Kevin Garnett scored 22 points and Paul Pierce added 20 as the Boston Celtics beat the Rockets 94-74 on Tuesday, stopping Houston's remarkable victory run at 22 games.
The Rockets hadn't lost since a 97-89 defeat to Utah on Jan. 27 and put together the NBA's second-longest winning streak. It ended 11 victories shy of the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers, who won 33 in a row.
It was only Houston's second loss in 28 games and their fourth since a 97-93 loss in Boston on Jan. 2, a game Tracy McGrady sat out with a knee injury. The Rockets also lost for the first time in 11 games since Yao Ming went out with a season-ending foot injury on Feb. 26.
PHOTO: AP
Luis Scola scored 15 for Houston, who had a 15-game home streak snapped.
PISTONS 136, NUGGETS 120
At Auburn Hills, Michigan, Richard Hamilton scored 24 points, Rasheed Wallace added 21, and Detroit beat Denver.
The Nuggets were coming off a record-setting 168-116 victory over Seattle, but it was Detroit's offense that took over Tuesday night. The Pistons hadn't scored 130 points in regulation since beating Denver 130-116 on March 8, 2000.
LAKERS 102, MAVERICKS 100
At Dallas, Kobe Bryant scored 29 points and Vladimir Radmanovic scored 10 of his 21 in the final quarter to give Los Angeles just enough to hold off Dallas.
The Lakers led by 25 points midway through the third quarter, but were up only 101-100 with 4.8 seconds left. Derek Fisher made one of two foul shots after that, then Dirk Nowitzki had a chance to win it for Dallas but missed a 3-pointer as time expired.
Nowitzki had 35 points, 11 rebounds and a season-high five blocks, but the Mavericks' five-game winning streak was snapped. Dallas fell to 0-6 against teams with winning records since adding Jason Kidd.
BULLS 112, NETS 96
At Chicago, Luol Deng scored 20 points, and Drew Gooden had 19 points and 11 rebounds as Chicago built a big halftime lead, survived a sluggish third quarter and pulled away to beat New Jersey.
New Jersey whittled a 24-point halftime deficit to nine early in the fourth quarter, but the Bulls didn't falter. In their previous two games, Chicago squandered final-period leads and lost to the 76ers and Hornets.
Ben Gordon scored 10 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter and Larry Hughes added 16 in Chicago's balanced attack.
KINGS 122, WARRIORS 105
At Sacramento, California, Kevin Martin scored 34 points, Ron Artest added 26 and Sacramento snapped a three-game losing streak against Golden State.
Mikki Moore had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Kings, who had lost five of their last six in a rivalry they mostly dominated before the Warriors' ascension last season. Sacramento lost most of a 23-point lead in the fourth quarter, but rallied in the final minutes to preserve their fourth win in five games overall.
HEAT 112, BUCKS 106
At Milwaukee, Jason Williams and Ricky Davis had double-doubles, Chris Quinn hit three crucial 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, and Miami snapped an 0-for-March streak by beating Milwaukee.
Miami had lost eight in a row. Quinn scored 17 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, and the Heat rallied from a 14-point, second-half deficit to hand the Bucks their sixth-straight loss.
Suns 111, Trail Blazers 98
At Portland, Oregon, Amare Stoudemire scored 25 points, Shaquille O'Neal had 16 points and 14 rebounds, and Phoenix beat Portland for their fifth-straight win.
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