ORLANDO, Florida – The Orlando Magic took a big step toward claiming the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, holding off the visiting Boston Celtics 84-82 on Wednesday.

All-Star center Dwight Howard dominated with 24 points and 21 rebounds as the Magic pulled even in the standings with the Celtics.

Orlando (53-18) hold the edge over Boston (54-19) in the loss column as well as winning percentage with just 11 games remaining, giving them the inside track for home court advantage in a likely second-round matchup between the teams.

Paul Pierce scored 19 of his game-high 26 points in the second half, where the defending NBA champions Celtics rallied back from a 15-point deficit.

Pierce had a 3-pointer attempt as the final clock expired that failed to reach the rim.

Kevin Garnett, in his fourth game since missing 13 contests with a knee injury, played just 17 minutes and sat on the bench down the stretch as Boston coach Doc Rivers continued to be cautious with the All-Star forward's return.