BOSTON
For the second time in two nights, the Boston Celtics played a team trying to knock them out of the top eight in the Eastern Conference.
Both times, the aging former champions held onto their playoff position.
“I’m just glad we’re back to .500,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Wednesday after Boston beat the Milwaukee Bucks 102-96 for its second straight win since entering the All-Star break on a fivegame losing streak.
Rajon Rondo had 15 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to record his third triple-double of the season, and Kevin Garnett scored 25 points with 10 rebounds. The victory over the ninth-place Bucks left the Celtics tied with the New York Knicks for the last two playoff spots in the East.
It’s a bit of a comedown for the franchise that won its NBA-record 17th title in 2008 and returned to the finals two years later. But in this lockout shortened season, Boston’s best chance may be to eke into the playoffs wellrested and hope for an upset once it gets there.
Ersan Ilyasova had 25 points with 10 rebounds and Drew Gooden scored 23 for the Bucks, who are percentage points ahead of the Cavaliers in ninth place. Brandon Jennings had just six points on 2-for-11 shooting to go with his eight assists.
Jennings made back-to-back 3-pointers in the final 91 seconds to cut Boston’s lead to 98- 93 with 1:19 left. Milwaukee got within two points on Ilyasova’s put-back layup, but Garnett sank four free throws in the final 15 seconds to clinch it.
Rondo had six rebounds and five assists in the third quarter, when the Celtics went on a 20-4 run to turn a five-point deficit into a double- digit lead. Boston led by 17 in the fourth quarter and had a 98-83 edge with three minutes left when the Bucks scored 10 straight points, including a pair of 3- pointers by Jennings 12 seconds apart.
Ilyasova hit a putback that cut it to 98-96 before Garnett sank a pair of free throws with 14.4 seconds left. The Celtics gave Jennings a layup but he missed it, and he also missed a 3- point attempt before Garnett grabbed the rebound and went back to the foul line for two more free throws.
Chris Wilcox came off the bench to grab 13 rebounds in 26 minutes for Boston.
Brandon Bass, making his second consecutive start because of Jermaine O’Neal’s wrist injury, scored 16 points with seven rebounds for Boston.
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