PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The pain in his left leg barely tolerable, Trail Blazers guard Wesley Matthews hoped he wasn’t asking for trouble with a step-back 3-pointer at the end of a close game against the Boston Celtics.

“As I was stepping back, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, what am I doing?’ Matthews said. “Instincts take over there. That’s mind over matter.”

The 3-pointer fell and Matthews finished with 24 points in Portland’s 92-86 victory Sunday night which snapped a season-worst seven-game losing streak.

J.J. Hickson’s hook shot put the Blazers ahead 86-80, but a pair of reverse layups from Paul Pierce and Brandon Bass pulled the Celtics to 86- 82 with 2:54 left.

Kevin Garnett’s layup with 1:46 to go tied it, but rookie Damian Lillard answered with his own layup and added a free throw to give Portland back the lead. Matthews, hobbled throughout the game by a lingering injury to his leg and ankle, hit the 3-pointer to give the Blazers the final margin with 53.9 seconds left.

Pierce had 23 points and eight assists for the Celtics, who were playing their third game in four nights. Garnett finished with 20 points and nine rebounds.

“When we needed stops, we couldn’t get them, when he had a chance to turn the corner, we didn’t turn it,” Garnett said. “I thought we had opportunities.”