Fourth Quarter: Brand, Sixers Giving Celtics A Fight In Boston

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Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Elton Brand’s tip-in of a Marreese Speights miss with 7.7 seconds left in regulation proved to be the difference, as the Philadelphia 76ers ended the Celtics’ 11-game winning streak with a thrilling 98-97 decision at TD Garden.

Brand finished with a game-high 23 points with eight rebounds, while fellow reserve Speights added 17 and 10 for the Sixers, who have won two of three following a debilitating 12-game skid. Andre Iguodala and Willie Green chipped in 18 and 16 points, respectively, for the victors.

Kevin Garnett made all 11 of his free throw attempts, ending with 21 points and 10 boards in defeat, Boston’s first since November 20 against Orlando.

“I think our energy sucked all night,” Garnett said. “I think we could have done a better job of having energy out there. Philly’s going to be a team that’s going to scrap 48 minutes and we didn’t put them away when we were supposed to.”

Rajon Rondo went for 13 points and 10 assists, while Ray Allen had 17 points in the loss.

Rondo’s baseline bucket followed by Allen’s three-pointer put Boston in front 91-89 with a little over four minutes remaining in the game.

Paul Pierce, who logged just nine points on 4-of-12 shooting, missed a dunk in transition, as Iguodala altered the shot and hit a driving layup to tie the game with 3:14 to play.

Iguodala answered Allen’s finger-roll with a three-point play, and after unsuccessful possessions for each club, Allen’s up-and-under gave the Celtics a 95-94 lead with less than a minute to go.

Speights was then fouled going after a Green miss. The second-year player hit both free throws to re-gain the lead but fouled Garnett at the other end with 23 seconds on the clock.

After Garnett drained both shots, Brand came out from under the basket to tip in Speights’ miss from the foul line.

Boston called timeout with 7.7 ticks left, and after Pierce bricked a shot from the right elbow, Allen was off the mark on the other side to end Boston’s winning run.

“We made some great plays down the end, big plays. And for a long time, we’ve lost these types of games,” Sixers head coach Eddie Jordan said. “We just kept saying we couldn’t get a break and we came to the conclusion that we have to make our breaks. We said that before and we made some breaks tonight.”

Garnett scored the final six points of an 8-0 Celtics run late in the opening quarter, hitting two free throws for a 22-12 lead with 2:33 remaining.

The difference was 24-17 after 12 minutes, and despite a 13-of-17 effort from the free throw line in the second, the Sixers still trailed 53-42 at halftime.

Green fueled 10 straight Sixers points early in the third, as his six-footer 4 1/2 minutes in cut the deficit to 59-54.

It was a 76-72 Celtics lead heading into a back-and-forth final stanza.

Rasheed Wallace was ejected midway through the second quarter after he received a double technical foul arguing with officials. It was his first ejection of the season...Sixers guard Allen Iverson did not make the trip to Boston due to an arthritic left knee...Philadelphia snapped an eight-game losing streak on the road. The Sixers had also lost six in a row against Boston...Kendrick Perkins recorded 12 points and 16 rebounds for Boston.

- Via Sports Network.