Celtics win 11th straight, top Wolves 109-101

[February 02, 2009]  BOSTON (AP) -- Paul Pierce scored 36 points with eight rebounds and six assists, Ray Allen scored 22 and the Boston Celtics won their 11th straight game on Sunday, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 109-101 while Kevin Garnett was out sick.

Al Jefferson, the centerpiece of the trade that brought Garnett to Boston and set the stage for the franchise's 18th NBA title, scored 34 points for the Timberwolves. It's the 19th time he has scored at least 30 points in his career, the sixth since Dec. 20 and the first time he has done it in back-to-back games.

Jefferson also had 11 rebounds -- his 26th double-double of the season -- and Randy Foye had 21 points and nine assists.

Boston led by as many as 21 in the third quarter, 71-50, before Minnesota scored 15 of the next 17 points. The Timberwolves got within five points in the fourth quarter, 94-89, with 5:20 left, but Allen hit a jumper and Pierce made a pair of free throws to make it a nine-point game.

The Timberwolves had lost three straight since winning 10 of 12.

Garnett, who had played every other game except for one in which he was suspended, had a high fever, and coach Doc Rivers said the All-Star forward will probably miss Tuesday night's game against the Philadelphia 76ers as well.

"He's sick. He's really bad. His fever's really high," Rivers said. "He's not playing today. He's probably not playing Tuesday. For him to be out of any game, especially today, he's got to be pretty sick."

Glen "Big Baby" Davis started in his place and scored 12 points with six rebounds.

Notes: Timberwolves coach Kevin McHale, the Celtics Hall of Famer who helped the Celtics win the 2008 title by trading Garnett to Boston, received a standing ovation before the game. ... It was the Celtics' first home game since parting ways with their mascot, Lucky. ... Brian Scalabrine is "still having the symptoms" from last week's concussions, Rivers said. ... Pierce and Jefferson each had 14 points in the third quarter. ... Kevin Love had 10 rebounds for Minnesota.

[Associated Press; By JIMMY GOLEN]

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