Celtics move to 4-0 with 97-87 win

BOSTON (AP) - Paul Pierce scored 27 points and the Boston Celtics improved to 4-0 with a 97-87 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Sunday night.

Chris Paul scored 22 points with eight assists for New Orleans, and then had to be held back after the game when he tried to follow the Celtics off the court to their locker room. Paul and Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo also exchanged words in the second quarter, drawing matching technical fouls.

Ray Allen scored 17, Kevin Garnett had 14 and Rondo had 10 assists for Boston, which pulled away with an 11-3 run in the last four minutes to turn an 86-83 lead into an 11-point runaway.

Peja Stojakovic scored 26 as a reserve for New Orleans, including 6-for-10 3-point shooting. Emeka Okafor had 10 rebounds for New Orleans.

The Celtics, who won their first eight in their 2007-08 championship season but just two straight to start last year, have won four games in six nights, including a season-opening victory over the rival Cleveland Cavaliers and All-Star LeBron James.

Pierce scored 10 in the first and 10 more in the second as the Celtics opened an 11-point lead en route to a 47-38 score at the half. They led from the 9:41 mark of the second until Stojakovic hit a 3-pointer to tie it 69-all with 25 seconds left in the third quarter.

But Rasheed Wallace, who scored 12, answered with a 3 to give Boston back the lead.

Paul had just five points and three assists but went 6 for 6 for 14 points with four assists in the third quarter alone.

NOTES:
In their first two home games, the Celtics held the Bobcats and Bulls to a combined 2 for 25 from 3-point range.

Rondo said before the game he was not worried about a deadline to sign a contract extension. Without one, he can become a restricted free agent next summer.

Paul hit a desperation 3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer that was waved off.

Okafor missed his third straight double-double, scoring just five points, after missing the entire preseason with a toe injury.