OAKLAND, CALIF. ? The Warriors acquired Derek Fisher for his big-game ability and playoff experience.
And for a team desperate to take some pressure off star Jason Richardson, Fisher gave Golden State just what it bargained for.
So did Troy Murphy.
Murphy had his fourth straight double-double with a career-high 30 points and 15 rebounds, and the Warriors won consecutive games for the first time this season with a 110-106 victory over the Boston Celtics on Monday night.
Paul Pierce got the Celtics to 105-104 on two free throws with 1:04 remaining, then Fisher swished a baseline jumper on the other end before Pierce answered with a layup. Calbert Cheaney passed the ball out of bounds for a turnover moments later to give Boston its final chance with 20 seconds left.
Pierce then missed a jumper that was touched by Fisher, who made one free throw with 5.8 seconds left. He missed the second and Jason Richardson made an acrobatic tip-in to seal the win.
“It’s fun to be out competing and battling,” said Fisher, who won three championships during the past eight seasons with the Lakers. “I look forward to it. In Los Angeles, I was in this position so many times – big games that really meant a lot.”
This victory wasn’t as monumental as many Fisher played in, but it was a sign of progress for the Warriors since they hadn’t won two straight all year.
“We hadn’t done that all season, so we’re happy,” Richardson said.
Cliff Robinson hit key back-to-back baskets in the fourth quarter and Richardson added 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Warriors, who had lost the last two meetings at home to Boston and both games to the Celtics last season.
Jiri Welsch, traded by Golden State last year, scored a career-high 24 points, playing well on his former home court again after leading the Celtics to a win here last year.
“I got a lot of points on fast breaks when they didn’t pay attention to me,” he said.
Gary Payton had 12 points and a season-best 11 assists, but Boston lost its seventh game by a single-digit margin.
“We’re not focused at all,” Payton said. “People are not on the same page, and we’re going to keep getting beat. Until we make drastic changes, it’s going to take a while.”
Pierce, Boston’s leading scorer, bounced back from a 5-for-14 night against the Kings to score 26 points and grab five rebounds.
Boston took a three-game winning streak on the road to start a five-game trip, but lost 119-105 at Sacramento on Sunday and couldn’t make enough big shots down the stretch against the Warriors.
The Celtics’ latest loss was even tougher to swallow, since Golden State has the league’s lowest shooting percentage.
“The Warriors are one of the worst scoring teams in the league, then they go out and get 110 points,” Pierce said. “It’s hard to win that way. We’re scratching at the door, but we’re still an immature team and it shows on the court.”
First-year Golden State coach Mike Montgomery knew that transition defense would be the Warriors’ biggest challenge because of Boston’s quickness, and they did a good job staying with the Celtics.
Golden State started the second half with a 9-3 run to take a 66-58 lead, but Boston answered with an 11-2 run to take a 69-68 lead with 7:26 left in the period. Welsch had nine during the run.
Boston made 51.1 percent of its shots in the first half, but still trailed 57-55 at the break.
“We’re so flawed in the execution part of the game,” Boston coach Doc Rivers said. “We’ve just got to keep talking about it, keep teaching it, keep reminding them of it. Their last six baskets, they were all our mistakes.”
Murphy is the first Warriors player to score 30 points and grab 15 rebounds since Antawn Jamison did it Feb. 18, 2001, against Atlanta.
Notes: The Celtics fell to 2-6 on the road, while the Warriors improved to 4-6 at home. … The arena fire alarm was accidentally triggered twice and went off for more than five minutes, the first time starting late in the third quarter, but the game wasn’t stopped. … Longtime Celtics play-by-play television broadcaster Mike Gorman was taken to the hospital at halftime with complaints of stomach cramps. Gorman felt sick before the game and was lying down in the locker room, where he was examined by team doctors and then sent to the hospital for tests, team spokesman Bill Bonsiewicz said. … The Warriors Foundation, NBA and the Retired Players Association combined to donate $80,000 to The Manute Bol Medical and Special Needs Fund. The money helps with his ongoing medical expenses after a July car accident.
