PHOENIX – Leandro Barbosa scored 14 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter and the Phoenix Suns held off the pesky Boston Celtics 118-108 on Wednesday night.

Amare Stoudemire had 32 points and 12 rebounds, but scored only two points in the fourth quarter as the Suns struggled to avoid a fourth consecutive home loss.

Barbosa was 6-of-7 on 3-pointers, all in the second half. Raja Bell added 20 points and Shawn Marion 17, nine in the fourth quarter when the Suns finally pulled away.

Three players topped 20 points for the Celtics, who lost their 10th in a row on the road and 20th in 21 games overall. Paul Pierce scored 24, Al Jefferson 23 and Ryan Gomes 21. Delonte West added 17 points for Boston.

The Suns made it two victories in two nights after Steve Nash returned from a shoulder injury following the All-Star break. Nash had 14 points and 13 assists.

The Celtics, meanwhile, became the second team in the NBA to lose 40 games this season. Memphis was the first.

AP-ES-02-21-07 2329EST