NEW YORK (AP) — Paul Pierce scored 22 points after another sensational start, and the Brooklyn Nets moved to the brink of a playoff spot by beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-99 on Sunday for their franchise record-tying 13th straight home victory.

Pierce scored 16 in the first quarter, two nights after putting up 17 in the period, and didn’t miss a shot in either. Joe Johnson added 19 points for the Nets.

Brooklyn equaled the longest home winning streak in the NBA this season and the best in the history of the franchise.

Corey Brewer and Kevin Martin each scored 21 for the Timberwolves, who had won two in row and were coming off the highest-scoring game in the NBA this season, when they scored a franchise-record 143 points in a rout of the Lakers on Friday.

CAVALIERS 90, PACERS 76

CLEVELAND (AP) — Dion Waiters scored 19 points, Luol Deng added 15 and the Cleveland Cavaliers kept their playoff push going with a 90-76 win over the Indiana Pacers, who are losing their grip on the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Tristan Thompson had 16 rebounds as the Cavs snapped a nine-game losing streak against Indiana. Cleveland came in three games behind slumping, idle Atlanta for the conference’s final playoff spot. With seven games left ”“ six against teams with losing records ”“ the Cavs still have a chance.

The Pacers, meanwhile, are falling apart. They lost their fifth straight road game and now lead Miami by one game for the East’s top record and home-court advantage.

Paul George scored 15 and David West 14 for Indiana, which fell behind by 21 in the fourth quarter.