Last Night's Action: First-Hand Look at Greatness

• Celtics 86, Nets 77: Maybe the Nets should play as well in the even quarters as they do in the odd periods. New Jersey got outscored 23-9 in the fourth quarter and fell to the 30-4 Celtics. Josh Boone did well -- except when he was at the free-throw line. He had 14 points and 16 rebounds in 37 minutes, but he went 0-for-6 from the stripe. The Nets as a team made only 9 of 23. On defense, Boone had his hands full, but that's understandable. He was "guarding" Kevin Garnett, after all.


• Raptors 99, Knicks 90: Anyone can have two guards put up 20 each night, but it's in the paint where NBA games are decided. Jamal Crawford and Nate Robinson continued their chucking. That didn't do the Knicks any good. Zach Randolph's apparent dispute with Isiah Thomas saw the player spend the final 31 minutes of the game on the bench, and Thomas got to see Toronto's Chris Bosh go off in the interim. Without Randolph to worry about -- everyone knows Eddy Curry doesn't play defense -- Bosh dumped 40.


• Islanders 5, Flames 4 (SO): Mike Sillinger scored two goals in regulation and then added the winner in the shootout. That's after he failed in the Pacific Northwest against the Canucks on Wednesday.

Photograph of Jason Kidd surrounded by Celtics by Bill Kostroun/AP