NBA \ Monday’s games
Celtics 100, Jazz 91
BOSTON — Rajon Rondo scored 12 of his career-high 25 points in the final 5:20, and Kevin Garnett had 19 points and 10 rebounds in Boston’s 15th consecutive victory. Kendrick Perkins added 15 points and 14 rebounds for Boston, which avenged the worst loss of its championship season. Paul Pierce scored 15 points before he hurt his left knee during a scramble for a defensive rebound with 31 seconds left. He said he should be all right. Paul Millsap scored a career-high 32 points with 10 rebounds for Utah.
Nuggets 98, Mavericks 88
DALLAS — Reserve J.R. Smith scored 25 points, Carmelo Anthony added 23, and Denver beat Dallas to extend its winning streak to four games. Chauncey Billups had 15 points and eight assists for the Nuggets, who have won seven of eight and improved to 16-4 since Billups joined the team after a Nov. 3 trade with the Detroit Pistons. Dirk Nowitzki had 27 points and 10 rebounds, and Jason Terry scored 19 points for the Mavericks, who had won 11 of their previous 13. Mavericks forward Josh Howard was back after being inactive for 11 straight games because of a sprained left ankle. He came off the bench late in the first quarter and played 14 minutes, scoring seven points.
Bucks 98, Heat 83
MIAMI — Michael Redd scored 16 of his 21 points in the first quarter, and Milwaukee started quickly before holding off a late rally to beat Miami. Andrew Bogut had 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Charlie Villanueva added 20 points for Milwaukee, which won on the road for the first time since beating Charlotte on Nov. 22. Mario Chalmers had 20 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, and Dwyane Wade added 15 points for the Heat, who lost their third straight game.
Nets 94, Raptors 87
TORONTO — Vince Carter had 20 points and 10 rebounds, Ryan Anderson scored 21 points, and New Jersey beat Toronto to snap a three-game losing streak. Devin Harris added 16 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter. Carter scored a season-high 39 points in a 129-127 overtime victory at Toronto on Nov. 21, but had only three points and shot a career-worst 0-for-13 against his former team as the Raptors beat the Nets 101-79 last Friday. Chris Bosh and Jason Kapono each scored 17 for Toronto. Jose Calderon added 15 points and Jermaine O’Neal had 12 for the Raptors, who have lost seven of nine.
Pacers 118, Wizards 98
WASHINGTON — Danny Granger scored 27 points and Marquis Daniels had 20 points as Indiana snapped a six-game losing streak by beating Washington. Point guards T.J. Ford and Jarrett Jack each scored 16 points for the Pacers (8-16), who had dropped eight of nine coming in. Antawn Jamison had 26 points and a season-high 15 rebounds — his 14th double-double this season — and Caron Butler scored 26 for Washington, which has the Eastern Conference’s worst record (4-18) and has lost six of seven.
Associated Press
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