The Boston Celtics won again in Texas, overcoming the Dallas Mavericks 94-90 on Thursday to gain a rare sweep of the NBA's three Texas teams.
In successive games, the Eastern Conference leaders beat the San Antonio Spurs, the Houston Rockets and Dallas, with the victory over Houston ending their 22-game winning streak.
No team had beaten the three Texas teams in consecutive games since the Sacramento Kings did it in 2001.
"This was probably one of the better ones of the three," Celtics forward Paul Pierce told reporters after scoring 22 points and grabbing a season-high 13 rebounds.
"The Mavericks played great defense all night -- they held us to 34-to-35 percent shooting -- but we made the plays we needed to make down the stretch," Pierce said. "Ray [Allen] made an unbelievable shot on a play we drew up and we just kept getting stops and that was the key."
Allen, who had missed three games with an ankle injury, connected on a three-pointer with 31 seconds left to put Boston ahead for good. He finished with 21 points.
Kevin Garnett added 20 points and 13 rebounds as the Celtics improved their NBA-best record to 55-13.
Boston, winner of nine of its past 10 games, continues its Western Conference swing at New Orleans today.
Dallas had not lost to Boston at home in eight years.
"That team [the Celtics] has got to feel really good coming to Texas, through the triangle, and get all three games," Mavericks veteran Jerry Stackhouse said.
SPURS 102, BULLS 80
At Chicago, Tony Parker scored 23 points and Tim Duncan had 22 to go with 10 rebounds as San Antonio downed Chicago to end a four-game losing streak.
The defending NBA champs avoided their first five-game losing streak since the 1996-1997 season. And they had such an easy time of it that Duncan and Parker were able to rest in the fourth quarter.
LAKERS 106, JAZZ 95
At Salt Lake, City, Kobe Bryant scored 27 points, Lamar Odom had 21 points and 12 rebounds, and Los Angeles ended Utah's 19-game home winning streak.
Derek Fisher added 11 points and Vladimir Radmanovic scored 13 for the Lakers, who are the first team to win in Utah in 2008. Los Angeles missed just once in its first 10 shots and was ahead by 24 early in the second period.
Carlos Boozer had 23 points and 15 rebounds and Deron Williams had 26 points and 12 assists for Utah. Andrei Kirilenko scored 15 points and Ronnie Brewer had 12.
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