Red-hot Celtics make it 14 in a row

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Thursday, December 23, 2010

GoLocalProv Sports Team

When you win this many games in a row, they can’t all be masterpieces.

Ray Allen scored a team-high 22 points and Paul Pierce shook off a poor first half with a strong finish as the Boston Celtics won their 14th consecutive game Wednesday with a hard-fought 84-80 win over Philadelphia at the TD Garden.

The 76ers (11-18) turned the game around with a strong second quarter and took a six-point lead into halftime before the Celtics regained control in the third. After missing his first seven shots, Pierce scored 11 points in the second half as Boston outscored Philadelphia 26-17 in the third quarter and hung on in the closing seconds to extend its win streak.

Shaquille O’Neal finished with 13 points and nine rebounds, but missed a pair of free throws with just over a minute remaining and the Celtics clinging to a two-point lead. The 76ers failed in their attempt to tie the game when Kevin Garnett blocked a shot from Andre Iguodala. Allen hit two free throws on the ensuing possession with 5.6 seconds left on the clock to ice the win for Boston (23-4).

The Celtics’ current 14-game win streak is the fifth longest in franchise history and is tied for the league’s third longest streak in 46 years. The franchise record is 17 consecutive wins, set during the 2007-08 season when Boston won its 17th NBA title.

Lou Williams led Philadelphia with 12 points while former Celtic Tony Battie finished with 10. The Celtics, who haven’t lost since Nov. 21, will attempt to win their 15th consecutive game on Christmas at Orlando.