LOS ANGELES – The Boston Celtics improved their perfect National Basketball Association (NBA) home record to 14-0 and Kristaps Porzingis warned blemishes to that impressive run will come only if visiting teams have a “special night” at the TD Garden.

That was not the case for the Orlando Magic on Dec 17 as Jaylen Brown keyed a fourth-quarter surge that saw the Celtics pull away for a 114-97 victory.

Said Porzingis: “For a visiting team to come into this building and beat us, it’s got to be a special night for them and we totally believe that.”

Brown scored 17 of his 31 points in the final period to help the Eastern Conference leading Celtics (20-5), push their lead to as many as 23.

“When my three-ball is going in, I don’t think there’s anything anybody can do,” said the 27-year-old forward, who was five from eight from three-point range, including three from four in the final quarter.

“I’m going to be aggressive getting to the basket, which everybody knows I want to do. When that three-ball is going in at a high clip, it makes it tough (to guard me).”

Jayson Tatum scored 23 points, and Porzingis added 15 points and 10 rebounds on his return from a one-game absence.

The Celtics scored 17 of 36 treys while the Magic were 11 from 36 from beyond the arc.

The Celtics withstood a 36-point, 10-rebound performance from Orlando’s Paolo Banchero to beat the Magic for the second time in three days.

Jalen Suggs (13 points) was the only other player to score in double figures for the visitors, who made just 38.2 per cent of their shots.

Said Banchero: “They’re very hard to stop when the three-ball is going in like it was today.”

Said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla: “I think we’re starting to play what I would call Celtic basketball. From a mentality standpoint, from a toughness standpoint, from defensive standpoint and identity.”

His opposite number Jamahl Mosley, meanwhile, said: “We competed, we’re growing. Those are great things and that’s the truth.

“The reality is these guys are not happy about not getting the game because they feel they’re at a good level of basketball and we can compete against the best teams.”

Brown, who added five rebounds, six assists, one steal and one block, said his fourth-quarter burst was just a matter of falling into a rhythm.

He said: “I’m a do-whatever-our-team-needs kind of guy. First quarter, fourth quarter, it don’t matter, I just take advantage of the opportunities I get.”

In Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo grabbed 17 rebounds to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (7,161) as the Bucks’ all-time leading rebounder in their 128-119 triumph over the Houston Rockets.

Teammate Damian Lillard had 39 points and 11 assists as Milwaukee shot 50 per cent from the field and snapped the Rockets’ five-game winning streak.

Antetokounmpo overtook the NBA great’s mark when he grabbed his 14th board midway through the fourth quarter. The Greek also tallied 26 points at Fiserv Forum.

The 29-year-old forward told ESPN: “It’s a big honour. I don’t think anybody assumed the skinny kid from Greece that was drafted and supposed to play in the G-League was going to be in a position to break a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar record.”

Teammate Khris Middleton said of Antetokounmpo’s franchise records – he also leads the team in scoring and assists: “It’s great. Now he’s got everything, except for the three-ball.”

Antetokounmpo replied from the background: “I’m going to get that one too, Khris. It might take me 20 years, but I’m going to get it.” AFP, REUTERS