NEW YORK (AP) — Paul Pierce scored 22 points after another sensational start, and the Brooklyn Nets moved to the brink of a playoff spot by beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-99 on Sunday for their franchise record-tying 13th straight home victory.
Pierce scored 16 in the first quarter, two nights after putting up 17 in the period, and didn’t miss a shot in either. Joe Johnson added 19 points for the Nets, who would clinch a playoff spot it the New York Knicks lost to Golden State later Sunday.
Brooklyn equaled the longest home winning streak in the NBA this season and the best in the history of the franchise.
Corey Brewer and Kevin Martin each scored 21 for the Timberwolves, who had won two in row and were coming off the highest-scoring game in the NBA this season, when they scored a franchise-record 143 points in a rout of the Lakers on Friday.
