INDIANAPOLIS -- Paul Pierce scored 24 points to help the Boston Celtics beat the Indiana Pacers, 86-72, on Saturday night.
Ray Allen added 19 points, Kevin Garnett scored 15 and Rajon Rondo had 12 assists for the Celtics. Boston snapped a two-game skid and remained ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers at the top of the Atlantic Division.
Danny Granger scored 20 points, David West had 16 and Roy Hibbert added nine points and 17 rebounds for Indiana.
The Pacers had won four in a row and had scored more than 100 points in five consecutive games, but they matched their lowest point total of the season against Boston. Indiana shot 35% from the field, made just five of 22 three-pointers and committed 19 turnovers.
The possible first-round playoff opponents split their season series, winning two games apiece.
Atlanta 116, Charlotte 96: Joe Johnson scored 18 points on eight of 10 shooting, and eight Atlanta players scored in double figures for the visiting Hawks. The Hawks broke open the game in the third quarter by shooting 17 of 23 from the field while scoring a season-high 38 points.
Phoenix 125, L.A. Lakers 105: Shannon Brown scored 20 of his 24 points in the third quarter for the host Suns over a Lakers team playing without Kobe Bryant for the first time in two seasons. An injured left shin ended Bryant's string of 138 consecutive regular-season games played.
Memphis 94, Dallas 89: Rudy Gay scored 25 points, and Zach Randolph added 15 points and 11 rebounds for the host Grizzlies. Memphis moved two games ahead of Dallas for fifth place in the Western Conference, also claiming the head-to-head tiebreaker by winning the season series, 2-1.
Milwaukee 116, Portland 95: Ersan Ilyasova chipped in 20 points for host Milwaukee, which moved within a half-game of idle New York with its fourth straight victory.
New Orleans 99, Minnesota 90: Jason Smith had a career-high 26 points and 10 rebounds to lead the host Hornets. Smith made his first eight shots and finished 12-for-16. Kevin Love had 29 points and 12 rebounds for Minnesota, which lost its fifth in a row and 13th in its last 17.
Orlando 88, Philadelphia 82: Dwight Howard had 20 points and 22 rebounds, and Glen Davis had 23 points and 12 rebounds to help the visiting Magic snap its five-game skid.
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