Celtics rebound late for third straight win

Boston : The Boston Celtics rebounded in the fourth quarter to beat the New Jersey Nets 96-87 on Friday and hand the NBA's worst team their 13th consecutive road loss.

The Nets held a one-point advantage going into the fourth quarter but the Celtics' Eddie House scored all 10 of his points in the final session as Boston ran out winners.

"That's our mentality," Rajon Rondo, who had 17 points and 11 assists, told reporters.

Coach Doc Rivers had put House, Glen Davis and Rasheed Wallace on the floor with Rondo and high scorer Ray Allen to ignite the Celtics. And it worked.

The unit went on a 14-4 run and had the game under control before starters Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins and Tony Allen returned.

House had Boston's first five points of the quarter to put the hosts up by two and they never trailed again. The reserve guard made it 84-77 with his second three-pointer and 10th point in six minutes.

Ray Allen scored a team-high 26 points as the Celtics recorded their third win in a row. "We thought that we could just outscore them," Celtics coach Rivers said.

RESULTS

INDIANA 107 Detroit 83

Washington 92 ORLANDO 91

BOSTON 96 New Jersey 87

Milwaukee 114 NY KNICKS 107

ATLANTA 91 Chicago 81

Houston 101 MEMPHIS 83

Philadelphia 101 N.ORLEANS 94

Minnesota 117 DALLAS 108

Phoenix 114 SAC'MENTO 102

Denver 126 LA LAKERS 113

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