BOSTON (AP) — Rajon Rondo had 14 points and 11 assists and the Boston Celtics beat the Utah Jazz 105-86 on Wednesday night to match their 8-1 start from their title-winning season two years ago.
Utah Jazz's Deron Williams (8) goes up to shoot between Boston Celtics' Rajon Rondo, left, and Kevin Garnett in the first quarter of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
.jpg "Paul Millsap, Kevin Garnett, Kyrylo Fesenko")
Boston Celtics' Kevin Garnett (5) shoots between Utah Jazz's Kyrylo Fesenko, of Ukraine,, left, annd Paul Millsap in the third quarter of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009, in Boston. The Celtics won 105-86. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Boston has won two in a row since its only loss, to Phoenix on Friday.
Kevin Garnett scored 18 points, Paul Pierce had 13 and Ray Allen 15 for the Celtics.
Deron Williams, who was a game-time decision because of a bruised left calf, had 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 33 minutes for Utah. Ronnie Brewer added 13 points, and Paul Millsap had nine points and 13 rebounds.
One game after winning at Madison Square Garden for the first time in more than five years, the Jazz never led. It was 23-23 before Boston scored the last five points of the first quarter and the first basket of the second.
The Celtics led by 10 at halftime, when Perkins already had 10 points and seven rebounds, and Utah never made a move after Pierce hit a pair of 3-pointers in the opening 1:24 of the third quarter.
Boston made it 84-62 after three quarters on Rondo's buzzer-beater when he streaked the length of the court with 3.8 seconds left for the layup. With more than five minutes left in the game, the Celtics began playing the "Gino" video they usually break out when the game is in reach.
NOTES: During a break, the Celtics honored arena usher Bill Lynch, who helped wave down a subway train to stop after a woman fell on the tracks over the weekend. ... Pierce needs 21 points to tie Bob McAdoo on the career scoring list. ... Utah has two more games left on its four-game East Coast swing.
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