INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -Paul Pierce scored 31 points, and the Boston Celtics beat the Indiana Pacers 101-86 on Tuesday night to remain unbeaten.
Pierce made 14 of 14 free throws and had 11 rebounds.
Kevin Garnett added 18 points and 11 rebounds, his sixth double-double in six games, as Boston (6-0) matched its best start since the 1987-88 season. Boston still is chasing its best start, 14 straight wins to begin the 1957-58 season.
Danny Granger led Indiana (3-4) with 24 points, and Jermaine O’Neal added 10 points and nine boards.
Indiana made a push late. Jamaal Tinsley scored back-to-back buckets to cut Boston’s lead to 89-82 with 4:06 to go, but Garnett made a long jumper on the other end to help the Celtics maintain control.
Boston outscored the Pacers 33-20 from the free-throw line and held the Pacers to 35 percent shooting.
It was Indiana’s fourth consecutive loss after starting the season with three straight wins.
Suns 113, Knicks 102
PHOENIX (AP) – Amare Stoudemire had his best night since his arthroscopic knee surgery six weeks ago, finishing with 26 points and 12 rebounds for the Suns.
The Knicks were without three starters, including Stephon Marbury, who abruptly left the team earlier in the day and reportedly returned to New York as the Knicks opened a four-game road trip.
Shawn Marion scored 23 and Grant Hill had 21, his most in his eight games with Phoenix. Steve Nash finished with five points and 12 assists.
Phoenix led by as many as 17 in the second quarter, 19 in the third and 21 in the fourth.
Jamal Crawford, one of the remaining New York starters, scored 21.
WNBC New York and The New York Post reported Marbury contacted them electronically to say he had Thomas’ permission to leave the team.
Thomas would not confirm that he allowed Marbury to leave. The Knicks coach avoided the subject altogether in his meeting with reporters before the game.
Magic 103, SuperSonics 76
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – Rashard Lewis scored 22 points against his former team, and Orlando handed Seattle its league-worst eighth straight loss.
The SuperSonics have not won since April 7 of last season, when Lewis was still on their side and went for 35 points against the Utah Jazz. It is the worst start in franchise history, surpassing an 0-6 streak in 1969-70.
Lewis had 19 in the first half, and along with Dwight Howard rested the fourth quarter. Howard had only one first-half point, but finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Hedo Turkoglu scored 17 points.
Nick Collison led Seattle with 15 points and rookie Jeff Green finished with 12.
Spurs 107, Lakers 92
SAN ANTONIO (AP) – Tony Parker had 26 points and nine assists, and the Spurs won their fourth straight game.
Bruce Bowen went 6-of-6 from 3-point range for San Antonio and finished with 23 points. Manu Ginobili added 17 points.
Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 18 points, well below the 30.4 he was averaging before the game. Jordan Farmar added 16 and Lamar Odom had 12.
The Spurs finished 13-of-27 from beyond the arc and had the lead from midway through the second quarter.
Grizzlies 105, Rockets 99
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Pau Gasol scored 26 points, including four free throws in the final minute, and Memphis overcame 41 points from Tracy McGrady to beat the Rockets.
Darko Milicic added 20 points, and Mike Miller finished with 17 as Memphis snapped Houston’s three-game winning streak. Rudy Gay scored 15 for the Grizzlies.
Free throws were the difference, as Memphis connected on eight straight in the final 2 minutes after Houston tied it at 97. Memphis scored 34 points from the line, compared to 17 for the Rockets.
Yao Ming added 22 points for Houston and reserve Mike James had 10.
The Rockets led 53-49 at halftime.
Mavericks 99, 76ers 84
DALLAS (AP) – Jason Terry scored 12 of his 25 points during Dallas’ big third-quarter run and the Mavericks rallied to get the win.
Dirk Nowitzki added 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Mavericks, who bounced back from Saturday night’s 91-82 road loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Nowitzki also matched a career high with eight assists.
Josh Howard added 18 points for Dallas.
Andre Iguodala had 15 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists for Philadelphia, which has lost three straight. Samuel Dalembert finished with a season-high 18 points and Willie Green added 16.
The Mavericks came out strong in the second half. They got 11 of their first 16 third-quarter points off fastbreaks and Terry made a pair of 3s during a 23-11 run that put Dallas in front 66-61.
Bobcats 91, Heat 76
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – Gerald Wallace scored 19 points and Jason Richardson added 18 to lead Charlotte to the win.
Emeka Okafor had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Bobcats, who dominated the punchless Heat. Playing again without Dwyane Wade, Miami often struggled to just get a shot off and dropped to 1-6.
Shaquille O’Neal had 17 points and six rebounds, but got little help. While O’Neal shot 7-of-14, the other four starters combined to shoot 9-for-34 as Wade missed his seventh straight game due to offseason knee surgery.
Wade worked out during the day, but was held out of again as he tries to get his left knee to 100 percent.
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