Boston ? The Dallas Mavericks stayed unbeaten because Dirk Nowitzki kept connecting and Shawn Bradley kept the Boston Celtics from the basket.

Nowitzki scored a season-high 32 points and the 7-foot-6 Bradley blocked five shots and changed many others as the Mavericks won 97-86 Friday night to improve to 9-0.

Bradley didn’t start because of an upset stomach, but played 36 minutes and made all four of his shots .

“Bradley was sensational,” Dallas coach Don Nelson said. “I told him he needs to get food poisoning again.”

The Celtics (6-3) had their six-game winning streak snapped as Paul Pierce scored just nine points and Antoine Walker had only four of his 22 in the second half.

“It was hard but we made it harder on ourselves,” Pierce said. “The zone really bothered us.”

So did Nowitzki.

“He gets out and runs the floor well,” Walker said. “He’s very aggressive in transition. That’s when he looks for his shot.”

The win was the Mavericks’ sixth by 10 or more points as they became only the sixth team in 19 years to start 9-0 or better.

“It’s fun,” Nowitzki said. “We know the streak is going to end sooner or later, but then we’ll just try to start another one.”

That’s what the Celtics will try to do Saturday night in Milwaukee.

If the Mavericks defeat New Jersey on Saturday and the Lakers on Tuesday, they would be the first team to go 11-0 since Atlanta and the Lakers both reached that mark in 1997-98.

Raptors 84, Nuggets 79

Toronto ” Voshon Lenard scored 19 points and Antonio Davis added 18, the two combining for Toronto’s final 12 points as the Raptors beat Denver. Davis added eight rebounds and three blocks in his return after missing four games due to a strained ribcage muscle.

Pacers 103, Bucks 100, OT

Indianapolis ” Ron Artest scored 22 points and made the game-winning three-point play in overtime as Indiana remained unbeaten at home and atop the Eastern Conference. The Pacers ” 7-1 overall and 6-0 at Conseco Fieldhouse ” have won six straight since losing at New Jersey on Nov. 1.

Pistons 86, Jazz 75

Auburn Hills, Mich. ” Richard Hamilton scored 25 points and Chauncey Billips added 17 as the Pistons improved to 4-0 at home. Detroit also got 14 points from Cliff Robinson and 15 rebounds from Ben Wallace to sweep the season series.

Nets 93, Heat 84

Miami ” Jason Kidd scored 33 points and made two pivotal plays midway through the second half. Kidd made 13 of 25 shots and added six rebounds and six assists. The Heat have lost four in a row and are 1-6, their worst start in eight years.

T’wolves 99, Grizzlies 95

Memphis, Tenn. ” Wally Szczerbiak scored six of his 22 points in the final two minutes as Minnesota spoiled Hubie Brown’s return to the sidelines. The loss was the ninth in a row for the Grizzlies, the only winless team in the league. It was their first game under the direction of Brown, who is back coaching after a 16-year break. Memphis trailed by only one point with 28 seconds left, but Szczerbiak hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the Timberwolves a 97-93 lead.

Hornets 105, Bulls 87

New Orleans ” Baron Davis and David Wesley scored 22 points apiece as the Hornets improved to 6-0 in their new home. Jamal Mashburn added 16 points, P.J. Brown had 12 points and 11 rebounds and Davis added 12 assists for the Hornets, who trailed 52-49 at halftime but surged ahead for good by outscoring Chicago 34-14 in the third quarter.

SuperSonics 111, Kings 97

Seattle ” Desmond Mason had 20 points and tied a career-high with 17 rebounds, leading six players in double figures as Seattle beat Sacramento.

Blazers 112, Clippers 88

Portland, Ore. ” Derek Anderson returned from a four-game absence, started at point guard and had 28 points and nine rebounds. Bonzi Wells added 21 points for Portland, which snapped a two-game losing streak.

Suns 88, Rockets 87

Phoenix ” Stephon Marbury scored 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, including a soaring layup with 6.3 seconds left that gave Phoenix the victory. Shawn Marion scored 27 and Penny Hardaway was two rebounds shy of a triple-double.

Lakers 96, Warriors 89, OT

Los Angeles ” Kobe Bryant, scored 45 points as Los Angeles snapped a four-game losing streak.