By The Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS – Ricky Davis scored 27 points and Paul Pierce 23, helping Boston cruise to a 113-100 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Saturday night as the Celtics won their seventh straight game.

The Celtics – one night after their 19-point victory in Houston snapped the Rockets’ six-game winning streak – dominated New Orleans, scoring inside and out, on the break and at the foul line.

Shooting 52.1 percent, Boston was 10-of-19 from 3-point range, 27 of 31 at the line, and dressed up the performance with authoritative dunks from Davis and Tony Allen.

Boston has now won 11 of 12 games, with the lone loss coming against Minnesota on a last-second shot. The Celtics also have won five straight on the road.

Hornets improving rookie J.R. Smith prevented an embarrassing route with 21 points that included several off-balance floaters. Reserve Bostjan Nachbar added 19 for New Orleans, hitting three 3-pointers.

Antoine Walker had 18 points and nine rebounds for Boston, while Gary Payton scored 15 points and Allen 11.

Dan Dickau and Lee Nailon each scored 13 for New Orleans, while Jamaal Magloire and P.J. Brown each scored 12.

Boston broke the game open in the third period, with Allen getting three steals and the Hornets turning the ball over six times in a span of seven possessions.

Allen converted two of the turnovers into driving transition scores, one a windmill dunk. Allen’s third steal led to the first of three straight baskets by Pierce, the last a 3-pointer capping a 13-0 run that gave the Celtics an 88-67.

Payton compounded the Hornets’ problems by causing havoc with New Orleans’ point guards. On one drive, he forced Dickau to commit his fourth foul. But Dickau had to return shortly after Speedy Claxton sprained his left ankle trying to defend Payton. Dickau, meanwhile, had five fouls before the end of the period, again because of a Payton drive.

Walker later hit Boston’s 10th 3-pointer as the Celtics took a 94-74 lead into the final period.

New Orleans, coming off only their fourth road victory a night earlier in the Chicago, shot better than 50 percent through the first half and built a lead as large as 38-30 after Nachbar’s second 3-pointer.

The Celtics then surged ahead with a 16-4 run that included three 3-pointers – two by Delonte West and one by Davis. Walker’s fadeaway put Boston up 46-42.

Boston hit seven of its first 10 3-point attempts, with Davis going 4-of-4 en route to 18 first-half points. Payton’s 3 late in the second quarter put Boston up 63-57 at halftime.

Bulls 94, 76ers 88

PHILADELPHIA – Othella Harrington scored a season-high 24 points and Ben Gordon had eight of his 22 in the fourth quarter, leading the Chicago Bulls past the Philadelphia 76ers 94-88 on Saturday night.

Kirk Hinrich contributed 21 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for the Bulls, who snapped a four-game losing streak. Allen Iverson, playing his second straight game with a chipped bone in his left thumb, led the Sixers with 31 points. But he converted just 9-of-24 from the field and committed 11 turnovers, one short of his season-high set March 8 against Golden State.

Wizards 96, Jazz 95

WASHINGTON – Gilbert Arenas rallied from a scoreless and sulky first half with 22 points in the second half, including two free throws with 2.3 seconds to play, leading the Washington Wizards to a 96-95 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.

After Raja Bell hit a fadeaway 18-footer with 18 seconds remaining, Arenas dribbled down the clock for the final shot and was fouled by Bell while driving the lane with 2.3 seconds to go. Arenas made the free throws, and Howard Eisley missed a contested 16-footer at the buzzer to send the Jazz to their ninth straight loss.

Arenas was 0-for-4 with four turnovers and three fouls at the half and seemed in a sour mood, pouting over every call and nearly drawing a technical for throwing the ball too hard at an official. He later did a get a technical in the fourth quarter for disputing a non-call.

Heat 97, Knicks 82

MIAMI – Shaquille O’Neal scored 33 points and Dwyane Wade had 30 to lead the Miami Heat to its 12th straight win Saturday night, a 97-82 victory over the New York Knicks.

O’Neal also grabbed 17 rebounds as Miami won its 15th straight at home and swept the four-game season series with New York for the first time in franchise history.

O’Neal and Wade became the first Heat duo to each score 30 points or better in the same game since Glen Rice and Khalid Reeves did it in 1995 against Philadelphia. Miami, which has won 19 of 21, never trailed after a late first quarter run and built the lead to double figures in the second quarter.

Mavs 104, Bobcats 93

DALLAS – While Don Nelson was never that far away, the Dallas Mavericks are now Avery Johnson’s team.

Taking over for good Saturday night after Nelson resigned as coach earlier in the day, Johnson had a tough first game even though the Mavericks beat the Charlotte Bobcats 104-93. Dirk Nowitzki scored 33 points on 12-of-20 shooting, but was benched for a possession just 20 seconds into the second half after not executing a defensive play to Johnson’s satisfaction.