By HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer

BOSTON(AP) -- Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett played their best game
together in more than a month. Coach Doc Rivers would be
thrilled if they can dominate consistently once the playoffs
arrive.

Pierce scored 29 points, Garnett had 22 and Boston cruised to
its third straight lopsided victory at home, 109-97 over the New
York Knicks on Wednesday night.

"They're going to have their ups and downs," Rivers said, "and
then we're going to have nights like this, too. And I'm starting
to hope that we have more of these and more of these."

Pierce and Garnett have battled injuries in the second half of
the season. But in the 10 games they've played together since
Pierce missed three with a sore right thumb, they never combined
for more than 39 points until Wednesday.

Pierce hit 11 of 17 shots despite missing nearly the entire
first quarter with two fouls and Garnett went 9 for 11. Each
played just 24 minutes and all five starters spent the entire
fourth quarter on the bench for the third straight home game.

"We focus on our turnovers being down. We focus on our blocked
shots and our rebounds. Other than that, our scoring is going to
come from different places (each) night," Garnett said. "I ran
the floor as good as I've been doing this year."

The Celtics led 32-19 after the first quarter, 68-49 at halftime
and 92-69 after the third. Garnett's jumper with 5:26 left in
the second quarter gave them a 48-37 lead and they stayed ahead
by double figures the rest of the way. Pierce's basket midway
through the third quarter gave Boston its biggest lead, 81-54.

David Lee led the Knicks with 29 points, and Al Harrington had
16.

"There were a lot of toos out there," New York coach Mike
D'Antoni said. "They were too big, too quick, too good, and the
road trip a little too long."

The Knicks had won their previous two games on the road and
finished the trip at 2-3.

Boston's blowouts all came against struggling teams - 122-103
over Indiana and 119-93 over Detroit before the victory over the
Knicks. But those first two wins were interrupted by a 104-93
loss at Cleveland, an indication that the Celtics may be
improving but aren't good enough to beat the best in the Eastern
Conference.

The Celtics moved into a third-place tie in the East with
Atlanta, which lost to Toronto on Wednesday night. But now they
start a tough trip to Houston, Dallas and Utah.

"You've definitely got to take care of the games at home just to
get the momentum," Garnett said. "Now we just have to go on the
road, play the same way we've been playing - sharing the ball,
playing defense with a lot of energy and playing through for 48
minutes."

On Wednesday they dominated from the start and kept connecting
as the Knicks kept allowing uncontested jumpers and layups.

The Knicks missed their first seven shots before Lee's layup cut
the lead to 9-4. Garnett sank his first six shots before finally
missing with 3:15 left in the second quarter with the score
50-37.

Then Boston expanded the lead by making 3-pointers on three
consecutive baskets - by Pierce, Ray Allen and Pierce again -
that made it 61-44.

Lee hit the first basket of the third quarter, but Boston went
on a 13-3 run and took its biggest lead, 81-54 on Pierce's
15-foot fadeaway with 7:16 to go.

"They take their time on offense. They know where they want to
get," said Bill Walker, who was traded by the Celtics to the
Knicks on Feb. 18. "They know they're bigger and taller than us.
So they were going inside a lot to" Garnett.

Pierce missed all of the first quarter after picking up his
second foul just 1:51 into the game. He returned with 10:55 left
in the second and had 13 points in the quarter.

"Paul and Kevin create their shots anytime on the court," Rajon
Rondo said. "Get them looks. And transitions, I think, is key."

Rondo had 12 assists in just 27 minutes and tied Bob Cousy for
fifth place among Celtics players for assists in one season with
642. Cousy did it in 1954-55.

NOTES: Former Celtics G Eddie House missed the game with a sore
right Achilles' tendon. Wilson Chandler sat out for the Knicks
with a sore left groin. ... The Celtics are 3-0 against the
Knicks with one meeting left April 6 in New York. ... Boston's
reserves scored 35 points two nights after getting 61 against
Detroit.