BOSTON -- Phil Pressey had a career-high 13 assists, dove for loose balls and tipped a missed shot to a teammate with three seconds left. Not bad for Bostons 5-foot-11 undrafted rookie who learned after pregame warmups that he would start for just the ninth time. "I started before, so it really wasnt that big a deal," he said. It was to the Celtics, who held off a late surge and broke a season-long nine-game losing streak with a 106-103 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday night. Pressey got the call when Rajon Rondo realized his left shin was too sore for him to play. "Phil Pressey gave us a great lift on the defensive end," said Avery Bradley, who led Boston with 22 points. "I feel like thats why we won the game." Boston led 104-103 before Jared Sullinger made two free throws with 2.5 seconds left. Charlotte called timeout then got the ball to Jannero Pargo, who missed a straightaway 3-point shot as time expired. "I put my hands up to make him make a tough shot," Pressey said. "He was kind of fading away. If he made that shot we would have gone into overtime. If not, we win." The Bobcats were led by Al Jefferson with 32 points and 10 rebounds and Gary Neal with 13 points. "We got what we deserved," Jefferson said. "There was no way we can go in the playoffs with that type of mindset." Charlottes season-best five-game winning streak ended as it dropped into the seventh and the next-to-last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. It trails Washington by one game after the Wizards beat Orlando 96-86 Friday night. Boston has the fourth-worst record in the NBA after entering the game tied with Orlando for the third-worst. Sullinger scored 20 points and Pressey had 10 with three steals. Charlotte also was missing its top guard, Kemba Walker, who sat out with a sore right groin. Coach Steve Clifford didnt know if he would play Saturday night against Philadelphia. "Im really more concerned about the guys on the floor," Clifford said. "We had very little defence." In a game of surges, Jeffersons short jumper gave Charlotte a 97-96 lead with 4:01 remaining. Boston went ahead 104-97 by scoring the next eight points on a 3-pointer by Sullinger, a layup by Jeff Green and a 3-pointer by Bradley. Luke Ridnours basket with 1:39 to go stopped the run and Jeffersons follow of a missed shot made it 104-101 with 51 seconds left. Then Jeffersons layup cut the lead to one point with 29 seconds to play. With the 24-second clock about to expire, Sullinger missed a 3-pointer, but Pressey tipped the rebound to Brandon Bass. The Bobcats fouled him and Boston took the ball out from the side. Sullinger was fouled immediately when he took the inbounds pass. "Thats just one of the winning plays that coach (Brad) Stevens talks about," Pressey said of his tip, "diving for a loose ball, boxing out, taking the charge, getting offensive rebounds." The Bobcats didnt do enough of that. "We just didnt put much into the game," Clifford said. Boston led 57-55 at halftime and scored the last 12 points of the third quarter, turning a 75-72 deficit into an 84-75 lead. Bass had five points and Green added four during the rally. The Celtics stretched that to 90-77 before the Bobcats came back with a 10-point run to cut the lead to three. Bradleys basket stopped the surge, but Charlotte tied it at 92 with 5:13 to go on a layup by Jefferson and a 3-pointer by Gerald Henderson. But two days after wasting a nine-point lead with 5:44 left and losing to Atlanta 105-97, the Celtics held on. "We learned our lesson," Sullinger said. "We stayed poised." NOTES: Boston F Kris Humphries returned after missing two games with a sore right knee. ... Sullinger suffered a mild left ankle sprain in the third quarter and returned in the fourth. ... Presseys previous high was 11 assists. ... Jefferson is 1-12 in his career against the Celtics. He has a double-double in 10 of his past 12 games. Vlade Divac Kings Jersey .J. - Percy Harvin is ready to go, and theres no question in his mind hell be playing Sunday. DeAaron Fox Kings Jersey .com) - Tonight will go a long way in determining the two wild card spots in the Eastern Conference. http://www.nbakingsonline.com/Authentic-...s-Kings-Jersey/. It was my fifth straight year attending and, as always, there are many interesting matters discussed as it pertains to the use of statistics in sports. DeAaron Fox Jersey . -- Jonas Hiller is cautiously confident he has kicked his vertigo. Yogi Ferrell Kings Jersey . Vincent Lamar Carter is no longer the lean, athletic dynamo who dazzled Raptors fans with eye-popping dunks that posterized even the leagues best defenders.NEW YORK -- While growing up in New Rochelle, N.Y., Kevin Shattenkirk watched Rangers defenceman Brian Leetch score many big goals. Given a chance to do the same at Madison Square Garden, the St. Louis Blues blue-liner made the most of his opportunity. Shattenkirk fired in the tiebreaking power-play goal early in the third period, and the Blues got the best of New York again in a 2-1 victory Thursday night. "There were a lot of emotions going through my body, but after the first couple of shifts it just felt like a hockey game again," Shattenkirk said. "Once the goal happened, even more of a relief. I was happy and you could hear some people cheering." Shattenkirk had his own rooting section. He secured 20 tickets himself, but estimated that 60 or 70 people he knows got tickets on their own to watch him play. He could hear them when he one-timed a pass from Alex Pietrangelo through a screen and past goalie Henrik Lundqvist -- a la Leetch -- at 3:09 for his eighth goal of the season. "There are a lot of things that I watched in him growing up, and he was a very special player. I try to emulate him as best as I can," Shattenkirk said. "Those were areas that he always shined in." Alexander Steen also had a goal for the Blues before leaving late in the second period with a lower-body injury. David Backes had two assists, and Jaroslav Halak made 34 saves in beating Lundqvist in a matchup of Olympic goalies. New Yorks Rick Nash scored his sixth goal in four games -- netting at least one in each -- but Shattenkirk took advantage of Nashs slashing penalty, scoring 9 seconds into the power play. Lundqvist made 23 saves in his return from a one-game absence caused by the flu. He allowed fewer than three goals for the seventh straight game, but still couldnt find a way to stop the Blues -- the only NHL team he has never beaten (0-4). "I was moving the way I wanted to," Lundqvist said. "I am happy with the way I played, but its still very disappointing to not come out of here with at least one point." St. Louis, which killed all three Rangers power plays, swept the two-game season series and has won seven of the past eight meetings. The Blues, beaten 7-1 at New Jersey on Tuesday, have earrned points in eight straight visits to Madison Square Garden.dddddddddddd This was their first since Nov. 7, 2010. "Its shameful that we havent been here more often," Backes said. "You see the crowd, youre in the city for a day or two, you feel that hype, and you know what playing the New York Rangers brings. I think it brought the best out of us." The Rangers got even late in the second on Nashs team-leading 17th goal. Derek Stepan sent a pass from behind the net to Nash, who stepped into a slap shot from the dot in the left circle and ripped a drive past Halak with 1:43 left. New York pressured the Blues for the remainder of the period and drew its second power play in the closing seconds. "We had a couple good looks," Rangers captain Ryan Callahan said, "a couple Grade-A chances there right in front. We just didnt get one past them there." The Rangers outshot the Blues 28-18 through 40 minutes. "Theyre a team that if we wouldve taken off the gas for 60 seconds, it couldve been 3-2 the other way in a heartbeat," Backes said. Steen gave the Blues a 1-0 lead with his 26th goal. A pass from Jaden Schwartz hit Steens right skate in front of the crease, caromed off Lundqvists stick and skate and trickled in at 8:38. The goal was briefly reviewed by video replay, and it was determined that the puck wasnt kicked into the net. It was the fifth straight goal allowed by the Rangers since they had a 3-1 lead over the Islanders in the second period on Tuesday in a 5-3 loss. A late power-play goal was the winner in that one, too. Steen struggled to get to the bench after going hard into the boards in the second, but he was back soon after on the power play. He skated off for good with 2:57 left in the period. Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said Steen is day to day. NOTES: Nash has 21 goals and 40 points in 50 games versus the Blues. ... Steen has 14 career points against the Rangers and 12 in the past seven games -- including six goals. ... Schwartz played in his 100th NHL game. ... Blues C Maxim Lapierre was activated from the injured list after missing five games due to a lower body injury. ... Newly acquired D Kevin Klein made his Rangers debut. ... St. Louis C Derek Roy was a healthy scratch. ' ' '