SALT LAKE CITY - With the Olympics about to descend on the city, the Celtics were looking to execute a basketball biathlon vs. the Jazz - shoot down the hosts for the second time in a week and ski straight out of town.

Instead, they failed to execute well enough in the pairs competition. Utah won the game, 99-86, and this time no bribes were involved.

Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 28 points, but he had just three in the game's last 16:59. And when Antoine Walker made just two of his first 11 shots (he had a mere seven points through three quarters), it was all downhill for the Boston delegation. Pierce started slowly, not even attempting his first field goal until 18:25 after the opening tip. Celtics coach Jim O'Brien thought Pierce might have been giving the ball up a bit too quickly in anticipation of a trap. But when the Jazz did come at him in the last period, Pierce was looking for more help from his friends. Walker had 12 points in the last 9:07, but he was bailing against the tide by then.