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NBA-best Celtics visit last-place Wizards

Dec 11, 2008 - 11:29 AM Boston (20-2) at Washington (4-15) 8:00 p.m. EST

WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- The best team in the NBA meets the worst club in the Eastern Conference on Thursday when the Boston Celtics visit the Washington Wizards.

The Celtics own the longest winning streak in the NBA, but needed some last-second heroics on Sunday to push the surge to 12 straight victories and avoid a second loss to the Indiana Pacers.

Paul Pierce drilled a 3-pointer with seven seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime and Ray Allen scored seven of his season-high 35 points in the extra session, lifting Boston to a 122-117 victory.

It was the Celtics' second straight win against the Pacers, who beat Boston, 95-79, at Conseco Fieldhouse on November 1 in the teams' first meeting.

The Wizards, who fired coach Eddie Jordan after a 1-10 start to 2008-09 and replaced him on an interim basis with director of player development Ed Tapscott, snapped a three-game losing streak with a 107-94 triumph over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday.

Caron Butler scored 33 points and Juan Dixon added 16 off the bench as Washington improved to 3-8 at home.