Zaza Pachulia grabbed a season-high 14 rebounds for Atlanta. Associated Press ADVERTISING BOSTON — The Boston Celtics’ injuries didn’t affect what coach Doc Rivers always wants — solid defense. Paul Pierce and former Magic forward Brandon Bass each scored 19
Associated Press
BOSTON — The Boston Celtics’ injuries didn’t affect what coach Doc Rivers always wants — solid defense.
Paul Pierce and former Magic forward Brandon Bass each scored 19 points to carry the injury-riddled Celtics to an 87-56 win over Orlando on Monday night.
The Magic set franchise lows for points and field goals (16).
“Defensively that was as good as you can get,” Rivers said after his team matched a club record for fewest points allowed in the shot-clock era, also done last season against Milwaukee.
Boston was minus starters Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo and three bench players, drastically reducing its roster.
Bass and Pierce carried the offense and Boston got some strong play from a cast of down-the-bench reserves. The Celtics snapped a streak of six straight losses against teams with winning records.
Pierce is looking for it to shake Boston out of its early season woes.
“Hopefully it’ll funnel over to the guys that were out,” said Pierce, who followed a 34-point effort in a win at Washington on Sunday. “There’s no more excuses.”
Avery Bradley and Sasha Pavlovic started in the backcourt for Boston and attempted to pressure Orlando’s guards early, helping the Celtics pick up the pressure defensively.
“(It) started with Avery,” Rivers said. “The ball pressure — and then it led to everyone. They’re a great shooting team. … Everything had to be precise and it was.”
Dwight Howard led the Magic with 18 points and 14 rebounds. He needs eight points to surpass Nick Anderson as the Magic’s career scoring leader.
Howard was 0 for 6 from the floor and just 4 for 10 from the free throw line in the second half.
Mavericks 93, Suns 87
DALLAS — Shawn Marion scored a season-high 29 points and short-handed Dallas stretched its home winning streak to seven games with a victory over Phoenix.
Marion, who entered with five 3-pointers all season, went 4 of 6 from behind the arc and 11 for 20 from the field.
Top scorer Dirk Nowitzki and key reserve Vince Carter remain out for the defending NBA champion Mavericks (11-7), who returned home from a 2-2 road trip.
Grant Hill scored a season-high 19 points for Phoenix and Marcin Gortat had 19 points and 17 rebounds, his eighth consecutive double-double. Shannon Brown added 14 points for the Suns, who have lost six of eight.
Phoenix has dropped its last nine games at Dallas.
Ian Mahinmi had 17 points and nine rebounds for the Mavericks.
Bulls 110, Nets 95
CHICAGO — Derrick Rose and Richard Hamilton each scored 22 points to lead banged-up Chicago to an easy victory over New Jersey.
Hamilton set season highs in points and assists (10). Rose added eight assists and hung with Deron Williams after missing four games with a sprained left big toe.
Joakim Noah chipped in with 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulls, who cruised to their fourth straight win even though they’re hardly a picture of health at the moment.
Rose seemed hobbled at times but was able to stick with one of the game’s best point guards, hours after he said the injury could be an issue the rest of the season.
Noah came up big, too, after missing a game with a sprained left ankle. Carlos Boozer had 14 points and nine rebounds, and Ronnie Brewer (11 points) filled in nicely with Luol Deng sidelined by a sprained left wrist.
Williams had 16 points and 10 assists for New Jersey. Jordan Farmar scored 22, but the Nets were overwhelmed playing their third game in three nights.
76ers 103, Wizards 83
PHILADELPHIA — Elton Brand had 17 points and nine rebounds, and Jrue Holiday also scored 17 to lead Philadelphia over Washington.
Jodie Meeks added 15 points and Andre Iguodala had 11 assists. The Sixers led by 30 in the first half and easily cruised to their third win of the season against the hapless Wizards.
Jordan Crawford led the Wizards (2-15) with 17 points. They lost their third straight game and remained the NBA’s only winless road team at 0-7.
Playing without starting center Spencer Hawes (left Achilles strain) and forward Nik Vucevic (quadriceps strain), the Sixers improved to 8-1 at home.
Thunder 99, Pistons 79
OKLAHOMA CITY — Russell Westbrook and reserve James Harden each scored 24 points, Kevin Durant added 20 and Oklahoma City beat Detroit for its fourth straight blowout win at home.
The Thunder built a 30-point lead midway through the second quarter and Detroit got no closer than 17 after the opening period.
Oklahoma City’s starters had sat out all of the fourth quarter in the previous three games at Chesapeake Energy Arena and that streak was only stopped because Serge Ibaka replaced an injured Nick Collison with the rest of the backups.
Collison sprained his left ankle and didn’t play after halftime.
Rookie guard Brandon Knight led Detroit with 13 points. Rodney Stuckey and Greg Monroe added 12 apiece.
Spurs 104, Hornets 102
NEW ORLEANS — Tim Duncan scored a season-high 28 points, including a running hook in the lane with 1.4 seconds left, and San Antonio sent New Orleans to its eighth straight loss.
Tony Parker added 20 points and a career-high 17 assists for the Spurs, who snapped a two-game skid. Richard Jefferson had 14 points and Tiago Splitter 12.
The Hornets inbounded the ball to Carl Landry for a desperation 3-pointer that could have won it as time expired, but the shot fell short, leaving New Orleans with its 14th loss in 15 games.
Jarrett Jack led the Hornets with 26 points and nine assists. Trevor Ariza tied a season high with 18 points and Landry also scored 18.
Rockets 107, T’wolves 92
MINNEAPOLIS — Kevin Martin scored 31 points and Houston won its seventh straight game, beating Minnesota in coach Kevin McHale’s first game back at Target Center since he was fired by the Timberwolves in 2009.
Kyle Lowry had 16 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds and Samuel Dalembert grabbed 15 rebounds for the Rockets, who put the game away with a 19-1 run bridging the third and fourth quarters.
Kevin Love had 39 points and 12 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who committed 10 turnovers in the fourth quarter in coach Rick Adelman’s first game against the team he coached the past four seasons.
Ricky Rubio had 12 assists for Minnesota, but the rookie scored just six points on 2-for-10 shooting and turned the ball over five times.
The Rockets entered 0-5 on the road against Western Conference foes.
Hawks 97, Bucks 92
MILWAUKEE — Joe Johnson scored 14 of his season-high 28 points in the fourth quarter, rallying Atlanta past Milwaukee.
Josh Smith had 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Jeff Teague added 15 points for the Hawks in the opener of a five-game road trip.
Brandon Jennings had 21 points and 11 assists to lead Milwaukee, and Mike Dunleavy added 17 points. But the Bucks had no answer for Johnson in the fourth.
Johnson, who came in averaging 18.6 points, was 10 of 22 from the floor and 8 for 8 from the line. He had five rebounds and two steals.
Zaza Pachulia grabbed a season-high 14 rebounds for Atlanta.
