Projo Sports Blog

BOSTON (AP) - Paul Pierce scored a season-high 32 points and Kevin Garnett had an easy 15 with seven rebounds on Friday night as the Boston Celtics overcame Ray Allen's absence to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 104-82 and match the franchise record with a 12-0 start at home.

With Allen sitting out a game or two to rest a sore ankle, Tony Allen started and scored 11 points. Rajon Rondo scored 17 - one off his season high - with eight assists for Boston, which also won its first 12 home games in 1984 en route to the '85 NBA finals.

Garnett played just 29 minutes for the Celtics, who pulled away when they outscored Milwaukee 32-15 in the third quarter. Boston will try to set the team record Wednesday against Detroit.

Mo Williams scored 14 for the Bucks, Bobby Simmons had 11 and Yi Jianlian scored 10.

The Celtics turned a five-point deficit with 3:22 left in the second quarter into a 46-44 halftime lead. But it was in the third when they really pulled away.

They scored 13 consecutive points early in the third to turn a 49-47 Bucks lead into a 60-49 advantage, then added a 10-0 run near the end of the quarter to make it 78-57.

For the second straight game - but just the second time this season - the Celtics were without their regular starting five. Allen is expected to miss a game or two with a sore right ankle he has been trying to play through for eight games.

Kendrick Perkins sat out Wednesday's game against Toronto after part of his bed fell on his big toe.

Notes: The Celtics are undefeated when leading after three quarters, but they've lost both games they trailed after three. ... Boston is 7-0 on Friday nights. ... Rondo was scoreless in Wednesday night's game against Sacramento. ... The Bucks fell to 2-11 on the road and 2-6 in December. ... Pierce was 9-for-9 from the line, and the Celtics were 26-for-28.

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