Revamped Magic ends Celtics' 14-game streak

Brandon Bass scored 21 points yesterday as host Orlando ended the Boston Celtics' winning streak at 14 games, 86-78, giving the Magic back-to-back wins against the NBA's best.

A Magic team that had dropped eight of nine games and orchestrated two blockbuster trades suddenly looks awfully scary in the Eastern Conference after a pair of victories over San Antonio and Boston.

"You see what the possibilities are," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "You see that you have a chance to be a really good team. We're not there yet by any means, but you have a chance to be a very good team. And I think that right there, that belief and that confidence that if we will stay with it, we can be very good."

Kevin Garnett had 22 points and Paul Pierce 18 for Boston.

Thunder 114, Nuggets 106: NBA scoring leader Kevin Durant had a season-high 44 points - 21 in the third quarter - to lead Oklahoma City. James Harden added 21 points and Russell Westbrook had 19 for the Thunder in the first Christmas game in the franchise's three-season tenure in Oklahoma City.

Durant was 14-for-20 from the field.

Denver played for the second straight game without star Carmelo Anthony after his sister's death Wednesday.

Chauncey Billups led the Nuggets with 30 points and Nene had 21 points and 12 rebounds.

Oklahoma City improved to 21-10 and is 9-1 after a loss. The Thunder had lost two of its previous three games.

- AP