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Celtics host defending champion Spurs

Feb 10, 2008 - 2:47 PM San Antonio (32-16) at Boston (38-9) 1:00 pm EST

BOSTON (Ticker) -- The Boston Celtics and their depleted front line keep finding ways to win.

The Celtics will put their undefeated record against Western Conference opponents on the line again Sunday when they host the defending champion San Antonio Spurs.

All-Star Kevin Garnett has missed the past six games with an abdominal strain, forcing him to watch from the bench on Friday as Boston barely scraped out an 88-86 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, his former team.

Second-year forward Leon Powe, who has seen his playing time increase in Garnett's absence, hit the winning layup at the buzzer for the Celtics in that contest.

The victory pushed Boston's record against the West to 15-0 this season, but it came with a price as starting center Kendrick Perkins was forced out of the contest with a shoulder strain in the third quarter. Perkins is questionable for Sunday's game.

The Celtics have won four of their last five and are 4-2 without Garnett in the lineup.

Point guard Rajon Rondo has taken on more of the scoring load, averaging 18.0 points in his last six games, while Powe, rookie Glen "Big Baby" Davis and Brian Scalabrine have seen their minutes increase as well.

The Spurs and perennial All-Star Tim Duncan will be a tough test for Boston's banged-up frontline. Duncan is averaging 19.7 points and 11.3 rebounds and has led San Antonio to four straight wins.

Its last triumph was a dramatic, 99-93, overtime victory over the New York Knicks, which included a frantic comeback from an 18-point second-half deficit.

In the midst of their nine-game "Rodeo Road Trip," the Spurs rank third in the NBA in defense behind the Celtics and the Detroit Pistons, allowing 91.2 points per game. They have yielded just 87.5 per game over the first six games of their trip.

While Boston already has defeated seven of the top 10 teams in the West, it has yet to face San Antonio, which has won nine in a row in Boston.