HOUSTON, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Cuttino Mobley scored 40 points -- one shy of his career high -- as the Houston Rockets roared back from an early 20-point deficit Saturday night to post an 99-89 victory over the Boston Celtics.
The highlight of a seven-game road trip was Tuesday's last-second 109-108 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, but Boston squandered double-digit leads in each of its two games in Texas.
On Thursday, the Celtics suffered a 98-92 setback to the Dallas Mavericks, blowing a 14-point first-half lead and a seven-point advantage entering the final period.
Boston appeared to have no problem getting over that defeat and seemed on the verge of blowing out Houston, racing to a 29-9 lead just over 10 minutes into the contest.
But Houston erased a 34-16 first-quarter deficit by blitzing Boston, 83-55, over the final 36 minutes. The Rockets closed to 51-47 at the half, took the lead for good in the third quarter and pulled away in the final period.
Paul Pierce scored 30 points and Antoine Walker added 25 for the Celtics, who suffered their fifth straight loss in Houston.
After shooting 68 pecent (13-of-19) from the field in the first period, the Celtics were just 23-of-56 over the final three quarters.
The Rockets swept the season series from the Celtics for just the second time in franchise history. They also did it during the 1996-97 campaign.
