Paul Pierce scored 27 points and Jiri Welsch and Walter McCarty each added 21 to help Boston to a 97-93 win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night, the Celtics' first win in Texas in nearly four years.

Mark Blount had 10 points for the Celtics, whose last win in the state was a 104-99 victory at Dallas on Feb. 18, 2000.

Jim Jackson had 26 points and Steve Francis 19 for Houston, which had won five straight, and six in a row over the Celtics in Houston.

Cuttino Mobley had eight of his 15 points in the fourth quarter as Houston got within three points at 79-76 with 5:36 to play. But the Rockets could get no closer as the Celtics went 8-for-9 from the foul line in the closing minutes.

A 10-0 run in the middle of the second quarter gave Boston a 39-26 lead with 6:06 left in the half. The Rockets went on a six-minute scoring drought, missing 11 straight shots from the field in that span.

McCarty had 13 points in the second quarter and 16 at the half as Boston led 46-38.

After hitting its first three 3-pointers, Houston took an early 14-7 lead. But Pierce scored 13 in the first quarter to help Boston come back to a 24-20 lead after one.

Notes:@ It was Boston coach Jim O'Brien's first win in Texas. ... The last time Boston won at Houston was a 108-106 victory Jan. 18, 1997. ... The Rockets have had a winning record in every month of this season. The last time they finished with a winning record in every month was 1993-94, when they won the NBA title.

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