FloaterDaily Brief
Saturday, December 21, 2002Regular season · 10 games
← Dec 20CalendarDec 22 →

10 games, none went to overtime. Biggest comeback: BOS trailed CLE by 11 at halftime and won 89–82.

Final · Box score
Sixers77
Hawks79
Q1 ATL +6; Q2 ATL +3; Q3 ATL +2; Q4 ATL +2
Final · Box score
Celtics89
Cavs82
Q1 BOS +7; Q2 BOS -11; Q3 BOS -10; Q4 BOS +7
Final · Box score
Rockets86
Wolves98
Q1 MIN +10; Q2 MIN +8; Q3 MIN +5; Q4 MIN +12
Final · Box score
Pistons92
Nets100
Q1 NJN +2; Q2 NJN +9; Q3 NJN +12; Q4 NJN +8
Final · Box score
Pacers103
Bulls110
Q1 CHI +7; Q2 CHI +2; Q3 CHI -1; Q4 CHI +7
Final · Box score
Knicks90
Bucks94
Q1 MIL -1; Q2 MIL +6; Q3 MIL +1; Q4 MIL +4
Final · Box score
Wizards81
Spurs92
Q1 SAS -4; Q2 SAS -10; Q3 Spurs 0; Q4 SAS +11
Final · Box score
Kings101
Suns110
Q1 PHX +3; Q2 PHX +10; Q3 PHX +3; Q4 PHX +9
Final · Box score
Sonics80
Blazers81
Q1 POR +4; Q2 POR -4; Q3 POR -7; Q4 POR +1
Final · Box score
Nuggets89
Clippers92
Q1 Clippers 0; Q2 Clippers 0; Q3 LAC +4; Q4 LAC +3
On this day · 2001–02Dec 21, 2001: 10 games. Top scorer: Kobe Bryant (Lakers-Grizzlies), 36 points.
Dec 21 in other seasons20252024202320222021201920182017201620152014201320122010200920082007200620052004200320001999199719961995
The lead · Celtics-Cavs

Boston rallies from 11 down to beat Cleveland

Chris Webber posts a triple-double

Game flow · BOS margin at each break
-20-100+10+20TipEnd Q1HalfEnd Q3Final0+7-11-10+7BOS AHEAD ↑CLE AHEAD ↓
By quarter
Q1Q2Q3Q4T
Celtics2517212689
Cavs183520982
Who led
Paul PiercePoints, last 10 games: 34, 19, 30, 16, 21, 29, 37, 18, 42, 26BOS26 PTS · 10 REB · 3 AST
Antoine WalkerPoints, last 10 games: 19, 25, 28, 31, 33, 23, 16, 19, 13, 23BOS23 PTS · 10 REB · 3 AST
Dajuan WagnerPoints, last 10 games: 29, 18, 7, 33, 3, 29, 10, 4, 14, 25CLE25 PTS · 2 REB · 4 AST
Ricky DavisPoints, last 10 games: 26, 27, 45, 22, 42, 27, 20, 20, 42, 21CLE21 PTS · 4 REB · 2 AST
The night in charts
Pacers-Bulls combined for 213, 2 more than any other game
Points by game
Pacers-BullsPacers 103, Bulls 110
213
Kings-SunsKings 101, Suns 110
211
Pistons-NetsPistons 92, Nets 100
192
Rockets-WolvesRockets 86, Wolves 98
184
Knicks-BucksKnicks 90, Bucks 94
184
Nuggets-ClippersNuggets 89, Clippers 92
181
Wizards-SpursWizards 81, Spurs 92
173
Celtics-CavsCeltics 89, Cavs 82
171
Sonics-BlazersSonics 80, Blazers 81
161
Sixers-HawksSixers 77, Hawks 79
156
4 of 10 games were decided by 5 or fewer
Closest finishes
Sonics-BlazersSonics 80, Blazers 81
+1 POR
Sixers-HawksSixers 77, Hawks 79
+2 ATL
Nuggets-ClippersNuggets 89, Clippers 92
+3 LAC
Knicks-BucksKnicks 90, Bucks 94
+4 MIL
Celtics-CavsCeltics 89, Cavs 82
+7 BOS
Pacers-BullsPacers 103, Bulls 110
+7 CHI
Pistons-NetsPistons 92, Nets 100
+8 NJN
Kings-SunsKings 101, Suns 110
+9 PHX
Wizards-SpursWizards 81, Spurs 92
+11 SAS
Rockets-WolvesRockets 86, Wolves 98
+12 MIN
BOS erased a 11-point hole
Biggest comebacks, at quarter breaks
Celtics-CavsBOS won · Celtics 89, Cavs 82
11 pts
Wizards-SpursSAS won · Wizards 81, Spurs 92
10 pts
Sonics-BlazersPOR won · Sonics 80, Blazers 81
7 pts
Knicks-BucksMIL won · Knicks 90, Bucks 94
1 pt
Pacers-BullsCHI won · Pacers 103, Bulls 110
1 pt
Jefferson shot 8-of-10 for the night's hottest hand
Hottest shooting · min 10 FGA
JeffersonNJN · 19 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL
80% (8-10)
Brad MillerIND · 26 PTS, 13 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL
71% (10-14)
YarbroughDEN · 16 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL
70% (7-10)
MarionPHX · 28 PTS, 8 REB, 3 STL, 1 AST
67% (10-15)
Abdur-RahimATL · 28 PTS, 5 REB, 3 STL, 2 AST
61% (11-18)
Final · Sonics-Blazers
Sonics 80Blazers 81
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Sonics1725231580
Blazers2117202381
The story
Portland beat Seattle 81-80 behind 27 points from Derek Anderson

Rashard Lewis paced Seattle: 20 PTS, 9 REB 27 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST · 10-21 FG, 5-13 3PT

The swing

A 23-15 fourth quarter erased a 7-point hole for the Trail Blazers.

