On Sunday the Celtics beat the Hornets 97-87 at the TD Garden. Just when it looked like the Celtics would be overpowered by the Hornets bench, Paul Pierce came through in the clutch.

Player of the game: Paul Pierce scored 20 points in the first half before going quiet in the second. But with the game on the line, the captain drained a crucial three to give the Celtics a nine-point lead with 1:14 left in the fourth to lock up the victory. He finished the night with 27 points (10/14 FG, 3/5 3PG, 4/6 FT), four rebounds, and two assists.

Turning Point: The Celtics looked in control entering the second half before Peja Stojakovic got the hot hand. After watching him score 16 points in the second half, Rivers called timeout with 6:03 left in the fourth quarter to put his starters on the court, up 82-80. After Paul put the Hornets within six points on free throws, Pierce drained the game-clinching three with 1:14 left in the game to give the Celtics the determining 96-86 lead.

- The Celtics dominated the second quarter with a 13-5 run that bolstered their lead to as many as 11 points. The stretch included a pair of treys from Pierce, one from Allen, and an alley-oop from Rondo to Garnett. During that time the Hornets committed three fouls, two turnovers, and had one shot blocked. The Celtics went into halftime leading 47-38.

Battle of the Benches: Led by Stojakovic, the Hornets bench outscored the Celtics 40-21. Stojakovic scored 26 points off of 9-for-15 shooting from the field and 6-for-10 from three-point range. Bobby Brown and Hilton Armstrong combined for 14. Wallace led the Celtics reserves with 12 points (5/10 FG, 2/5 3PG) while House, Daniels, and Williams added a total of nine points.

Losing the lead: Prior to Sunday’s game, the Celtics had not trailed since 1:48 remaining in the second quarter against the Cavaliers on October 27. The Hornets broke the streak when they went up 9-6 with 7:54 to go in the first quarter. The Celtics had held the lead for just under 130 minutes.

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