BOSTON – Paul Pierce scored 34 points to help the Boston Celtics take over eighth place in the Eastern Conference with a 102-93 victory Friday night over the short-handed New Jersey Nets.

New Jersey fell to 1-3 without Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin and missed a chance to clinch a playoff berth.

The Celtics moved a half-game ahead of Cleveland, which lost to Philadelphia.

Without Kidd, the NBA’s assists leader, the Nets had trouble getting open shots. And without two of their top three scorers, much of the burden fell on Richard Jefferson, who finished with 28 points.

The Celtics trailed only twice, 15-14 and 17-16, and led 53-46 at halftime. The Nets cut that to 56-52, but the Celtics scored the next 10 points to start a 20-4 run that put them ahead 76-56 on Jiri Welsch’s layup with 4:12 left in the third quarter. Pierce had nine points in the surge, including two free throws that started it.

But the Nets came back with a 14-4 run that began and ended with 3-pointers by Lucious Harris. That made it 80-70, and Boston led 82-70 after three quarters. New Jersey cut that to 98-89 on consecutive 3-pointers by Harris, who had 15 points as the starter in place of Kidd. The closest the Nets came after that was 100-93 on a dunk by Jefferson with 32 seconds remaining.

Chucky Atkins had 17 points and Walter McCarty 15 for the Celtics.

Boston is 9-5 since obtaining Atkins from Detroit after going 23-35 prior to his arrival.

Rodney Rogers, who replaced Martin, had 24 points.

The Celtics came in having lost their last two games by 16 points each. But they had five days off since their last game at San Antonio. That rest helped them win only their second game in their last 14 against New Jersey, including the playoffs.

Notes: The last four games are the only ones the Nets have played without both Martin and Kidd since they became teammates. … The Nets lead the season series 2-1 and can clinch it when the teams meet again Monday in New Jersey. … Rogers and Harris combined for 39 points. Martin and Kidd are averaging a combined 33.4.

AP-ES-03-26-04 2234EST