BOSTON — Jeff Green was anything but hospitable to his old team Friday night.
Green, who was traded from Oklahoma City to Boston late in the 2010-11 season and missed all of last season with a heart problem that required surgery, scored the last seven points of an 11-0 run late in the third quarter that helped the Celtics end a two-game losing streak with a 108-100 win over the Thunder.
Green, coming off the bench, finished with a season-high 17 points to aid the effort in Boston’s best win of the young season. The Celtics’ victory ended Oklahoma City’s three-game winning streak and dropped the Thunder to 9-4.
Paul Pierce scored 27 points and Kevin Garnett had 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Jason Terry also scored 16 and Rajon Rondo added six points, 16 assists and seven rebounds — his 36th straight double-digit assist game.
For the Thunder, Kevin Durant scored 29 points, Russell Westbrook had 26 points, eight assists and seven rebounds and Serge Ibaka 17 points and 13 boards.
The Thunder trailed by 14 with 9:55 left and by 12 with 3:30 remaining before making a 9-0 run. After a Boston turnover and down by three, Oklahoma City had a chance to tie the game, but Durant missed a 3-pointer with 1:15 left. Four free throws by Garnett and a 3-pointer by Terry iced the game.
The Celtics are 7-6.
Westbrook came out in a passing mood and didn’t score until the last 92 seconds of the first quarter. But in less than one minute, Westbrook went on a personal 8-0 run giving the Thunder a 28-19 lead in the final minute.
The Celtics, who lost Pierce to two fouls in the first quarter, trailed by five after the quarter and cut the lead to two with 7:45 left, thanks to a 5-0 run on a 3-pointer by Pierce and a follow by rookie Jared Sullinger.
Durant picked up his second foul with 6:07 left in the half and then got his third on a drive with 4:55 remaining. The Thunder was up four when he went to the bench and the Celtics took advantage, going on an 11-5 run to lead by four. After the Thunder tied it, Jason Terry nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Boston a 48-45 lead at the break.
NOTES: Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks on Rondo: “We can’t let him have the monster assist game and the scoring game. He’s one of the best in the league. There’s no question, with how he manipulates screens-and-rolls and his passing in transition is uncanny. He just has the ability to find open guys when you don’t think he can see the open player.” … Celtics coach Doc Rivers on Westbrook: “You see Westbrook and you’re the guard on the other side, you’re saying ‘oh expletive’ before the game starts.” … Friday night marked another return to Boston for ex-Celtic Kendrick Perkins. “Going against guys that you played with for a long time, won rings, went through wars with, still brothers over there,” he said earlier in the day. “But at the end of the day, we’re still trying to win games.” … The Thunder visit Philadelphia to close a two-game trip Saturday, while Boston is at Orlando on Sunday. … Rivers flew home to Orlando for Thanksgiving and now heads right back there for Sunday’s game. … Celtics guard Avery Bradley, expected to be out a while longer after shoulder surgery, dressed and sat on the bench as the 12th man.