"We've been a good road team over the last couple of years," said Paul Pierce. "We know what it takes when you get on the road and the concentration you have to have.

"San Antonio's a very good home team, but I think we're really starting to get into our groove right now," he added, referring to the team the Celtics beat Thursday. "We're starting to play better."

The Celtics have managed to start games off better lately.

"With the starts that we got at home over the last couple weeks, we understand we have to play better at the beginning of games," Pierce said. "And our focus is defense. We don't feel like we played our best game. I know we didn't. But as long as we defend and get off to the start we did, we always have a chance to win games.

"We've just got to have the killer instinct and go out there and try to finish the road trip."

Evidently getting out on the road and being stuck together has helped the Celtics, who were winning but struggling when they left home.

"I think guys are locked in and have a great focus right now," said Kendrick Perkins. "Guys came on this trip to get wins."

CELTICS 105, THUNDER 87: Kevin Garnett continued his hot shooting, making 10 of 11 from the floor on the way to 23 points Friday in Oklahoma City. He had nine straight in the third quarter as the Celtics outscored the Thunder 28-16 and pulled away. The hosts were able to shoot a decent 47.1 percent from the field overall, but they hit just three of 17 treys while the Celtics made nine of 17 from beyond the arc.