Rasho Nesterovic collected a season-high 23 points and hauled down 13 rebounds to help the San Antonio Spurs end a three-game losing streak with a 109-92 win over the host Boston Celtics Sunday.
The defending NBA champion Spurs took a 12-point lead by halftime and used a balanced scoring attack and strong defense to snap their losing streak.
San Antonio has beaten Boston 12 straight times and is 18-1 against the Celtics in their last 19 meetings.
Tony Parker picked up 20 points for the Spurs, all in the first half as his team took control early.
"He [Parker] is very important to us," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich told reporters. "It was nice to see him be aggressive and make some shots."
Tim Duncan added 15 points and seven rebounds for the Spurs, who never let the Celtics get within 13 points in the final quarter.
Paul Pierce recorded 19 points to lead the Celtics, who have lost four games in a row.
Mark Blount added 15 points for Boston while Ricky Davis totaled 14 points off the bench.
In Phoenix, Joe Johnson contributed 25 points, including the winning basket with 18 seconds left, to propel the Suns to a 96-92 triumph over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Shawn Marion had 22 points and 16 rebounds while Leandro Barbosa added 20 points for the Suns, who won their third straight game to tie a season-high for consecutive victories.
Zach Randolph piled up 25 points and 11 rebounds as Portland lost its fifth game in a row. The slumping Trail Blazers have been beaten in nine out of 10, including two in five days to the Suns.
Rasheed Wallace added 19 points for the Blazers but none in the fourth quarter.
In Denver, 31 points from Carmelo Anthony inspired the Nuggets to an 88-80 win over the Miami Heat.
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