CELTICS 87, HAWKS 80: Paul Pierce had 36 points and 14 rebounds as visiting Boston evened the Eastern Conference first-round series at a game apiece.

Kevin Garnett had 15 points and 12 rebounds and Avery Bradley tallied 14 points as the Celtics won while playing without suspended point guard Rajon Rondo.

Joe Johnson scored 22 points, Jeff Teague had 18 points and Josh Smith had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Atlanta. Smith left the floor with 4:20 to play after suffering a sprained knee.

Game 3 is Friday in Boston.

The Celtics trailed by 11 points late in the third quarter before controlling the final 15 minutes. Boston outscored the Hawks 25-7 over an 11 1/2-minute span to take a 79-72 lead on Pierce’s 3-pointer with 3:30 to play.

Atlanta pulled within three with 1:35 to play but Garnett, Pierce and Bradley hit two free throws apiece to boost the lead to 87-78 with 41.4 seconds left.

Rondo drew a one-game suspension for bumping official Marc Davis in the final moments of the opening contest. The Celtics were also without veteran guard Ray Allen.

Boston held Atlanta to 27.5 percent shooting in the second half.

The Hawks led 65-54 after a 3-pointer by Ivan Johnson with three minutes left in the quarter before going more than 7 1/2 minutes without making a field goal. Boston surged to tie the score at 66 on Bradley’s 16-footer with 8:49 remaining in the game.

Pierce scored 13 first-quarter points and the game was tied at 24 entering the second stanza. The Hawks led 44-41 at halftime behind 12 points from Teague.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Celtics missed their first eight 3-pointers before Keyon Dooling drained one in the third quarter. Boston finished 3 of 14 after missing all 11 of their 3-point attempts in the opener. … Atlanta center Zaza Pachulia (foot) sat out for the second straight game … The Celtics were 26 for 31 from the free-throw line.