Pierce scores 26 points to lift NBA Celtics over Mavs
BOSTON (AFP) — Paul Pierce scored 19 of his 26 points in the second half while Rajon Rondo put back his missed jumper with 42 seconds remaining to lift Boston over Dallas 96-90 on Thursday.
Ray Allen also scored 26 points and James Posey made four free throws, came up with a key steal and provided some tight defence on Dirk Nowitzki in the fourth quarter as Boston ended a seven-game losing streak to Dallas.
Nowitzki scored a game-high 31 points and Josh Howard added 19 for the Mavericks, who had their four-game winning streak snapped.
Both Pierce and Nowitzki were selected as Eastern and Western Conference All-Star reserves, respectively, prior to the game.
Boston (36-8) won its second straight game without Kevin Garnett, who sat out his third consecutive contest with a strained abdominal muscle.
Allen picked up the slack for Garnett in the first quarter, making six of his seven shots from the floor - including a baseline jumper that just beat the buzzer and put Boston up, 27-20.
