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Celtics send Magic to eighth straight loss

Feb 2, 2013 - 4:57 AM Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett each posted double-doubles and the now-weakened Celtics bench did the rest, as Boston handed the Orlando Magic an eighth straight loss, 97-84, on Friday.

Just hours after learning key reserve Jared Sullinger will miss the rest of the season following back surgery, the Celtics shot 50 percent from the floor and held the Magic to 38 percent shooting to win going away.

Pierce logged 14 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, while Garnett chipped in 14 points and 10 boards as Boston climbed back to .500 with their third straight win -- all without All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo.

Jeff Green netted 17 points, and fellow reserves Leandro Barbosa and Jason Terry each chipped in 12 in the rout. Courtney Lee, Rondo's replacement in the starting lineup, rounded out the double-digit scorers with 14.

"With the injuries a number of guys are stepping up and that's what we are going to need throughout the rest of the season," Pierce said. "It can't just be on one or two guys, it's got to come collectively."

The Magic, playing their first game since Glen Davis broke his left foot, were also missing Arron Afflalo and had another starter go down late in the first half when Jameer Nelson suffered a left forearm contusion.

"It's part of basketball, and we'll continue to deal with it," Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn said of the recent injury bug. "It makes other guys have to fill in and fill rolls and we'll keep at it."

J.J. Redick had a team-high 15 points, while Andrew Nicholson, Nikola Vucevic and E'Twaun Moore all had 14 in defeat.

Boston's bench scored 13 points in the first quarter, including the last seven as the hosts jumped out to a 25-18 lead.

A 20-footer from Garnett stretched Boston's lead to 35-24 midway through the second, and it was still an 11-point game, 46-35, at the break.

A Moore 3-point play pulled the Magic within 57-54 with five minutes to go in the third, but the Celtics scored nine of the next 11 points to rebuild their double-digit lead. Pierce's layup and two free throws in the final minute yielded a 72-59 advantage heading into the fourth.

Green, Garnett and Barbosa each scored on Boston's first three possessions of the fourth quarter, and it was a double-digit game the rest of the way.

Game Notes

Boston has won seven straight meetings against the Magic ... Pierce was three assists shy of his eighth career triple-double ... Nelson is day-to-day with his injury, as is Afflalo, who has missed the last three games with a strained calf ... Vucevic pulled down a game-high 14 boards ... The Magic shot 3-of-19 from behind the arc.