CELTICS 94, BOBCATS 82: Brandon Bass and Avery Bradley each scored 22 points and Rajon Rondo had 20 points and 16 assists as short-handed Boston handed Charlotte its second 16-game losing streak of the season.

Charlotte (7-52) also lost a franchise-record 16 in a row from Jan. 16-Feb. 15.

Rondo posted his 22nd consecutive double-digit assist game to lead the Celtics (36-25), who were without Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. The club opted to rest its Big Three for the playoffs as it completed a road back-to-back-to-back.

Allen, who missed his fourth straight game with a sore right ankle, stayed in Boston but is still 50-50 to play Tuesday at New York. Pierce rested after jamming his left big toe Saturday against New Jersey and Garnett was just taking the night off.

Greg Stiemsma and Mickael Pietrus started in their place. Stiemsma blocked a career-best six shots. Pietrus had 11 points and six rebounds.

Gerald Henderson led the Bobcats with 22 points. Derrick Brown had 15 points and seven rebounds. DJ White scored 13.

Charlotte got to 78-74 with 6:54 left on Brown’s dunk, but the Celtics used a 12-2 run to pull away and send Charlotte to another disappointing loss.

GAME NOTEBOOK: “Rest is the whole key,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “The only thing I don’t like about this season is some of the games have been decided on endurance. It has nothing to do with who is the better team on given nights. That should never happen.” … Jamario Moon, signed Saturday by the Bobcats, had three rebounds in 13 minutes in his Bobcats debut.