The Boston Celtics beat the New Orleans Hornets 97-87 at home with Paul Pierce's 27 points.

Boston controled the game after scoring six consecutive points to break a 74-74 tie in the fourth quarter on Sunday night.

Ray Allen added 17 points for the Celtics with Kevin Garnett scoring 14 and Kendrick Perkins and Rasheed Wallace getting 12 each. Garnett also had seven rebounds and five assists, three in the key fourth-quarter run.

Peja Stojakovic led the Hornets with 26 points off the bench. 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.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers was not pleased with the way the Celtics played. "We absolutely didn't improve tonight. We just won a game," Rivers said.

New Orleans coach Byron Scott said they needed more help to beat the Celtics.

"The one thing I told our guys, I said, 'That is truly a team over there,'" Scott said. "They talk to each other on the floor. They communicate extremely well. They cover each other's back. We are a team right now that has a bunch of individuals that are playing."