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Garnett helps Celtics breeze past Warriors

Feb 23, 2011 - 8:06 AM Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Kevin Garnett finished with a game-high 24 points to go along with 12 rebounds and six assists, as the Celtics used a strong second half to top the Warriors, 115-93, at Oracle Arena.

Paul Pierce added 23 points while Rajon Rondo supplied 19 points and 15 assists for Boston, which has won three straight. Ray Allen scored 18 while Glen Davis contributed 12 points and 10 boards in the win.

"I thought Rondo, leadership-wise, throughout the game, he was getting on guys. I just thought that he was a coach on the floor tonight. He was terrific," Celtics head coach Doc Rivers said.

Dorell Wright paced Golden State with 19 points while Stephen Curry added 18. David Lee and Monta Ellis scored 17 and 15 points, respectively, in the loss.

The Warriors had a three-game winning streak snapped as well as a six-game streak over the Celtics in Oakland.

The Celtics took an 88-78 lead into the fourth, but the Warriors opened the final stanza on a quick 6-0 run to keep the game close. The Boston lead remained between four and six points until a pair of Davis free throws started an 18-2 run that put the game away.

Garnett ended the spurt with a step-back jumper at 3:17 and the Celtics lead remained around 20 down the stretch. In the final nine minutes -- which encompassed the 18-2 Boston run -- the Warriors were held to only nine points on 3-of-14 shooting.

"At the end of the third quarter...their defensive intensity picked up a lot and we didn't have a rhythm on offense and didn't move the ball like we wanted to coming into the game," Curry said. "We kind of moved the ball side to side and made them play defense and not just load up to the ball, but we kind of got stagnant. We missed a lot of shots and our momentum was taken away and they made plays."

Rondo and Garnett both posted 10 points in the first quarter. However, the Golden State tandem of Wright and Lee scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, keeping the Celtics lead at 31-30 at the end of one.

The high scoring pace continued into the second as the Warriors tied the game at 60-60 entering the half. Curry led all scorers with nine points on 3-of-3 from the field in the second stanza.

After trading baskets to open the third, the Celtics used Allen and Garnett baskets to take a 66-62 lead. Boston's lead remained around four until a 9-2 run to end the quarter widened the lead to 88-78 entering the fourth. The Warriors were 7-of-21 from the field in the third and the Celtics created some distance thanks to their 4-of-8 showing from beyond the arc.

Game Notes

Before Tuesday, the Celtics last win in Oakland came on March 26 2003...Boston held a 52-35 rebounding advantage...The Warriors scored 23 points off 18 Boston turnovers...Celtics center Kendrick Perkins left the game with a bruised left knee.