EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Bostjan Nachbar scored 15 points
and Antoine Wright added 14 to pace a balanced scoring attack,
leading the New Jersey Nets to an 82-71 victory over the Boston
Celtics in a preseason game Tuesday night.
The Celtics were without all three of their All-Star players, as
Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen did not dress for the
game. None of the three are injured. Celtics coach Doc Rivers just
decided to keep them out of the game and use only eight players for
the contest, Boston's second in two nights.
Vince Carter scored 12 points and Richard Jefferson had 11 for
the Nets. Neither played after the third quarter.
"Boston rested their three best players, so this showed us we
have a long way to go," Nets coach Lawrence Frank said. "But I
don't want to downplay the effort of the guys out there in the
fourth quarter. Boki (Nachbar) got us going and Antoine played with
a lot of effort."
Carter also had seven assists, seeing a lot of time at point
guard with All-Star Jason Kidd not in the building while nursing a
strained lower back and backup Darrell Armstrong sitting it out
with a sore left ankle.
The Nets (3-1) led by as many as seven in the third quarter, but
the Celtics tied the game in the early stages of the fourth, led by
the play of rookie Glen "Big Baby" Davis, a second round draft
pick out of LSU.
Wright scored two straight baskets midway through the period to
give the Nets the lead for good at 70-66.
Former Michigan State star Mateen Cleaves, trying to make the
team, scored 10 points for the Nets in the fourth quarter, keeping
the Celtics at bay.
Davis led all scorers with 21 points, 13 in the first half.
Former Net Brian Scalabrine added 11 for the Celtics (3-3). The
Celtics shot 32 percent from the floor on (23-of-70).