Celtics get help in 16th win in a row
Kevin Garnett scored 10 of his 18 points in the final quarter, and Atlanta’s Joe Johnson missed a late free throw that would have tied it, helping the Boston Celtics beat the Hawks, 88-85, on Wednesday night for their 16th consecutive victory.
After Johnson missed with 2.7 seconds left, Ray Allen made a pair of free throws with 0.7 left for the defending NBA champion Celtics, who have a franchise-best 24-2 record. It was only the second loss in 10 home games for the Hawks.
In the only other game this season between the two, the Celtics beat Atlanta, 103-102, on Nov. 12 in Boston on Paul Pierce’s last-second basket.
Johnson led Atlanta with 20 points, 10 in the final period. He had made all seven free throws before the miss.
The best start in NBA history with two losses is 26-2, set by the 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers and matched by the ‘69-70 Knicks.
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