Barros, Celts Break Wizards

While the Washington Wizards can't wait for the season to end, the Boston Celtics are using their remaining games to find out what they have to rebuild with.

Sunday was a perfect example. Celtic starters Kenny Anderson and Antoine Walker remained sidelined with injuries, so Walter McCarty and Damon Jones stepped off the bench to combine for 22 points in a 113-84 victory.

Dana Barros led the Celtics with 20 points, and had eight assists. Ron Mercer contributed 18 points for Boston.

Mitch Richmond paced the Wizards with 18 points and Otis Thorpe had 15, but it wasn't enough to prevent Washington from losing its fifth straight game and seventh in a row on the road.

"That was really bad," Richmond said. "I never thought anything like this would happen to this team."

Boston took the lead on a jump shot by Ron Mercer with 3:48 left in the first quarter, and moved into a comfortable lead with an 11-4 run in the first three minutes of the third quarter.

"Everyone is jelling, and everyone is scoring," Mercer said. "Everyone has led the team in scoring lately, and no one is playing selfishly."

It was Boston's second consecutive win and broke a two-game home losing streak.

The Wizards opened the fourth quarter with a 4-0 run on baskets by Richmond and Ben Wallace that sliced the Celtics' lead to 84-71. It was the closest Washington had come since the first minute of the second half.

"I tried different combinations to light a spark, but nothing seemed to click today," said Washington coach Jim Brovelli. "It's tough to stay positive after taking a beating like this one."

But, Paul Pierce, who had 11 points and seven rebounds, put the game out of reach when he scored five cnsecutive points for a 94-71 margin with 8:51 left.

"There's nothing to play for," said Wizards guard Rod Strickland, who had 14 points and eight assists. "I've never been in a situation like this."

Vitaly Potapenko's jump shot with 3:46 left in the third quarter capped a 6-0 Boston run to a 78-56 lead the biggest of the game.

"It seems like we're starting to trust each other more with the ball," Potapenko said.

McCarty scored 12 points in the first half, 10 in the second quarter, as the Celtics took a 52-38 lead at intermission.

Notes: The Celtics signed guard Damon Jones to a second 10-day contract prior to the game. ... Three of Boston's remaining five games will be at home. ... The Wizards have held two opponents to 70 points this season, a franchise record. Prior to this year they had allowed 75 points or less four times in 37 seasons.

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