BOSTON (AP) – Gerald Green scored 10 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, including seven straight after Boston had finished blowing a 23-point lead, helping the Celtics beat the New York Knicks 102-94 on Wednesday night.

Al Jefferson had 26 points and nine rebounds and Paul Pierce added 24 points for the Celtics, who have won two in a row for the first time since winning five straight Dec. 9-16. After that, they lost 25 of 27 games, including 18 straight losses that set a franchise record and made a run at the NBA mark of 24.

Rajon Rondo had nine rebounds and eight assists for the Celtics in their first game in Boston since former point guard Dennis Johnson died last week at the age of 52. The Celtics observed a moment of silence in his memory.

Quentin Richardson scored 24 and Stephon Marbury had 23 for the Knicks, who entered the night in 10th place, two games out of the race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

New York came back from a 23-point deficit in the first half and led 88-87 with just under five minutes left when Eddy Curry, who scored 16, made a hook shot. But Green took over, and he didn’t even need to call on one of the trick shots that helped him win the NBA’s slam dunk contest.

His 3-pointer with 4:27 left gave the Celtics back the lead, and after Pierce’s steal at the other end, Green got to the free throw line for two. He followed with a 19-footer from the left of the key to make it 94-88, and the Knicks never got within one possession again.

The Celtics showed highlights from Johnson’s career during the game, and the staff wore No.3 pins in his memory. Thomas, who was the victim of Johnson’s most famous play – the basket after Larry Bird’s steal in the 1987 Eastern Conference finals – wore one, too.

The Knicks fell behind by eight points in the first five minutes, 23 points in the second quarter and still trailed 57-37 at the half.

After trading free throws to start the third quarter, New York scored 12 consecutive points to make it a single-digit deficit.

Marbury hit a 3-pointer, Jared Jeffries made a layup and then Richardson hit a pair of 3s to make it 65-62 Boston.

Notes: The Celtics used their 19th starting lineup this season, one more than last year. … Boston has taken 3-of-4 from the Knicks this year. … The Knicks got just 13 points from their bench, but Channing Frye did lead them with nine rebounds. … Jamal Crawford missed his first game since being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right ankle that is supposed to keep him out the rest of the year. He was the only Knick who had appeared in every game, and the team’s No. 2 scorer. The Knicks also missed David Lee for the third straight game (sprained right ankle and muscle strain) and Steve Francis for the fourth game in a row (tendinitis in his right knee).