• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Garnett leads Celtics over Suns

Mar 3, 2011 - 5:28 AM Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Kevin Garnett scored a season-high 28 points on 12-of-14 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds, as Boston held off a Phoenix charge in a 115-103 win at TD Garden.

Ray Allen provided 19 points while Rajon Rondo supplied 16 points, 15 assists and five boards for the Celtics, who have won three in a row and six out of their last seven.

Aaron Brooks provided a spark off the bench with 17 points and seven assists, while Jared Dudley added 15 points in a reserve role as the Suns had a four- game winning streak snapped.

Phoenix guard Vince Carter (mouth laceration) and forward Channing Frye (eye contusion) left the game and did not return after a third-quarter collision.

Troy Murphy, who the Celtics signed earlier on Wednesday, scored one point and grabbed two rebounds in slightly more than 14 minutes of action.

Murphy was acquired by the Warriors last Wednesday, but the highly-paid Notre Dame product was waived by the club just five days later and was reportedly contemplating signing with the Celtics or the Miami Heat.

"I think it's the way they play," Murphy said before the game about choosing the Celtics. "I think watching both teams, I think I fit in better with the way Boston plays and the way they spread the floor."

Leading by 20 at the intermission, Boston built its lead to 29 before Phoenix closed the third quarter on a 13-3 run, including the last nine points, to make it a 91-72 game heading into the final stanza.

The Suns continued to fight their way back into the game by scoring nine straight to open the fourth quarter to pull within 91-81 on a Marcin Gortat layup with just over 8 1/2 minutes to play.

Rondo finally made Boston's first bucket of the period five minutes in and the hosts never allowed the Suns to creep closer than nine the rest of the way.

Brooks scored 11 of his points in the fourth quarter and Mickael Pietrus added eight before the comeback bid fell short. Boston made 11-of-17 from the foul line in the final period to secure the win and end a three-game slide against Phoenix.

"Obviously it's tough when you get down as big as we did," said Suns head coach Alvin Gentry, "but I thought we did a great job of fighting back."

Boston went on a 12-2 push to take a 16-8 lead less than four minutes into the game and led 32-21 after the first quarter behind 12 points from Garnett.

Steve Nash hit a three-pointer to bring the Suns to within 49-39 with 4:21 to go before the half. The Celtics scored 11 of the next 13 points to push their advantage to 19 and Rondo's runner at the buzzer made it 62-42 at the break.

"I thought our ball movement, our energy (and) our defense in the first half was phenomenal," said Celtics head coach Doc Rivers.

Game Notes

Paul Pierce contributed 16 points, on 6-of-9 shooting, and 13 boards for the Celts, who shot 54 percent from the floor... Boston made 23-of-34 at the line while the Suns went 25-of-33...Glen Davis added 14 points and eight caroms off the bench for Boston, which dominated in the paint, outscoring Phoenix 52-26...Gortat finished with 13 points and 13 boards in defeat...Carter scored 11 points before departing while Pietrus and Grant Hill also ended with 11 points each...Phoenix was 12-of-23 from beyond the arc.