Houston Rockets' Tracy McGrady sits on the bench during the fourth quarter of the game against Boston Celtics on Tuesday night. The Rockets 22-game winning streak ended as the Celtics beat them 94-74. - AP

HOUSTON (AP):

THE SHOTS stopped falling, Boston's stars took over and just like that, the Houston Rockets' 22-game winning streak was history.

Kevin Garnett scored 22 points and Paul Pierce added 20 as the Celtics beat the Rockets 94-74 on Tuesday night, stopping Houston's remarkable victory run.

The Rockets hadn't lost since a 97-89 defeat to Utah on January 27 and put together the NBA's second-longest winning streak. It ended 11 victories shy of the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers, who won 33 in a row.

It was only Houston's second loss in 28 games and their fourth since a 97-93 loss in Boston on January 2, a game Tracy McGrady sat out with a knee injury. The Rockets also lost for the first time in 11 games since Yao Ming went out with a season-ending foot injury on February 26.

Luis Scola scored 15 for Houston, who had a 15-game home streak snapped. Only the 1985-86 Rockets, who won 20 straight at The Summit, had a longer home-court streak in franchise history. McGrady had eight assists and seven rebounds, but only eight points on 4-for-11 shooting.

Sore ankle

Reserve Leon Powe added 21 points for the Celtics, who've won 13 of their last 14 games, the last three without All-Star guard Ray Allen, who's out with a sore left ankle.

Houston beat the Lakers on Sunday to take over sole possession of first place in the Western Conference and set up Tuesday night's showdown between conference leaders.

The loss dropped Houston back into a first-place tie with the Lakers in the West. The New Orleans Hornets were one game behind heading into last night's match-up.