BOSTON (AP) -- The Boston Celtics are benefiting from Doc Rivers'

decision to keep things simple.

Paul Pierce scored 31 points and Wally Szczerbiak added 24 to

lead the Celtics to a 102-94 win over Orlando on Sunday night in

Grant Hill's return to the Magic lineup.

After acquiring Szczerbiak in a seven-player trade from

Minnesota on Jan. 26 and losing frontcourt players Al Jefferson and

Kendrick Perkins to injuries recently, Rivers knew he had to

simplify the offense.

"We just run two sets and that's what I told them because I

know Wally knows them both," Rivers said. "That's all we're going

to run, and we don't care if they know it's coming or not. We're

just going to run it and as long as we execute it with Wally, Paul,

Raef (LaFrentz) and Delonte (West's) ability to spread the floor, I

still think we're going to get a good shot."

LaFrentz had 16 points before fouling out and West scored 14 for

Boston, which got only three points from its reserves. Ryan Gomes,

making his second career start, had a career-high 14 points and

nine rebounds.

For the second straight game, the Celtics spaced the floor

better to open things up for Pierce's drives and open 3s for

LaFrentz.

"Everybody's understanding their role," Pierce said. "It's a

lot easier for me. Guys know what we're doing every time down. We

run one, two, maybe three different plays."

The TD Banknorth Garden was about a third full as a major

snowstorm in the Northeast dumped more than a foot of snow in the

area, but the fans that made it saw the Celtics' second straight

home win after a season-high six-game losing streak. Boston beat

Portland 115-83 on Friday.

Dwight Howard had 24 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Magic,

losers of five straight road games. Hedo Turkoglu added 16 points

and Hill had 15 after missing last 13 games due to rehab from a

sports hernia.

"I feel pretty good," Hill said. "It's just a little rust out

there, a couple of times I lost the ball."

After the Magic tied it 84-all, Pierce scored six points -- five

from the free throw line -- during a game-turning 12-4 run as Boston

took a 96-88 lead with 1:30 left.

"Well, in Paul Pierce, they have one of the best drivers in the

game and unfortunately we fouled him a little too much," Orlando

coach Brian Hill said.

The Celtics made 10 of 14 3-pointers, led by LaFrentz's four and

West's three.

"It all goes back to moving the ball," Rivers said.

Boston had opened a 81-73 edge on Gomes' two free throws with

9:01 to play, but Orlando used an 11-3 spurt, capped by Steve

Francis' three-point play, to tie it with 4:56 left.

The Celtics, who led 47-45 at the half, opened a 66-58 lead on

Szczerbiak's 3-pointer midway into the third quarter before Howard

had five points in a 11-0 run that pushed Orlando back in front.

Boston's first two fast-break baskets of the game -- a dunk by

Szczerbiak and Gomes' driving layup at the end of the third quarter

--moved the Celtics ahead 72-71.Game notes
A Celtics team spokesman said before the game that the team

decided to play the game as scheduled because Orlando was in town

and two of the referees were here, too. Referee Tom Washington

couldn't make it to Boston due to the storm. ... The start of the

second half was delayed after a male fan was injured during a

halftime layup promotion and had to be taken off on a stretcher.

... West was selected to replace Orlando's injured guard Jameer

Nelson on the sophomore team of the NBA's rookie challenge on

All-Star weekend. ... Bruins winger Patrice Bergeron was in

attendance. ... The Celtics' only home cancelations due to weather

were during the Blizzard of 1978, Feb. 10th and 12th. ... Perkins

missed his second straight with a dislocated left shoulder and

Jefferson his fourth with a sprained right ankle.