Boston, MA (SportsNetwork.com) - Rajon Rondo had a triple double with 13 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists as the Boston Celtics held off the Washington Wizards 101-93 on Sunday afternoon.
Jeff Green netted 25 points and Marcus Thornton added 21 for the Celtics, who have won three in a row on the heels of a five-game losing streak.
Rasual Butler scored 22 points, John Wall had 17 points and 14 assists and Paul Pierce supplied 16 points in another game against his former team for Washington, which trailed by as many as 25 in the second half.
"This place will always have a place in my heart," Pierce said.
The Celtics led 90-78 in the fourth quarter before Wall netted six straight points during a 13-2 Washington run. Butler capped the burst with a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 92-91 with 2:50 remaining.
A Wall finger roll with 1:12 to play got the Wizards within 94-93, but Avery Bradley nailed a 3-pointer and Green's layup with 22.2 ticks on the clock sealed the outcome.
"I thought we played gutsy at the end," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said.
Earlier, the Celtics scored 10 points off nine Washington turnovers in the first quarter and held the Wizards to 25 percent shooting.
Rondo netted six quick points as Boston raced out to a 16-4 start before settling for a 24-15 cushion following a quarter of play.
Tyler Zeller capped a 9-0 Boston run during the middle stages of the second, staking it to a 41-22 margin and the Celtics took a 53-36 advantage into the locker room.
Boston led by as many as 25 in the third and headed into the fourth with a 77-59 spread.
Pierce sandwiched a pair of 3-pointers to finish off a 17-5 surge to start the final period, whittling the gap to 82-76, but the Celtics responded with an 8-2 flurry. Consecutive Triples by Jared Sullinger and Thornton upped the Celtics lead back to 90-78.
Game Notes
Boston won for the second time in its last five meetings with Washington after winning the seven prior matchups in the series ... The Wizards were seeking a season-best fifth straight win ... Boston netted 16 points off 19 Washington turnovers.
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