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 Rajon Rondo added 20 points for the Celtics, who were still without Ray Allen, who missed his second straight game with a jammed left ankle. Sam Cassell had 17 points. He gave Boston its first lead of the fourth quarter with 46 seconds left when he hit a 3-pointer to make it 89-87.
Manu Ginobili had 32 points to lead the Spurs, who lost their season-high fourth straight. Tony Parker added 17 points and Tim Duncan scored 10.
San Antonio trailed 93-89 after Eddie House hit two foul shots for Boston to make it a two-possession game with 9.6 seconds left. Parker then got an easy basket for San Antonio but it appeared too late for the Spurs. But with two seconds left Bruce Bowen stole the ball from Garnett on the inbounds play and passed to Robert Horry, whose 3-point attempt missed. Horry sank to the ground, his head in his hands.
The Spurs have now lost six games at home this season. Their last home loss was Jan. 26 against the New Orleans Hornets.
The Spurs led 70-68 after three quarters and extended the lead to 79-72 on Horry's 3-pointer with 8:04 to play. Duncan soon followed with a pair of highlight blocks against Pierce and House before Pierce led a 9-2 run by the Celtics to bring Boston to 83-81 with 3:11 left.
House's first points of the game -- a 3 from the corner -- made it 85-84 Spurs with less than two minutes to go.
Cassell then hit another 3 -- this time from the top of the arc -- to give Boston the lead. Rondo grabbed a key offensive rebound for the Celtics and hit two from the line with 16.6 seconds left to make it a two possession game.
The Spurs missed a chance at a 3-point play when Ginobili was fouled by Pierce but his layup rolled all the way around the rim before going out. Ginobili hit both from the line to bring the Spurs within two with 11 seconds to go.
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After being dominated by the Spurs for the opening two quarters and trailing by 10 at the half, 53-43, the Celtics opened the third with a 17-4 run to take their first lead of the game, 56-55, off Pierce's easy fast break dunk with 8:24 on the clock.
Rondo had 12 points in the period -- including eight straight -- for Boston, but the Celtics couldn't build more than a three-point lead and were down two points with a quarter to play.
Ginobili, the Spurs' leading scorer, returned to the reserve role he's had most of the season after starting all but two games since Jan. 29.
Notes: The Celtics take on the Houston Rockets and their 22-game winning streak on Tuesday, but Boston coach Doc Rivers said pregame he wasn't thinking about that just yet. "To me they're (the Spurs) still the team to beat no matter what the streak is, or what anybody's streak is. ... History tells us we should focus on the Spurs." ... Rivers said he doubted Allen would be ready for Houston, saying Thursday's game vs. Dallas is more likely. ... This is the second straight year the Spurs and Celtics have played on St. Patrick's Day. Boston won last year, 91-85, beating the Spurs in San Antonio for the first time since Feb. 14, 1990. ... Spurs G-F Ime Udoka was back after sitting out two games with tarsal tunnel syndrome in his right ankle.
[Associated Press; By ELIZABETH WHITE]
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