EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Another Milt Palacio moment along with another dominating performance by the duo of Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker ruined the night for the New Jersey Nets.
Pierce scored a career-high 44 points, Walker added 29 and the Celtics made a season-high 14 three-pointers in defeating the Nets, 113-98, Thursday night in a game in which New Jersey rookie Kenyon Martin fractured his right leg.
Palacio, who beat the Nets with an off-balance, 40-foot three-pointer at the buzzer in their last meeting, kneed Martin in the back of his calf midway through the third quarter. The collision caused a non-displaced fracture of Martin's fibula.
The bone was the same one Martin broke around this time last year while playing for the University of Cincinnati.
Clippers 97, Rockets 92
Los Angeles Jeff McInnis scored 23 points and Lamar Odom had his fifth career triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists as Los Angeles beat Houston.
Suns 91, SuperSonics 88
Seattle Jason Kidd scored 20 points, including two crucial three-pointers in the fourth quarter.
Spurs 115, Hawks 101
Atlanta Derek Anderson scored 23 points and David Robinson added 19 as San Antonio beat Atlanta.
Kings 103, Pistons 98
Sacramento, Calif. Chris Webber had 29 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists as Sacramento defeated Detroit.
Cavs 109, Grizzlies 95
Cleveland Wesley Person and Lamond Murray each scored 19 points to lead Cleveland past Vancouve in a game that featured a scuffle between Mike Bibby and Bimbo Coles.
Trail Blazers 101, Jazz 99
Salt Lake City Dale Davis made two free throws with 1.9 seconds left and Scottie Pippen scored eight straight points in the last 2:12 as Portland rallied past Utah. Danny Manning led Utah with 25 points.
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