Celtics 89, Nets 81
Avery Bradley scored 21 points to help visiting Boston snap a three-game losing streak.
Tyler Zeller chipped in 18 points for the Celtics, who had just seven turnovers while forcing 18. Evan Turner contributed six points, eight rebounds and seven assists for Boston.
Joe Johnson had 17 points and Mason Plumlee finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds as Brooklyn dropped its third straight following a 6-1 surge. Jarrett Jack tallied 15 points and Kevin Garnett had 10 for the Nets, who were 3-of-14 from 3-point range.
Brooklyn opened the game on a 10-2 run and led by as many as 11 in the second quarter before the Celtics closed the first half with eight straight points to take a 40-39 lead into the locker room. Bradley's tiebreaking 3-pointer with under eight minutes left in the third gave Boston the lead for good and the visitors were up 69-62 entering the fourth.
Jae Crowder's dunk with six minutes to go gave the Celtics their largest lead at 82-68. Plumlee hit four straight free throws and Johnson buried a pull-up jumper to get the deficit into single digits, but the Nets never got any closer than the final margin.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Nets PG Deron Williams played just four minutes before aggravating a side injury that caused him to miss the previous game. ... Celtics SG Marcus Thornton had five points in 14 minutes after missing the previous 11 games with a calf injury. ... Plumlee helped Brooklyn claim a 50-41 advantage on the boards.