LOS ANGELES -- With a five-game win streak on hand, the Boston Celtics have been playing good basketball since point guard Rajon Rondo was lost for the rest of the season with a partially torn ACL. But they saved their best for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Fueled by Paul Pierce's 24 points and 19 from Jeff Green, the Celtics put on a dazzling offensive show that eventually led to an easy 116-95 demolition of their bitter rivals on Thursday night at the TD Garden in downtown Boston.
Up by only four -- 27-23 -- after 12 minutes of action, the Celtics put the contest beyond doubt by scoring a total of 68 points in the second and third quarters. The Celtics made 46 of 87 field goals (52.9 percent) and 5-of-11 from the three-point range (45.5 percent). Their total output of 116 is a season-high.
Boston power forward Kevin Garnett stuffed the stats sheet with 15 points, five rebounds and four assists. Jason Terry also had 15, going 2-for-2 from above the three-point arc while Courtney Lee chipped in 13.
With their sixth consecutive triumph, the Boston Celtics moved up to seventh overall in the Eastern Conference with a 26-23 record.
Kobe Bryant led the vanquished Lakers with 27 points and seven rebounds, but the Black Mamba finished with zero assists. Jodi Meeks and Antawn Jamison combined for 24 points but center Dwight Howard, who returned from a three-game absence with a shoulder injury, struggled with just nine points and nine rebounds.
The Lakers converted only 36 of 87 shots for a 41.4 percent clip, and they missed 18 of 23 triples for a low 21.7 percent.
Although it was only their second loss in eight games, Los Angeles fell to 23-27 and 3 1/2 games behind the 27-24 Houston Rockets for the 8th and last playoffs berth in the Western Conference. (Nicholai Rhiz Roska)
Celtics power forward (right) Kevin Garnett tries to elude Lakers center Dwight Howard Thursday night when the Boston Celtics overpowered the Lakers, 116-95, at the TD Garden.
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