MILWAUKEE — Paul Pierce scored 23 points and Kevin Garnett added 14 points and 11 rebounds, lifting the Boston Celtics over the Milwaukee Bucks, 89-83 on Sunday night for their fifth straight win.
The Celtics (46-15) held Milwaukee without a field goal in the final 3½ minutes, proving they have no problem closing out games even with just nine players dressed. Boston remained three games up on Chicago atop the Eastern Conference.
With the game tied at 82, Boston's Big Three came through. Ray Allen hit a 17-foot jumper, Garnett made an 11-foot fadeaway jumper while being heavily defended and Pierce converted a three-point play with 18 seconds left to seal it.
Brandon Jennings scored 23 points for the similarly short-handed Bucks, who have lost 12 of the last 16.