POR lead by quarter
200 +4−4−7+1 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Final · Sixers-Hawks
Sixers 77Hawks 79
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Sixers2115212077
Hawks2712202079
The story
Shareef Abdur-Rahim's 28 points carried Atlanta past Philadelphia, 79-77

For Philadelphia, Eric Snow had 17 PTS, 5 AST, 2 REB 28 PTS, 5 REB, 3 STL, 2 AST · 11-18 FG

The swing

The first quarter, 27-21, was where the Hawks built it.

ATL lead by quarter
200 +6+3+2+2 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Fantasy angle

Keith Van Horn was the fantasy play: 43.3 FPTS on 18 PTS, 9 REB

Final · Nuggets-Clippers
Nuggets 89Clippers 92
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Nuggets2428172089
Clippers2428211992
The story
Marko Jaric had 22 points as Los Angeles beat Denver 92-89

Vincent Yarbrough led Denver with 16 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST 22 PTS, 6 STL, 3 REB, 2 AST · 7-15 FG, 5-7 3PT

The swing

The Clippers won the third 21-17, their biggest quarter edge.

LAC lead by quarter
200 00+4+3 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Fantasy angle
Heating up
+8.7points, last 5 vs season avg
Points per game
9.5Season avg18.2Last 5

18.2 points a game over his last five games, against 9.5 in 18 earlier games. Today: 18 points in 38 minutes.

Losing minutes
−23.0minutes, last 3 vs season avg
Minutes per game
33.6Season avg10.6Last 3

10.6 minutes a game over his last three games, against 33.6 in 26 earlier games. Today: 0 points in 2 minutes.

Stepped-up role
+27.2minutes, today vs season avg
Minutes per game
18.3Season avg45.5Today

46 minutes today, against 18.3 a game in 13 earlier games. Line: 16 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists.

Second story · the whole slate

Four games go down to the wire

Four of 10 games were decided by four points or fewer. Widest margin: Minnesota by 12.

POR over SEA1ATL over PHI2LAC over DEN3MIL over NYK4BOS over CLE7CHI over IND7NJN over DET8PHX over SAC9SAS over WAS11MIN over HOU12Final margin, points. Pink = decided by 4 or fewer.
Top performances

Juwan Howard leads the day with 30

Juwan HowardPoints, last 10 games: 11, 17, 20, 22, 10, 11, 12, 21, 20, 30Nuggets-Clippers · L
15.5 PPG season to date · +15.1 vs his regular-season average before tonight
Season high30 PTS · 6 REB · 3 AST
Chris WebberPoints, last 10 games: 22, 31, 17, 23, 30, 27, 28, 27, 23, 29Kings-Suns · L
23.0 PPG season to date · +6.2 vs his regular-season average before tonight
29 PTS · 15 REB · 11 AST
Jalen RosePoints, last 10 games: 37, 15, 27, 28, 15, 30, 24, 20, 18, 28Bulls-Pacers · W
22.7 PPG season to date · +5.5 vs his regular-season average before tonight
28 PTS · 7 REB · 5 AST
Shawn MarionPoints, last 10 games: 16, 23, 12, 32, 25, 24, 19, 14, 20, 28Suns-Kings · W
20.3 PPG season to date · +8.0 vs his regular-season average before tonight
28 PTS · 8 REB · 1 AST
Stephon MarburyPoints, last 10 games: 19, 35, 16, 18, 28, 21, 12, 9, 16, 28Suns-Kings · W
20.0 PPG season to date · +8.3 vs his regular-season average before tonight
28 PTS · 1 REB · 7 AST
Shareef Abdur-RahimPoints, last 10 games: 13, 11, 14, 23, 21, 16, 16, 20, 20, 28Hawks-Sixers · W
20.6 PPG season to date · +7.8 vs his regular-season average before tonight
28 PTS · 5 REB · 2 AST
Hot and cold

Last 10 games against the season so far

Hot
Ricky DavisCLE+6.1 29.2 last 10 · 23.1 season
Yao MingHOU+5.7 18.5 last 10 · 12.8 season
Rodney RogersNJN+3.7 11.8 last 10 · 8.1 season
Bonzi WellsPOR+3.7 19.2 last 10 · 15.5 season
Carlos BoozerCLE+3.7 12.9 last 10 · 9.2 season
Cold
Kobe BryantLAL−3.7 22.9 last 10 · 26.6 season
Jason TerryATL−3.6 13.1 last 10 · 16.7 season
Tracy McGradyORL−3.4 25.9 last 10 · 29.3 season
Allen IversonPHI−3.3 24.8 last 10 · 28.1 season
Erick DampierGSW−3.2 6.2 last 10 · 9.4 season