Recap: Boston vs. LA Clippers
Rajon Rondo led a balanced Boston attack with a career-high 24 points and the Celtics, again minus Kevin Garnett, recovered from a narrow loss to Cleveland Tuesday night to hold off the Los Angeles Clippers, 111-100, at TD Banknorth Garden.
Ray Allen had 19 points and Paul Pierce went for 15, while Tony Allen contributed 17, and keyed an early fourth-quarter spurt that gave Boston some breathing room on its way to a third win in its last four games.
"I'm just trying to do what the system says," Rondo said. "I'm trying to stay within the system. Coach Rivers wants me to work on my pick-and-rolls so we can get the ball in the paint and I can get the ball to my teammates."
Corey Maggette had a game-high 33 points and eight rebounds for the Clippers, losers of three of four and six of eight. Cuttino Mobley added 16 points and Chris Kaman had 12 and nine rebounds for LA, now 1-3 on its current seven-game road swing.
It was an 84-81 Celtics edge going to the fourth, and they stretched that lead to nine by scoring the quarter's first six points. Tony Allen sliced into the lane unchallenged for a dunk, and Leon Powe followed his own miss for a basket, making it 103-91 with under six minutes left.
Eddie House hit a key fall-away three with the shot clock running down to make it 107-96 with 1:27 to go, and the Los Angeles Clippers never got closer than within six the rest of the way.
"We did a lot of good things towards the end," Corey Maggette said. "We had some opportunities. Eddie House made a big three at the end of the game. Some turnovers we had hurt, plus Chris Kaman couldn't get into a rhythm."
Powe finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while House had seven for Boston, which played its fifth straight game without Garnett, out with an abdominal strain.
Quinton Ross and Sam Cassell scored 10 apiece for the Clippers.
Boston scored the game's first nine points, but the Clippers rallied to go up 29-25 through one quarter, with Maggette tallying 14 points.
The Celtics took control with an 11-2 run late in the second quarter, as Rondo's finger-roll pushed the advantage to 46-37 with 3:52 to go, and Allen's three just before the half sent Boston into the locker room up 59-48.
Boston pushed its lead to as many as 13 early in the third, but LA surged to within three on a pair of Mobley threes, the second of which made it 82-79 with under a minute left in the stanza.
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