Celtics 108, Thunder 100

Paul Pierce scored 22 of his 27 points in the second half and Boston snapped a two-game losing streak by beating Oklahoma City Thunder Friday night.

Kevin Garnett had 18 points and nine rebounds for the Celtics, who led by 14 in the second half and held on after the Thunder cut it to three points with under 2 minutes remaining. Rajon Rondo had 16 assists and eight rebounds for Boston.

Kevin Durant scored 29 for Oklahoma City, which lost for just the second time in its last 10 games. Russell Westbrook had 26 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, and Serge Ibaka added 17 points and 13 rebounds.

Boston led 84-70 on Pierce's 3-pointer with just under 10 minutes left, but the Thunder cut it to six, 93-87, thanks in part to a 3-pointer from Durant and a dunk from Ibaka. It was 101-89 when Westbrook made a pair of free throws and Durant hit a 3-pointer, then they each added a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to three points.

Kendrick Perkins had five points and nine rebounds in his second game in Boston since he was traded to Oklahoma City by the team he helped win the 2008 NBA championship. Jeff Green, the only remaining player on the Celtics from that deal, scored 17 points off the bench.

Rockets 131, Knicks 103

James Harden scored 33 points, and Chandler Parsons had a career-high 31 to help Houston coast to a victory over New York.

Jeremy Lin added 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists for Houston in the first game against his former team.

The Rockets entered the third quarter up by 12, and scored 10 straight points later in the quarter to extend their lead to 21.

Carmelo Anthony scored a season-high 37 for New York, which dropped consecutive games for the first time this season.

Lin went undrafted out of Harvard and became a sensation with the Knicks last season with a remarkable stretch in February where he scored at least 20 points in nine of 10 games. A high point of that span came when he had 38 points and seven assists in a 92-85 victory over the Lakers on Feb. 10.

The Rockets released Lin before he signed with New York. Lin became a Rocket again when the Knicks didn't match Houston's three-year, $25 million offer.

Nets 86, Clippers 76

Brook Lopez had 26 points, including consecutive baskets during the game's decisive stretch, and Brooklyn shut down Los Angeles in the fourth quarter.

Brooklyn outscored Los Angeles 23-13 during a final period in which Chris Paul had no points, two assists and six fouls. Deron Williams didn't have a great game either, but he improved to 14-4 in the longtime rivalry between two of the NBA's top point guards.

Joe Johnson added 19 points for the Nets.