BOSTON — James Posey got his championship ring before the game. The Boston Celtics walked away with all the spoils after it.

Paul Pierce scored 28 points, and Kevin Garnett had 19 points and 10 rebounds last night to lead the Celtics to their 14th consecutive victory, a 94-82 win over their former teammate and the New Orleans Hornets.

"We will always be forever linked with him," Garnett said of Posey, who was the leader of the Celtics bench when they won their NBA-record 17th title in 2007-08 before signing with New Orleans in the offseason.

Chris Paul had 20 points and 14 assists for the Hornets, while David West had 23 points and 14 rebounds. Posey scored seven points with seven rebounds and a steal while committing five fouls and contributing to a defense that forced the Celtics into 17 turnovers that led to 25 points.

"He's up to those same tricks," Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "Last year, I loved what he did, setting flops, charges, grabbing, holding, getting away with hitting on the arm. Today I think I complained about Posey the entire game. He's a pain in the butt; he really is. Now I know why I loved him on our team."

The Celtics held a brief ceremony before the game to award Posey with the championship ring he won with Boston last season. Posey got a big cheer from the crowd, hugs from his former teammates and a tribute from Rivers, who dropped his pregame game face to call Posey a "special player, special person."

RAPTORS 101, NETS 79

Chris Bosh scored 18 points, and visiting Toronto capitalized on Vince Carter's 0-for-13 night to beat New Jersey, the Raptors' second straight win under interim coach Jay Triano. Jason Kapono, with four 3-pointers, and Joey Graham each had 16 points for the Raptors. Carter finished with three points against his former team.

SUNS 113, MAGIC 112

Grant Hill made a reverse layup with 2.7 seconds left to lift host Phoenix over Orlando. Hedo Turkoglu had given the Magic a one-point lead 7.2 seconds earlier on a running 22-foot jump shot. Rashard Lewis had a chance to win the game, but his 3-pointer as time expired bounced off the backboard.

CAVALIERS 88, 76ERS 72

LeBron James scored 28 points and Anderson Varejao added 17 in his first start this season as host Cleveland matched a club record with its 11th straight win. James added seven assists and seven rebounds for the Cavs, who improved to 13-0 at home and added another victory to their longest winning streak since the 1993-94 season.

HAWKS 87, HEAT 73

Joe Johnson scored 21 points, Mike Bibby and Josh Smith each added 15, and visiting Atlanta beat Miami. Maurice Evans scored 12 points and Al Horford finished with 10 rebounds for the Hawks, who scored the final 14 points of the third quarter.

GRIZZLIES 103, BULLS 96

Rudy Gay scored 29 points and Hakim Warrick added 21, both matching their season highs, as host Memphis won its third straight. Warrick's 12 points in the fourth quarter kept the Bulls at bay, snapping Chicago's two-game winning streak.

SPURS 98, TIMBERWOLVES 86

Tim Duncan had 17 points and 13 rebounds, and Manu Ginobili added 16 points for visiting San Antonio, which has won five in a row. Al Jefferson had 29 points and 13 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who have lost eight in a row.

LAKERS 112, KINGS 103

Kobe Bryant scored 32 points, Pau Gasol had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and host Los Angeles beat Sacramento. The Kings stormed back from a 92-77 deficit early in the fourth quarter to close to 101-98 on Spencer Hawes' 3-pointer with 3:02 remaining.

ROCKETS 119, WARRIORS 108

Tracy McGrady just missed a triple-double in his return to the court, Yao Ming had 19 points and 14 rebounds, and visiting Houston beat Golden State. McGrady, who missed the last seven games with soreness in his left knee, had 24 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

CLIPPERS 120, TRAIL BLAZERS 112

Zach Randolph scored a season-high 38 points against his former team, leading visiting Los Angeles over Portland. Randolph also had 11 rebounds. Baron Davis scored 27 points for the Clippers and made a 3-pointer that sent the game into overtime.

PISTONS 114, PACERS 110

Richard Hamilton scored 28 points, and Allen Iverson had 17 points and 12 assists as host Detroit beat Indiana. Indiana got a career-high 42 points from Danny Granger, but still lost its fifth straight game.