Pierce and Celtics hold off Bobcats

Al Jefferson posted 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who won their fifth straight. Delonte West scored 14 points off the bench and Tony Allen added 11 points and seven boards.

Gerald Wallace netted a season-high 31 points for the Bobcats, who again failed to win back-to-back games for the first time this season. Raymond Felton and Adam Morrison both scored 16 points.

Emeka Okafor posted 12 points, a season-high 19 rebounds and matched his franchise-record with eight blocked shots.

Trailing 98-97, Charlotte blew an opportunity to take the lead when Morrison threw the ball away on a 3-on-1 fast break with 56 seconds left. Pierce then backed his way down in the lane and hit a fall-away jumper from the left elbow with 39.2 seconds on the clock for a three-point Boston lead.

Wallace drove hard through the lane but threw an errant pass after getting triple-teamed. West then converted a pair of free throws with 32.3 seconds left to cap a 10-0 Boston run.

Okafor followed a missed layup with a dunk with 25.3 seconds remaining to make it a one-possession game, however West scored another pair from the charity stripe with 24.4 seconds to go.

Okafor hit a free throw with 14.7 seconds left, but Pierce made a pair of free throws with 13.5 seconds left to seal the win.

Boston took a 27-26 lead heading into the second quarter.

Charlotte opened the second stanza on a 9-0 run capped by a Morrison jumper with two ticks under 10 minutes remaining. The Celtics regained control and closed the quarter on a 23-4 burst sparked by a Brian Scalabrine jumper with 6:12 left. The Celtics staked a 60-50 halftime advantage.

After Pierce scored a tip shot 39 seconds into the third, Charlotte took off on a 16-3 run capped by a Morrison jumper with 7:03 left for a 66-65 lead. The Bobcats held an 81-78 lead heading into the fourth.

Game Notes

Sean May sprained his right ankle while going after a rebound midway through the second and failed to return. Wally Szczerbiak also sprained his right ankle near the end of the third and failed to return...This was the third meeting of the season between the squads. Both teams picked up a home victory in the two previous contests. The Celtics are scheduled to host the Bobcats on March 21, 2007 at TD Banknorth Garden in the final contest of the season between the clubs...The Bobcats are 2-8 against the Celtics.