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Gortat helps Suns down Rondo-less Celtics

Jan 21, 2012 - 5:08 AM Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Marcin Gortat had 24 points and 12 rebounds, as the Suns earned a 79-71 win over the Celtics on Friday.

Jared Dudley added 12 points and Steve Nash had 11 and nine assists for the Suns, who have won two in a row since a five-game skid.

"We were in a tough place there," said Nash. "To get two (wins) is huge for us just because we are struggling to win games period."

The Celtics, playing without point guard Rajon Rondo, registered a season-low in points and fell for the sixth time in seven games. Ray Allen scored a team- high 14, Paul Pierce had 12 on 5-of-14 shooting and Brandon Bass finished with 11.

"We have some great offensive prowess here on this side and it's frustrating when we can't put the ball in the hoop," said Allen.

Rondo suffered a sprained right wrist in Wednesday's win over the Raptors and the Celtics got off to a slow start without him, scoring just 35 first-half points to trail the Suns by 11 at the break. They rallied to take a brief lead in the third, starting the quarter on a 15-4 run to tie the game, then grabbing a 53-50 lead on Mickael Pietrus' corner three.

The Suns, though, used a 12-0 run over the end of the third and the beginning of the fourth to re-establish control. Dudley scored twice, Shannon Brown made a layup and Nash hit two from the charity strip, as Phoenix took a 60-55 lead into the final quarter.

Sebastian Telfair and Brown both hit jumpers to start the fourth, stretching the lead to nine and it reached 10 on a Brown trey in the closing minutes.

Kevin Garnett, who finished with 10 points, answered with a layup and Pietrus hit a three after a Nash miss to make it 76-71 with 56 seconds left, but Gortat drew a foul on the other end and knocked down a pair to put the game away.

Game Notes

Gortat has posted seven straight double-doubles and has grabbed at least 12 rebounds in four straight games. The last Sun to grab 12 or more boards in four straight games was Shawn Marion in 2006-07...Rondo left the game on Wednesday in the third quarter with a wrist injury. X-rays taken revealed no break.