NBA

So much for the Celtics' 82-0 season. The NBA's best-shooting team, the Celtics found themselves uncharacteristically down 20 points and still trailing after three quarters. They came back and made it close, but Paul Pierce missed an off-balance jumper with time running out and Orlando dealt Boston (8-1) its first loss, 104-102. Garnett, Ray Allen and Pierce were each averaging 20 points. Only Pierce topped the mark Sunday, scoring 28 points and keying several quick runs that brought Boston back. Allen finished with 19, but had just eight points on 4-of-12 shooting before the fourth quarter. It was a chance for Orlando (9-2) to show it deserved the conference's second-best record. The Magic forced 20 Boston turnovers, shot 50.8 percent and won despite the Celtics' 41-28 rebounding edge. Perhaps more importantly, they didn't collapse when Boston made a late run. It was the first time a team shot better than 50 percent against the Celtics and the first time Boston trailed at the half and entering the fourth quarter.

The Denver Nuggets thought they were pretty good. Then two weeks ago along came the Boston Celtics, who humiliated the Nuggets in a blowout win and put Denver in its place. The Nuggets haven't lost since. Carmelo Anthony had 24 points, Allen Iverson added 23 and Denver won its fifth straight game with a 115-83 win over the New York Knicks on Saturday night. The winning streak traces back to the humbling 119-93 loss to the Celtics on Nov. 7. The Nuggets trailed by 39 points at halftime in that game. But they found their identity in that drubbing. The Knicks might want to take note. New York dropped its sixth straight game. The Knicks went 0-4 on their five-day road trip through the West.

Unwanted in San Antonio, Beno Udrih appears to have found a home with the Sacramento Kings. Udrih had 23 points and six assists to help the Kings beat the Detroit Pistons 105-95 on Sunday night. Udrih, a late preseason cut by San Antonio who came to the Kings as a backup when Mike Bibby was injured just prior to the season, has quickly become a starter. He showed why against the Pistons, hitting 9 of 13 shots from the field and all five of his free throw attempts and fueling a strong second half by the Kings.

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