Paul Pierce and Wally Szczerbiak each scored 22 points, Delonte West added 21, and the Boston Celtics beat the Knicks 123-98 last night.

The Celtics snapped a two-game losing streak and handed the Knicks their sixth straight loss.

Ryan Gomes added 15 points and 13 rebounds for the Celtics, who shot 57% from the field and led by as many as 38 points. Raef LaFrentz and Tony Allen each had 14 points.

The Celtics led 40-28 after the first quarter and never relinquished their double-digit lead.

Qyntel Woods scored a career-high 20 points for the Knicks, who led only once, on Steve Francis’s game-opening jumper. Eddy Curry also had 20 and Stephen Marbury added 19.

Ahead 62-51, the Celtics scored the last nine points of the first half and extended their lead to 78-55 on LaFrentz’s 3-pointer with 9:42 left in the third quarter.

When the Knicks managed to cut the deficit to 16 points with 6:44 left, Celtics coach Doc Rivers called a timeout.

“Play the same way you played when you got the lead,” he told his players in the huddle. “No turnovers. Take care of the ball.”

Szczerbiak immediately followed with a 3-pointer, Pierce made a foul shot, and West hit a jumper. The Celtics never led by fewer than 20 again.

The rout continued in the fourth quarter, even though West was the only Boston starter to play in the last 12 minutes.

The 40 points Boston scored in the first quarter were the most by a Knicks opponent in any quarter this season. The Celtics’ 71 points at halftime tied the most allowed by the Knicks this season.