Celtics match hot start
BOSTON – Rajon Rondo had 14 points and 11 assists, and the Boston Celtics beat the Utah Jazz, 105-86, on Wednesday to match their 8-1 start from their title-winning season two years ago.
Kevin Garnett scored 18 points, Paul Pierce had 13 and Ray Allen 15 for the Celtics. Boston has won two in a row since its only loss, to Phoenix on Friday.
Deron Williams, who was a game-time decision because of a bruised left calf, had 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 33 minutes for Utah.
Cavaliers 102, Magic 93: At Orlando, Fla., LeBron James scored 36 points, Shaquille O’Neal provided an inside presence, and Cleveland beat Orlando in a rematch of the Eastern Conference finals.
O’Neal battled boos and bruises to score 10 points and keep Dwight Howard in foul trouble for most of the night, giving James and Co. all the inside strength they sorely lacked last season.
Hawks 114, Knicks 101: At New York, Al Horford scored a season-high 25 points and had nine rebounds, and Atlanta overcame a 14-point deficit to send New York to its fifth consecutive loss.
Spurs 92, Mavericks 83: At San Antonio, Richard Jefferson scored 29 points and San Antonio survived another game without the injured Tony Parker and Tim Duncan.
76ers 82, Nets 79: At East Rutherford, N.J., Marreese Speights had a go-ahead three-point play with 1:10 to go and Philadelphia extended New Jersey’s franchise-worst start to 0-8.
Trail Blazers 107, Timberwolves 84: At Minneapolis, Greg Oden had 18 points and 11 rebounds in three quarters, and Rudy Fernandez added 15 points for Portland.
Pacers 108, Warriors 94: At Indianapolis, Danny Granger scored 31 points and had a career-high 16 to lead Indiana to its third consecutive victory.
Bucks 108, Nuggets 102: At Milwaukee, rookie Brandon Jennings scored 14 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter, and Andrew Bogut added 23 points and 10 rebounds for Milwaukee.
Pistons 98, Bobcats 75: At Auburn Hills, Mich., Charlie Villanueva had a season-high 30 points for Detroit, outscoring Charlotte, 18-12, by himself in the third quarter.
Rockets 104, Grizzlies 79: At Houston, Luis Scola had 22 points and 15 rebounds, and Carl Landry had 20 points for Houston, sending Memphis to its seventh consecutive loss.
Suns 124, Hornets 104: At Phoenix, Amare Stoudemire and Steve Nash combined to hit all eight of their first-quarter shots, and Phoenix routed New Orleans to improve to 8-1, matching Boston for the best record in the NBA.
Thunder 83, Clippers 79: At Los Angeles, Kevin Durant stepped back and hit the go-ahead jumper from the left corner with 38 seconds left for two of his 30 points, and also had 10 rebounds to help Oklahoma City end a two-game road losing skid.
