QUARTER-BY-QUARTER ANALYSIS
First quarter: Keith Bogans entered the Bobcats starting lineup in place of the injured Kareem Rush, while Gary Payton and Antoine Walker made their first start together as teammates. The opening period was tightly contested with five ties and five lead changes. Boston grabbed an early 15-9 lead behind the play of Walker and Raef LaFrentz, but the Bobcats battled back with Brevin Knight leading the way. Knight scored five points and handed out two assists before suffering a sprained right ankle at the 5:16 mark. He did not return the rest of the game. Charlotte held a 22-20 lead with 2:22 remaining when Marcus Banks converted a three-point play to give Boston a lead they would not relinquish. The Celtics closed the period with a 7-1 run to take a 27-23 advantage.

Second quarter: Emeka Okafor twice pulled the Bobcats to within one point early in the second before the Celtics bench took over. Delonte West nailed a three-pointer and Banks quickly added a steal and slam dunk to ignite an 11-2 run and give Boston a double-digit lead (41-31). All 11 points in the stretch were scored by the Celtics bench. The teams traded baskets for several minutes before Gary Payton, in his first game back with the Celtics after being waived by Atlanta, made his presence felt. The veteran point guard connected on two layups and handed out an assist in a quarter-closing 9-2 run as Boston took a 56-41 advantage into the break.

Third quarter: Boston maintained a lead of between 13 and 19 points throughout the quarter and eventually led by 17 (83-66) heading to the fourth. Walker scored 11 of his game-high 18 points in the quarter, including a big three-pointer with 4:24 remaining that put the Celtics up by 18. Keith Bogans had six points and two assists in the quarter for Charlotte, including an alley-oop pass to Gerald Wallace for a slam dunk.

Fourth quarter: Charlotte pulled to within 12 at 85-73 after a Malik Allen jumper with 9:47 remaining, but again Boston's bench took over -- scoring all the points in a 12-3 run that blew the game open. The Bobcats missed 12 of 13 field goal attempts and commited a turnover in the seven-minute span. Banks (13), West (11) and Mark Blount (11) all scored in double figures off the Celtics bench. Walker and Ricky Davis led all scorers with 18 points. Okafor registered a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Bobcats. Jason Hart scored a team-high 13 points off the bench.

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GM & HEAD COACH BERNIE BICKERSTAFF SAYS...
(on the game) We forced 20 turnovers I think, and we only got nine points off the turnovers. But (the Celtics) are playing with conviction. With (Gary) Payton coming in, and (Antoine) Walker coming in, they realize that they have a shot in that Atlantic Division. With the veterans that (the Celtics) have, there is a sense of urgency. We weren't in the basketball game tonight. We didn't control tempo. We didn't make open shots; that about sums it up.

(on whether the turnovers were a result of Brevin Knight's injury) No, not really. We were equal opportunity employers. We were bad tonight. It's that simple. You shoot 59 percent from the free-throw line, 38 percent from the field... it's that simple. You get what happened to us; you get your butt kicked, so you move on. We've got a game tomorrow night against Washington.

(on the statistics) If I could look at the stats - if I was negotiating contracts tonight, I'd be okay. I'd get some pretty good deals. We had unforced errors in turns of turnovers. You can't beat anybody on their home court shooting the way we shot the basketball. We're not making open shots. It's that simple.

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INSIDE THE LOCKER ROOM

EMEKA OKAFOR
(on the game) We didn't win. The ball did not go inside the basket. It's necessary to score points and we fell short and lost. We were in it for a while. I thought we were in it, and then I looked at the scoreboard, and we weren't.

(on playing catch-up) Sometimes in a game, you think you're right there, you look up at the scoreboard and all of a sudden you're down 10. When did that happen? It sneaks up on you. That's what it felt like today. We tried to play catch-up and couldn't do it.

PRIMOZ BREZEC
(on his game) It's just tough right now because I really haven't found a rhythm. I haven't found a groove yet; just kind of thinking too much. You just have to go out and try to fight through it, and hopefully it will change for me.

(on bouncing back after a loss) I think that we've done a pretty good job after we get blown out. We bounce back pretty well. This team is strong. We'll stay confident, and we'll be ready to play tomorrow.

JASON HART
(on effort) There's all these people watching, so you've got to play for yourself, the Bobcats, and everyone else in the NBA. You've got to keep playing hard. We can't just give up. (Coach Bickerstaff) said he's looking for guys that keep playing and won't quit on him. We've just got to keep having the effort. If you make a mistake, you have to make it a full-fledged mistake. Don't make it half-hearted. Do everything hard.

(on playing with poise) We're pros. I've played a lot of minutes here. When Brevin (Knight) was hurt, I was playing. We just have to be poised as a unit. We were pressuring [the Celtics] but they weren't turning it over. As a team, we just have to be a little more poised. But Brevin (Knight) has been out of a couple games this year, so we can't use that as an excuse. I think each player can continue to develop individually and we've just got to keep fighting.