BOSTON, Massachuetts – The lowly New Jersey Nets made the most of Boston's defensive struggles Saturday as they shocked the Celtics 104-96 in a National Basketball Association contest.

"Any win for us is big. There's no question," said Nets coach Kiki Vandeweghe, whose team entered the game with a 5-52 win-loss record and just 2-27 on the road.

"But to get a win on the road, and this is one of the toughest places to play in the NBA just shows that - it should demonstrate to our guys that if they play with effort, they can compete against anybody."

Center Brook Lopez scored 25 points, Devin Harris added 23 and Courtney Lee 21 for the Nets, who edged ahead 29-27 on Keyon Dooling's basket at the end of the first quarter and never relinquished the lead.

Kevin Garnett had 26 points and Marquis Daniels had 16 for the Celtics, who were without Paul Pierce for the third straight game.

New Jersey took 41 free throws to the Celtics' 11.

"It shows that we were aggressive," Lopez said. "A lot of the season we've been settling for jump shots at very inopportune times. Tonight we were very assertive in trying to get to the basket and get the best possible shot we could."

Celtics coach Doc Rivers blamed his team for the free throw disparity, saying "it was on us."

Rivers said he told his players after a 108-88 loss to Cleveland on Friday "It ain't the system. It's our heads."

"It's between our ears," Rivers said. "And we've got to come out and play."

The Nets had challenged the Celtics until the waning minutes in a 96-87 loss on February 5.

Even so, Garnett said he was "disgusted" at the defeat and Boston's lackluster defensive effort.

"In this league you have to get stops, it's that simple. A team gets into a rhythm, and it's hard to turn it off."

New Jersey scored 25 points off 18 Celtics turnovers. The Celtics shot 63 percent in the first quarter and build a 12-2 lead, but the Nets battled back.

The Nets need to win at least four of their remaining 24 games if they don't want to break the all-time worst full-season showing in league history - the 9-73 of the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers.