BOSTON — Winning streaks are nice and all, but Kevin Garnett prefers something more tangible — like a championship ring.

"Unless you win it all, it's pretty much steam in the air: You see it, and then it evaporates," Garnett said after scoring 18 points to lead the Boston Celtics to a franchise-record 19th consecutive victory, 110-91 over the Philadelphia 76ers last night.

The Celtics will go for 20 in a row against the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day in a rematch of last spring's NBA finals, which Boston won in six games for its unprecedented 17th league title. The crowd couldn't wait, chanting "Beat L.A!" with 5:27 left to play against the Sixers.

"I totally appreciate the whole history of the Lakers and Celtics and the tradition, the players who've come through both teams, the foundations of this league," Garnett said. "But to put all the eggs in one basket on one game, or that we circle it ... we circle all the games, and if you're on the schedule we don't decline any shows."

Rajon Rondo also scored 18, and Kendrick Perkins had eight points and 11 rebounds as the Celtics improved to 27-2 — the best start for a two-loss team in NBA history.

The 19-game winning streak broke the franchise record set by the original Big Three in 1981-82.

Hawks 99, Thunder 88: Joe Johnson had 20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, and his follow shot with 32 seconds left before halftime gave host Atlanta a 44-43 lead it never lost in beating Oklahoma City, which has lost two straight and 10 of 11.

Lakers 100, Hornets 87: Kobe Bryant scored 26 points, Pau Gasol added 20, and visiting Los Angeles stormed to a 19-point halftime lead and never looked back in cruising past New Orleans in preparation for a Christmas Day matchup at Boston.

Cavaliers 99, Rockets 90: LeBron James scored 27 points and Mo Williams added 23 as Cleveland held off Houston to improve to 23-2 in its last 25 games. The Cavs remained the only NBA team with a perfect home record at 14-0.

Heat 96, Warriors 88: Dwyane Wade scored 32 points and host Miami turned a 41-32 deficit into a 47-41 lead at intermission to beat Golden State for its 15th victory, matching last season's win total.

Nets 108, Pacers 107: After Indiana's Danny Granger made two free throws with 10 seconds to play for a 107-106 lead, Devin Harris buried a jumper from the top of the key as time expired to lead visiting New Jersey.

Bobcats 80, Wizards 72: Emeka Okafor had 29 points and 18 rebounds, and host Charlotte pulled away in the fourth quarter, dropping Washington to 4-22, the worst record after 26 games in the team's 48-year history.

Pistons 104, Bulls 98: Rodney Stuckey scored 40 points and host Detroit overcame an injury to Allen Iverson (sitting out most of the second half with a strained groin) to beat Chicago.

Bucks 94, Jazz 86: Michael Redd scored 27 points and Milwaukee had its 19-point, second-quarter lead cut to one early in the third quarter before pulling away to beat Utah for its fifth straight home victory.

Mavericks 100, Grizzlies 82: Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 points, Jason Terry added 17, and host Dallas raced to a 42-31 halftime lead which never dipped below eight in beating Memphis for the 13th straight time.

Spurs 99, Timberwolves 93: Tony Parker scored 36 points on 13 of 17 shooting, and Tim Duncan contributed 19 points and 12 rebounds, helping host San Antonio hand Minnesota its 13th consecutive loss, three shy of the franchise record.

Trail Blazers 101, Nuggets 92: LaMarcus Aldridge scored 22 points, Brandon Roy added 19, and Joel Przybilla had 19 rebounds and 10 points, going 4 of 4 on free throws in the final 2:40 to help host Portland tie Denver atop the Northwest Division.