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(Sports Network) - The reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics aim to bounce back from their first loss in well over a month Friday when they resume a four-game West Coast road trip in Oakland against the Golden State Warriors.
The C's fell in Hollywood on Christmas Day when Kobe Bryant scored 27 points and the Lakers used a late push to beat Boston, 92-83, ending the C's franchise-record 19-game winning streak and getting a small measure of revenge from losing the NBA Finals, all on a milestone day for Los Angeles head coach Phil Jackson.
Jackson captured the 1,000th win of his illustrious career, becoming the fastest coach to attain the milestone, doing so in his 1,423rd game, passing the mark of ex-Lakers coach Pat Riley (1,434 career games).
Kevin Garnett scored 22 for Boston, which suffered its first defeat since November 14 against Denver and fell to 10-2 on the road and 27-3 overall on the season. Paul Pierce added 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, whose 19-game run was tied for the fourth-longest in NBA history. The Lakers' 33- game surge during the 1971-72 season is the all-time mark.
Boston blew out the Lakers 131-92 in the clinching Game 6 of the Finals for its league-record 17th title last season.
The Celtics will also face Sacramento and Portland on their trek.
The reeling Warriors, meanwhile, lost for the seventh time in eight games Tuesday in Miami when Dwyane Wade poured in 32 points, pulled down eight rebounds and dished out eight assists, and the Heat matched their win total from all of last season with a 96-88 triumph over Golden State.
The Warriors played without guard Jamal Crawford, who was out with a strained left groin. C.J. Watson had 18 points to lead the way for Golden State, which went 1-4 on a five-game road trip.
Kelenna Azubuike had 16 points and nine rebounds for the Warriors, who shot just 37.1 percent from the field in the loss.
Crawford is questionable for tonight's game as is Boston big man Kendrick Perkins (bruised left shoulder).
The Celtics downed Golden State, 119-111, in Beantown on November 26 and the home team has won nine of the last 10 meetings in the series. The Warriors are just 4-7 at ORACLE Arena this season, however.
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