EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – Paul Pierce atoned for a woeful shooting effort with a 3-pointer late in regulation and two jumpers in overtime to lift the Boston Celtics to a 96-88 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Saturday.

Al Jefferson scored a career-high 32 points and added 18 rebounds in helping Boston rally from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit and post their third straight win. The Celtics recently lost a franchise-record 18 in a row.

Pierce shot just 8-of-28 from the floor and finished with 17 points. Delonte West added 15, including an 3-pointer with 4 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime.

Vince Carter had 25 points for New Jersey, which led 76-65 with 3:51 to play. Eddie House added 14 points, but he missed a key free throw with 10.4 seconds to play that opened the door for West to tie the game.

The Nets took an 86-83 lead early in overtime on a jumper by Carter and a free throw by Jason Kidd.

who had four points on 1-of-7 shooting.

Boston scored the next five points on a free throw by Ryan Gomes, a layup by West and two free throws by Jefferson, who was 13-of-23 from the field and 6-of-8 from the free-throw line.

After Carter tied the game with a jumper, Pierce took over, hitting consecutive jumpers from the top of the key for a 92-88 lead with 41.3 seconds left.

Carter missed the Nets’ final three shots and West and Jefferson put the game away with at the free-throw line in snapping the Nets’ three-game winning streak.

Boston, in danger of hitting season lows for points and shooting midway through the fourth quarter, scored on 10 of its last 11 possessions to force the overtime.

Pierce, who was 5-of-24 heading into the waning seconds, hit the Celtics’ first 3-pointer – they missed their first 13 – to bring them within 82-80 with 11.8 seconds to play.

House was fouled a little more than second later and he only made one of two shots.

Boston quickly pushed the ball up the court and West nailed a 3-pointer from the right wing with 4 seconds left to tie the game at 83.

House’s last-second attempt was no good.

Nets backups Clifford Robinson, Marcus Williams, Bostjan Nachbar and House combined for 23 fourth-quarter points, and New Jersey appeared in command when House nailed a 3-pointer for a 76-65 lead with 3:51 to go.

Jefferson scored inside on three of the Celtics’ next five possessions. Gomes also scored in that span and West later added two baskets, the second cutting the Nets lead to 80-77 with 20.4 seconds to go.

After Carter extended the lead to 82-78 with two free throws, Pierce and West found the range from 3-point land to tie the game.

The Celtics made 10 of 48 shots from the field in the first half – including Pierce’s woeful 1-of-13 barrage – but only trailed 36-33. The difference was free throw shooting and turnovers. Boston was 13-of-18 from the line and forced 13 of the Nets’ 23 miscues.

NOTES: The Nets set a season-high with 14 blocked shots. The team record is 22 set in 1991. …Boston took a season-high 102 shots from the field, hitting 35, or 34.3 percent. The Celtics season low for shooting was .315 against Orlando on Jan. 7. …New Jersey starts a six-game road trip in Philadelphia on Sunday. …Nets F Richard Jefferson may play on the trip. He has been out since Jan. 22 following ankle surgery.