SAN ANTONIO, March 31 (UPI) -- Rajon Rondo scored six straight points in a 14-0 third-quarter run Thursday that pushed the Boston Celtics to a 107-97 win over San Antonio.
The Celtics climbed within two games of idle Chicago for the best record in the Eastern Conference while the Spurs lost their fifth in a row. San Antonio still has the No. 1 record in the NBA, but leads Chicago by just 2 1/2 games.
San Antonio's losing streak is its longest in 14 seasons.
The Spurs had a 67-63 lead with 5:57 remaining in the third period but were held without a point for 4:36 while the Celtics went on their run.
Rondo scored 22 points and had 14 assists while Paul Pierce contributed 21 points and 11 rebounds for Boston. The Celtics, who are 2-1 on a four-game road trip, shot 54 percent from the field.
San Antonio's Tim Duncan, who had missed four games with a sprained left ankle, scored 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in his return. Tony Parker led the Spurs with 23 points.
