BOSTON – Raef LaFrentz feels healthy, and it showed.
LaFrentz was 7-for-7 from 3-point range in the first half and scored 27 of his 32 points in the opening 24 minutes to lead the Boston Celtics to a 102-82 win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.
LaFrentz, who had his 2003-04 season cut short following right knee surgery in December 2003, matched his career high for points, added eight rebounds and finished 7-for-9 on 3-point attempts.
“If I’m healthy, I know I can shoot the ball,” he said. “If you don’t have your legs, you can’t shoot the ball.”
LaFrentz admitted that he wasn’t confident last season.
“Anytime you go through an injury, that takes away some confidence you have in your ability and in yourself,” he said.
The 6-foot-11 center thrives when the team is moving the ball around.
“One of the things we’ve always said: “if Raef gets a lot of attempts, that means the ball is moving extremely well’,” Boston coach Doc Rivers said. “Now, obviously, he was making them too.”
Ricky Davis and Paul Pierce scored 19 points apiece, and Mark Blount had 17 for Boston (3-3).
Stromile Swift had a season-high 17 points, and Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming 14 each for the Rockets (2-4).
Cavaliers 108, Magic 100
ORLANDO, Fla. – LeBron James became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 4,000 career points and finished with 26 to help the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Orlando Magic 108-100 in overtime on Sunday night.
James (20 years, 318 days) entered the game needing 10 points to pass Kobe Bryant (21 years, 216 days).
Larry Hughes had 22 points for Cleveland.
76ers 113, Clippers 108
PHILADELPHIA – Allen Iverson had 28 points and 10 assists, and Lee Nailon added 21 points to help the Philadelphia 76ers win their fourth straight game, 113-108 over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Elton Brand had 32 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers.
Cuttino Mobley added 23 points and Corey Maggette had 20.
Sonics 126, Raptors 121
TORONTO – Rashard Lewis scored 41 points, and the Seattle SuperSonics blew an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter but recovered to beat the winless Toronto Raptors 126-121 in overtime.
Nick Collison added 20 points for the Sonics
Knicks 105, Kings 95
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Larry Brown finally got his first victory in six games as New York’s coach, with rookie Channing Frye scoring 19 points in the Knicks’ 105-95 win over the struggling Sacramento Kings. Stephon Marbury had 17 points.
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