Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!enterpoop.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.sports From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Celtics take 6th straight defeat Date: Tue, 24 Nov 92 14:12:10 EST Message-ID: Lines: 52 \SE D;SPORTS \SS (WS) \HD Celtics take 6th straight defeat \BY FROM COMBINED DISPATCHES \DT HARTFORD, Conn. HARTFORD, Conn. - Mookie Blaylock scored 23 points, including four in overtime, as the Atlanta Hawks handed the Boston Celtics their sixth straight loss, 101-97 in overtime yesterday. Blaylock hit a 20-foot jumper with 20 seconds left to give the Hawks a 99-97 lead. Blair Rasmussen knocked away Dee Brown's inside pass to Kevin McHale with 5.8 seconds left and Dominique Wilkins grabbed the loose ball. Wilkins, who had two rebounds and two assists in overtime, was fouled by Brown and hit two free throws with 4.3 seconds left. The Celtics, who shuffled their lineup to try to break out of their worst start since 1978, missed seven of eight shots in overtime, while the Hawks made three of eight. Wilkins had 19 points and eight assists and Blaylock also had eight assists. Stacey Augmon had 18 points and Jon Koncak 13 rebounds as the Hawks had a 48-38 rebounding advantage. Robert Parish had 18 points, Reggie Lewis 17 and Rick Fox 16 for Boston. Boston coach Chris Ford started Kenny Battle, Fox and Brown in place of Xavier McDaniel, Kevin Gamble and Sherman Douglas. The Celtics opened an 81-71 lead with 11:02 left in regulation when Gamble hit a 16-foot jumper. Two 3-pointers by Morlon Wiley and baskets by Keefe and Wilkins tied the score with 8:22 left. Neither team led by more than two points again until Wilkins made the free throws in overtime. The Hawks took a 97-94 lead with 1:32 left in overtime on a 16-foot jumper by Blaylock. They could have extended the lead to five but Kevin Willis blew a a dunk and Augmon missed on the rebound with 46 seconds left. McHale tied the score on a 3-pointer with 36 seconds left. The Celtics losing streak is their longest since an eight-game slide in March and April 1979. The Hawks have won eight of their past nine games against Celtics, including a 116-107 victory Saturday night in Atlanta. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM