Paul Pierce finds hot hand to lift Celtics

at Boston 103, Indiana 94: Paul Pierce missed his first 10 shots but scored 16 points in the fourth quarter, including seven in a row, to put the Celtics ahead for good. Pierce finished with 21 points. Troy Murphy had 24 points and a season-high 18 rebounds for the Pacers.

at Washington 105, Philadelphia 98: Gilbert Arenas scored the game’s first seven points and finished the first quarter with 15 on the way to a game-high 31 points for the Wizards. Elton Brand led the 76ers with 18 points and 12 rebounds.

Atlanta 112, at Minnesota 87: Jamal Crawford scored 26 points and Joe Johnson scored 21 to help the Hawks (20-7) tie the best start in franchise history. Kevin Love had 15 points and matched a career high with 19 rebounds for the Timberwolves.

at Memphis 121, Golden State 108: Zach Randolph scored a season-high 33 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, and the Grizzlies withstood a strong start by the Warriors, who shot 85% from the field in the first quarter but still went on to lose their sixth consecutive game.

at Charlotte 88, Detroit 76: Gerald Wallace had 29 points and 12 rebounds, and the Bobcats ended a skid at three games. The Pistons have lost five games in a row.

at New York 88, Chicago 81: David Lee had 18 points and a career high-tying 21 rebounds, and the Knicks improved to 8-3 this month, clinching their first winning December since 2004.

at Houston 108, Clippers 99

at Lakers 111, Oklahoma City 108

-- associated press