per cent in the second half and that never happens against us, but it did tonight."
Pierce's jumper with three seconds to play in regulation forced overtime. Kevin Garnett scored the first two points of the extra session before the Bobcats went on an 11-2 run.
"We came out and tried to match their energy and stayed with them the whole game," Bobcats forward Adam Morrison, who had 13 points, told reporters.
"We got down seven to their second crew, who was playing well, but we battled back and got back in it and prevailed."
(Writing by Gene Cherry in Salvo, North Carolina; editing by Nick Mulvenney)
