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Celtics conclude road swing at Utah

Feb 28, 2011 - 3:54 PM (Sports Network) - The Boston Celtics will put the finishing touches on their four-game road trip when they pay a visit to the Utah Jazz tonight at EnergySolutions Arena.

Boston has won four of five games and is 2-1 on the trek following Saturday's 99-92 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. Paul Pierce scored 24 points, Ray Allen had 22 and Kevin Garnett finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics.

"It was a good third and fourth quarter," Pierce said. "We were aggressive and attacked the rim."

Newcomers Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic made their Celtics debuts, with Krstic posting nine points and six rebounds. Green ended with seven points off the bench in helping Boston to a 17-10 road record.

The Celtics are seeded first in the Eastern Conference, just a half-game in front of Miami and two games ahead of Chicago.

Utah completed a three-game road trip with a 1-2 mark and suffered its sixth loss in seven tries with Saturday's 120-116 setback against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Paul Millsap led the Jazz with 23 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, while Andrei Kirilenko added 21 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Al Jefferson, who entered the game averaging 28.7 points in his previous four contests, finished with 20 points and nine rebounds. The Jazz shot 59.5 percent, committed 17 turnovers and missed 11-of-34 from the line.

Jazz newcomer Devin Harris collected 17 points and 12 assists. It was Harris' first start for his new team. Utah is now 1-5 since Tyrone Corbin took over for Jerry Sloan.

"These are the kinds of games we have to win," Corbin said after the loss to the Pistons. "Give [Detroit] credit, they had their backs against the wall. We hurt ourselves a little bit too."

Corbin's team will try to stop a five-game home losing streak tonight in the opener of a three-game residency versus the Celtics, Nuggets and Kings. The Jazz are 17-13 in Salt Lake City this season and haven't tasted victory at home since Jan .31 versus Charlotte. Utah is only a half-game off the eighth and final postseason spot in the Western Conference.

Boston defeated Utah, 110-86, on Jan. 21 this season at TD Garden, as Garnett and Pierce contributed 21 and 20 points, respectively, in that one. The Celtics haven't swept a home-and-home series with the Jazz since the 2005-06 campaign and have won three of the last five meetings between the teams.

The Celtics have lost two straight and three of four games at Utah.