Celtics beat Jazz 100-91 for 15th straight win

BOSTON(AP) Even swimming superstar Michael Phelps had to marvel at the Boston Celtics and their NBA-record 17 championships.But the 14-time Olympic gold medalist has the defending basketball champs beat on one count."Mine
have been in 12 years,'' Phelps told The Associated Press on Monday
night after watching the Celtics beat the Utah Jazz 100-91, causing
quite a stir from courtside and again in the Boston locker room after
the game.It was the 15th straight victory for the Celtics, who
are 23-2 this season and trying to up their total by the time Phelps
has a chance to add to his in London in 2012."Who knows?'' said
Phelps, who followed a non-medal finish in Sydney in 2000 with six
golds and two bronzes in Athens and eight more gold medals in Beijing
in August.Rajon Rondo scored 12 of his career-high 25 points in
the final 5:20, and Kevin Garnett had 19 points and 10 rebounds and
Kendrick Perkins added 15 points and 14 rebounds to help Boston avenge
the worst loss of its championship season. Paul Pierce scored 15 points
before he hurt his left knee during a scramble for a defensive rebound
with 31 seconds left."It should be all right,'' Pierce said. "I put a little weight on it. It didn't go back that far, so it should be all right.''But he seemed fine after the game, when he and several teammates posed for pictures with Phelps."He's
a great Olympian. We always respect great athletes,'' Pierce said. "We
can say down the line to our kids that he was one of the best while we
were playing.''For Boston, the victory was payback of sorts for
a 110-92 loss to the Jazz last March - the Celtics' worst loss of last
season, when they cruised to a 66-16 record and their 17th NBA title.
Pierce was the Most Valuable Player of the finals, and fans chanted
"M-V-P!'' when he was helped off the court at the end of the game.Celtics
coach Doc Rivers said the trainer thought Pierce would be fine. "But
I'm sure they're going to do the regular tests,'' Rivers said.Paul Millsap scored a career-high 32 points with 10 rebounds for Utah."I
think he played his heart out. That's what happens when you play
hard,'' coach Jerry Sloan said. "It's a sad commentary when someone is
remembered for playing hard.''Rondo also had nine rebounds, eight assists and three steals.The
Jazz were within 89-85 after Deron Williams' 3-pointer with 3:23 left.
But Rondo drove for a one-handed bank shot and then, after Williams
sank a basket, Rondo made a free throw and Perkins hit a turnaround
hook shot in the lane.Williams, who scored 15, hit another
basket, but Perkins sank one of two free throws and Rondo made a
spinning reverse bank shot from under the basket to make it 97-89 with
43 seconds left."He put more English on it than Minnesota Fats
does sometimes,'' Rivers said. "They decided they weren't going to
guard him because Williams was running around trapping. The best thing
is when he gave up the ball, he kept moving. They couldn't find him.''The
game seesawed through the first three quarters, with Boston opening a
12-point lead in the first, giving it back in the second and then going
up 60-51 midway through the third.Notes: A TD Banknorth Garden
security guard collapsed in a hallway after the game and was treated by
the Celtics medical staff. Celtics spokesman Jeff Twiss said the team
had no further information about his condition or treatment. ... Phelps
attended the game along with Jared from the Subway commercials. ...
Celtics G Eddie House was not with the team so he could attend the
funeral of his aunt. Coach Doc Rivers said he did not know when House
would return. ... Jazz F Carlos Boozer missed the game with a strained
left quadriceps. ... Perkins had a double-double at halftime with 12
points and 10 rebounds. ... 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.