Carter Is Mr. Big Shot in Victory Over Celtics

The Boston Celtics knew Vince Carter was going to get the ball, and they still couldn’t stop him.

On his second chance to win the game, Carter made a fadeaway three-point basket at the buzzer to cap a 28-point performance and lead the Toronto Raptors to a 96-94 victory Wednesday night at Boston.

Said Raptor guard Tracy McGrady, who had 18 points and 11 rebounds and found Carter on an inbounds pass with 3.2 seconds left to set up the game-winner: “After seeing the 51-point performance [on Sunday against Phoenix], nothing is going to surprise me about him. Nothing.”

On the final shot, Carter took the pass on the right side of the basket, dribbled once with his left hand, went between his legs and dribbled once more with his right before shooting.

“When I caught the ball, I looked at the clock and just tried to get the best shot,” Carter said after a game in which the lead changed hands 13 times in the final 3:42. “The only thing I realized was the time on the clock and what I needed to do to get the ball in the basket.”

The game-winner sent his teammates into a frenzied celebration and even drew cheers from the Boston fans.

Antoine Walker scored 27 points for the Celtics, whose Coach Rick Pitino criticized the Boston fans afterward for expecting too much from his young team.

“Well, we’ve played hard the whole year. We’re going to be positive every day. You are the people being negative,” he told reporters, “you and the fans.

“Larry Bird is not walking through that door, fans. Kevin McHale is not walking through that door, and Robert Parish is not walking through that door,” Pitino said of the Big Three that won three NBA titles in the 1980s. “And if you expect them to walk through that door, they’re going to be gray and old. What we are is young, exciting, hard-working and going to improve. People don’t realize that. And as soon as they realize that those three guys are not coming through that door, the better this town will be for all of us.”

Utah 107, Detroit 94--Karl Malone scored 31 points, including 14 in the third quarter, and left the game for good with the Jazz ahead by 18 in the opening seconds of the fourth at Auburn Hills, Mich.

Malone added 13 rebounds and six assists as the Jazz built a 60-48 halftime lead after holding the Pistons scoreless for the first 5:24 of the second quarter.

Grant Hill led Detroit with 26 points.

Washington 102, Atlanta 83--Mitch Richmond scored 18 points at Atlanta as the Wizards won their first road game since Dec. 21.

Washington broke a 15-game road losing streak.

The Hawks’ Isaiah Rider had only five points to match a personal season-low.

Jimmy Jackson led the Hawks with 22 points and Dikembe Mutombo had 16 points and 17 rebounds.

New Jersey 94, Denver 81--Keith Van Horn had 25 points and 11 rebounds and Stephon Marbury added 20 points and eight assists at Denver as the Nets beat the Nuggets in Denver for only the fourth time in 27 tries.

Nick Van Exel managed only two points on one-for-nine shooting in the featured matchup with Marbury. Antonio McDyess and George McCloud had 22 points apiece for the Nuggets.

Around the League

Hakeem Olajuwon’s breathing problem was diagnosed as an asthma-like condition treatable by inhalers and the Houston Rocket center could return to play tonight against the Sacramento Kings. . . . The Philadelphia 76ers put forward Tyrone Hill on the injured list because of a strained right Achilles’ tendon.