Celtics 106, Bobcats 103: Avery Bradley scored 22 points and Jared Sullinger added 20 as Boston snapped a nine-game slide by holding off visiting Charlotte.

Brandon Bass recorded 18 points and nine rebounds and Jeff Green scored 18 for the Celtics, who were without guard Rajon Rondo. Rookie Phil Pressey started in Rondo’s place and recorded 10 points and a season-high 13 assists for Boston.

Al Jefferson recorded 32 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Bobcats, who dropped one game behind the Washington Wizards in the race for the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference. Gary Neal and Chris Douglas-Roberts combined for 25 points off the bench and Gerald Henderson scored 11 for the Charlotte.

Henderson’s 3-pointer capped a 15-2 run and knotted the game at 92 with 5:13 to play. The Bobcats took a 97-96 lead with four minutes left but Sullinger knocked down a 3-pointer to kick off an 8-0 run and hit a pair of free throws with two seconds left to provide the final margin before Jannero Pargo missed a tying attempt at the buzzer for Charlotte.

The Bobcats held a 75-72 lead with 3:47 left in the third quarter before the Celtics closed the period on a 12-0 run to take a nine-point lead into the fourth. Kris Humphries’ layup with 9:10 left extended the lead to 90-77 before Charlotte made a run.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Celtics G Jerryd Bayless suffered a right knee sprain and did not return to the game after scoring two points in 19 minutes. … Humphries (knee sprain) was questionable but ended up playing 11 minutes off the bench and recording four points and seven rebounds. … Bobcats G Kemba Walker (groin) missed the game and is day-to-day.