Celtics Beat Nets 86-77 for 30th Win

[January 12, 2008]  EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Kevin Garnett had 20 points and 11 rebounds, Paul Pierce added 18 points and the Boston Celtics beat the New Jersey Nets 86-77 on Friday night for their 30th win of the season.

Ray Allen scored 16 points as Boston (30-4) matched the 1959-60 champion Celtics for the best start in franchise history.

Richard Jefferson led the Nets with 17 points, Vince Carter had 16 and Josh Boone added 14 and a career-high 16 rebounds. Jason Kidd just missed another triple-double with 11 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists.

The Nets left a lot of points on the free-throw line where they were 9-for-24. New Jersey also struggled from the floor in the final quarter, going 3-for-19. Boston outscored New Jersey 23-9 in the fourth.

Boston scored 13 consecutive points without Garnett or Pierce on the floor to take a 76-70 lead with 6:12 remaining. The Celtics went ahead for good at 71-70 on a fastbreak layup by Glen Davis with 7:55 left. Following a Nets turnover on their possession, Eddie House had another fastbreak basket and Allen followed with a 3-pointer to close out the run.

It was the first meeting between the teams since the Celtics routed the Nets 91-69 on Nov. 14 in Boston. New Jersey, determined to put that embarrassment behind them, started strong, leading 30-22 after one period. Kidd was the dominant force in the period with six points, six rebounds and four assists.

The Nets extended their lead to 39-30 in the second before the Celtics started to find the offensive range. Boston closed out the half on a 17-5 run for a 47-44 advantage. Garnett paced the attack with nine points as Boston was 10-for-13 from the field in the quarter while the Nets made only 5-of-19.

The Nets hung tough with the NBA's top team, taking a 68-63 lead after three quarters. New Jersey got key 3-pointers late in the period from Carter and Nachbar.

Notes:@ The assist by Kidd on Carter's jumper with 8:07 remaining in the third was the 9,062 of his career, moving him past Isiah Thomas into fifth place on the all-time list. ... Nets official scorer Herb Turetzky worked his 1,000 consecutive game, a streak that began on May 3, 1984, with a playoff game between the Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks. Turetzky has been the Nets' official scorer all back to the their inaugural ABA season in 1967. ... Allen and Davis were back in uniform after both missed one game, the Celtics 95-83 loss to Charlotte on Wednesday. Allen had a pinched nerve while Davis had a sore right knee. ... Rajon Rondo suffered a lower back injury late in the third quarter and did not return.

[Associated Press]

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