BOSTON (AP) – Paul Pierce scored 32 points, Al Jefferson added 23 points and 13 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics held on for a 105-96 double-overtime win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.

Delonte West scored 17, and Kendrick Perkins had 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Celtics, who outscored Orlando 15-6 in the second overtime to finish their home stand 2-2.

After sending the game into overtime with an 18-foot jumper at the end of regulation and double overtime with a long 3-pointer at the end of the first extra session, Pierce gave Boston the lead for good when his free throw made it 93-92 with 2:57 left.

Jefferson then scored eight straight to secure the win.

His jumper made it 95-92, he then followed a long Hedo Turkoglu jumper with six straight points to stretch Boston’s lead to 101-94.

Turkoglu and Grant Hill each had 20 points for Orlando. Dwight Howard added 12 points and 14 rebounds for the Magic, who ended a two-game winning streak.

The Magic, chasing their first playoff berth since 2003, dropped to eighth place in the Eastern Conference – a half-game behind New Jersey.

Orlando leads the ninth-place Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks by 11/2 games. The top eight teams make the playoffs.

The Celtics led by as many as 14, squandered a 50-40 halftime lead and trailed by two points late in regulation, but Pierce’s jumper bailed them out with 7.6 seconds left.

Pierce then scored all seven of Boston’s points in the first overtime, and his 3-pointer erased Orlando’s 90-87 lead. Jameer Nelson had a chance to win it for Orlando, but his 3-pointer fell short.

In the second overtime, Boston forced four Orlando turnovers and held the Magic to 3-of-10 shooting.

Notes: Boston F Brian Scalabrine missed his third game with a strained left hamstring. Before the game, Celtics coach Doc Rivers said he expects Scalabrine to miss the rest of the season. … The teams combined for three technical fouls. … Orlando was 23 of 37 from the free-throw line.

AP-ES-03-28-07 2308EDT