EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – Kevin Garnett had 20 points and 11 rebounds, Paul Pierce added 18 points and the Boston Celtics beat the New Jersey Nets 86-77 on Friday night for their 30th win of the season.

Ray Allen scored 16 points as Boston (30-4) matched the 1959-60 champion Celtics for the best start in franchise history.

Richard Jefferson led the Nets with 17 points, Vince Carter had 16 and Josh Boone added 14 and a career-high 16 rebounds. Jason Kidd just missed another triple-double with 11 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists.

The Nets left a lot of points on the free-throw line where they were 9-for-24. New Jersey also struggled from the floor in the final quarter, going 3-for-19. Boston outscored New Jersey 23-9 in the fourth.

Boston scored 13 consecutive points without Garnett or Pierce on the floor to take a 76-70 lead with 6:12 remaining. The Celtics went ahead for good at 71-70 on a fastbreak layup by Glen Davis with 7:55 left. Following a Nets turnover on their possession, Eddie House had another fastbreak basket and Allen followed with a 3-pointer to close out the run.

It was the first meeting between the teams since the Celtics routed the Nets 91-69 on Nov. 14 in Boston. New Jersey, determined to put that embarrassment behind them, started strong, leading 30-22 after one period. Kidd was the dominant force in the period with six points, six rebounds and four assists.

The Nets extended their lead to 39-30 in the second before the Celtics started to find the offensive range. Boston closed out the half on a 17-5 run for a 47-44 advantage. Garnett paced the attack with nine points as Boston was 10-for-13 from the field in the quarter while the Nets made only 5-of-19.

The Nets hung tough with the NBA’s top team, taking a 68-63 lead after three quarters. New Jersey got key 3-pointers late in the period from Carter and Nachbar.

Notes: The assist by Kidd on Carter’s jumper with 8:07 remaining in the third was the 9,062 of his career, moving him past Isiah Thomas into fifth place on the all-time list. … Nets official scorer Herb Turetzky worked his 1,000 consecutive game, a streak that began on May 3, 1984, with a playoff game between the Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks. Turetzky has been the Nets’ official scorer all back to the their inaugural ABA season in 1967. … Allen and Davis were back in uniform after both missed one game, the Celtics 95-83 loss to Charlotte on Wednesday. Allen had a pinched nerve while Davis had a sore right knee. … Rajon Rondo suffered a lower back injury late in the third quarter and did not return.

AP-ES-01-11-08 2232EST