Paul Pierce scored 17 of his 24 points in the third quarter to lead the Boston Celtics to their ninth straight win, 107-88 over the Orlando Magic on Monday night.
Ray Allen added 21 points, Rajon Rondo had 16 points with 12 assists and Kevin Garnett scored 15 points for the Celtics (17-2) in a win over a top Eastern Conference rival.
Rashard Lewis paced Orlando (13-5) with 30 points, Hedo Turkoglu 19 and Dwight Howard, the league's rebounding leader, had 14 points with 15 boards.
The Magic had their four-game winning streak snapped.
Pierce, who scored just five points in the opening half, carried the Celtics from a 2-point halftime edge to a 12-point lead entering the final quarter.
The Magic were without their starting backcourt for the second consecutive game. Jameer Nelson was sidelined for his fourth straight with a hip flexor and Mickael Pietrus is on injured reserve with a torn right thumb ligament.
BOBCATS 100, TIMBERWOLVES 90
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Jason Richardson scored 25 points in another strong performance following arthroscopic knee surgery, and Charlotte beat error-prone Minnesota.
It was the third straight game of at least 21 points for Richardson since his return after sitting out seven contests following the exploratory surgery on his right knee. He led an efficient offense that included a season-high 24 points from Emeka Okafor and 14 assists and just one turnover for Raymond Felton.
Randy Foye scored 23 points and Mike Miller added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who were never in sync in their second straight loss.
KNICKS: Marbury will stay away from team for now
GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Stephon Marbury did not get the divorce he wants, but he and the New York Knicks agreed to a separation.
Marbury was ordered Monday to stay away from the Knicks while the team looks for a solution to its $21 million problem -- one that has lingered since the preseason and exploded last week when the team suspended him for refusing to play and he retaliated with a series of inflammatory remarks about coach Mike D'Antoni.
Marbury's future was "not resolved"
during a meeting with team president Donnie Walsh at the Knicks' practice facility, according to the players' association attorney representing him. The sides will continue to talk, but Marbury won't be around in the meantime.
"After meeting with Stephon and his representative this afternoon, we have directed Stephon not to participate in practice or attend games until further notice,"
Walsh said in a statement. "We want to continue to meet with him to discuss a long-term resolution."
Marbury will earn about $21 million this season in the final year of his contract and is adamant that he won't give much of it up in a buyout. However, that salary makes him nearly impossible to trade, and the Knicks are reluctant to give him all his money to leave.
The Knicks suspended the New York native one game and penalized him nearly $400,000 last week for what they claimed was his refusal of D'Antoni's request to come off the inactive list and play in a game at Detroit last Wednesday.
Around the NBA
Rockets star Tracy McGrady is expected to be out at least a week because of soreness in his left knee. ... Former U. of Florida star Corey Brewer faces surgery for a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and will miss the rest of the season for Minnesota.
