Mar 29, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Austin Rivers (25) shoots against Boston Celtics center Tyler Zeller (44) in the second half at TD Garden. The Clippers defeated the Celtics 119-106. David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
BOSTON — His team’s 35-point lead down to 14 in the fourth quarter Sunday, Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers sent four starters back into the game at TD Garden.
With the Celtics purposely fouling center DeAndre Jordan, Boston got as close as 11, but the Clippers cut the comeback short and won their seventh straight, 119-106.
The win capped a three-game sweep of an Eastern swing that saw Los Angeles (49-25) drub the New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers and Celtics by a combined 65 points.
The loss stalled the Celtics’ unlikely playoff bid, dropping them into ninth place in the Eastern Conference heading into a big game at Charlotte on Monday night. Boston (32-41) sits a half-game behind the eighth-place Brooklyn Nets and a half-game in front of the Hornets (31-41). The Indiana Pacers have the same record as Charlotte, too.
The Clippers ran to a 68-47 halftime lead — the most points allowed by the Celtics in a first half this season — and then came out after halftime and drained four consecutive 3-pointers to extend the advantage. Hitting 10 of their first 13 shots of the third quarter, the Clippers took a 35-point lead with 4:42 left in the period.
Los Angeles was on top 105-79 after three quarters. All seemed safe.
The lead was 27 when the Celtics, winning a mini battle of the benches, excited the remaining TD Garden fans with an 8-0 run to cut it to 19. Rivers called a timeout but didn’t bring his starters back.
When it got down to 14, the coach made the move.
Jordan, who finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds, missed eight of 10 free throws from that point on, but his teammates bailed him out with two offensive rebounds that led to four key points. He shot 3-for-15 from the line in the game.
Clippers guard J.J. Redick hit five of six attempts from behind the 3-point arc and scored 24 of his 27 points in the first three quarters. Guard Chris Paul had 21 points and 10 assists, forward Blake Griffin 21 points and nine rebounds, and forward Matt Barnes 18 points and seven boards as the Los Angeles starters scored 102 of the team’s 119 points.
Guard Isaiah Thomas came off the bench to lead six Celtics (four of them reserves) in double figures with 19 points. Thomas added seven assists. Boston center Tyler Zeller delivered 16 points.
With 5:10 left in the game and Boston forward Kelly Olynyk at the foul line, there was a commotion in the corner near the Clippers’ bench. Paramedics responded, and what looked to be an elderly man was wheeled away. One report was that a fan suffered a seizure, but no details were available.
NOTES: Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers, making his second trip to TD Garden since leaving the Celtics, said he regrets not celebrating with his Celtics after they wrapped up the 2008 title. “I never went into the locker room after the championship, which was the strangest thing,” he said. “I don’t know why I didn’t.” … The Clippers signed G Lester Hudson to a 10-day contract. The two-time MVP and three-time All-Star in the Chinese Basketball Association is the only Division I college player to record a quadruple-double, doing it with Tennessee-Martin. He was a second-round draft pick of the Celtics and played 16 games for them. … Boston G Isaiah Thomas is averaging 19.7 points in 13 games with his new team.
