Paul Pierce scored 10 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Boston Celtics to a 94-85 win over the Los Angeles Clippers Monday night at Staples Center. The loss was the second straight loss for the Clippers to open their six-game homestand, and the team has lost four of its last five home games.
The game itself produced many runs, including in the fourth quarter. The Celtics held a 71-61 advantage with 8:50 remaining in the game, but the Clippers (23-17) went on a 17-3 spurt to take the lead. Boston answered right back with a 13-2 run of their own, highlighted by a dagger three-pointer by Pierce with 2:47 remaining.
Mo Williams scored 21 points off the bench for the Clippers, who shot just 37.8% from the field on the night. Blake Griffin scored 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the loss.
Rajon Rondo had 12 points and 10 assists for the Celtics (22-19), who shot 49.3% from the field. It was a free throw clinic at Staples Center Monday night, with the Clippers making 18 of 21 (85.7%) and the Celtics hitting 22 of 26 (84.6%) from the charity stripe.
The Clippers homestand resumes Wednesday night against the Atlanta Hawks.
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