Paul Pierce scored a season-high 41 points and stole the ball from LeBron James in the final minute to help the Boston Celtics win their fifth straight game, 105-98 over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night.

Boston Celtics' Paul Pierce, bottom, tries to find a teammate to pass the ball to under pressure from Cleveland Cavaliers' Darius Miles, top, in the fourth Saturday, Dec. 13, 2003, in Cleveland. Pierce scored a team high 41 points for the Celtics in their 105-98 win. [AP]

James scored a season-high 37 points, but Cleveland's rookie star missed a 3-pointer in the last two minutes and was stripped by Pierce with 15 seconds to go.

Boston has won 12 in a row over Cleveland.

Pierce, who scored 33 points in a win over Toronto on Friday night, added nine rebounds and six assists — his biggest a feed to Jiri Welsch, whose 3-pointer with 1:19 remaining made it 100-94.

After Carlos Boozer made two free throws for Cleveland, James, who earlier this season became the youngest player in NBA history to score 30 points, scored on a drive to make it 100-98.

Mike James hit a pair of free throws to put the Celtics back up by four, and on Cleveland's next possession, Pierce swiped the ball from LeBron James and was fouled with 12.5 seconds left.

Pierce, who went 16-of-18 from the foul line, made one of two free throws and Boozer and LeBron James missed shots in the final 10 seconds as the Cavaliers lost for the eighth time in 11 games.

Vin Baker added 16 points and Mike James had 13 and nine assists for the Celtics, who were outrebounded 50-32 but grabbed five offensive boards in the final five minutes.

Darius Miles had 24 points, and Boozer added 17 and 15 rebounds for Cleveland.

Pierce's 15 points in the third enabled the Celtics to take a 84-76 lead into the fourth.

Miles scored seven straight points to bring the Cavs within 69-66, but Pierce, using every move in his repertoire, scored 13 in the final 4:58 of the period.

Although they rarely matched up against each other early on, Pierce and LeBron James waged a little one-on-one scoring battle, getting 20 points apiece in the first half as the Celtics took a 59-48 halftime lead.

Notes:@ Pierce, who has 15 career 40-point games, is the only NBA player leading his team in average, points and assists. ... Cavs coach Paul Silas has banned rap music in the Cavs' locker room right before games. "I can't stand that stuff," Silas said. "Those guys need to concentrate on the game." ... The Celtics placed F/C Raef LaFrentz on the injured list with tendinitis in his right knee. This is the second time LaFrentz has been sidelined this season. Boston activated C Kendrick Perkins. ... The Cavs, whose 33-game road losing is the third-longest in history, play at Indiana on Monday night.

Close

Today's Top News		Top Sports News
+Wen: China, Mexico are partners, not competitors ( 2003-12-14) +Power shortages darken Southern China ( 2003-12-14) +Price index rises to six-year high ( 2003-12-12) +Furniture makers confident US dumping charges doomed ( 2003-12-12) +Premier: Visit to US important, successful ( 2003-12-12)		+NBA: Celtics defeat Cavaliers 105-98 ( 2003-12-14) +NBA: Bulls defeat Pacers 86-75 ( 2003-12-14) +Man Utd overpower Man City 3-1 ( 2003-12-14) +Love pulls away from Tiger at Sherwood ( 2003-12-14) +Trail Blazers' Wallace apologizes for interview language ( 2003-12-14)