Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images Jayson Tatum scored 30 points, Jaylen Brown finished with 24 points, and the Celtics destroyed LA to improve their California road trip record to 2-1. The Celtics dominated the Clippers from start...
Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images
Jayson Tatum scored 30 points, Jaylen Brown finished with 24 points, and the Celtics destroyed LA to improve their California road trip record to 2-1.
The Celtics dominated the Clippers from start to finish and came away with a 145-108 win. Boston shot a scorching 47.2% from three, finished with 33 assists, and out-rebounded Los Angeles 60-39 – all metrics that usually indicate a Celtics victory.
Jayson Tatum, after missing Wednesday’s game against the Kings with a sprained left ankle, led the charge with a strong shooting performance. He finished with 30 points on 9/16 shooting in just three quarters of play, and hit 5 of his 10 attempted three-pointers. He tweaked his ankle in the second quarter, but stayed in and seemed okay.
Jayson Tatum hits the and-one three for 19 points, but lands on his already-sprained left ankle and appears to be in a lot of pain. pic.twitter.com/cqXoomFihM
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzellNBA) December 23, 2023Jaylen Brown continued his efficient offensive play and put up 24 points on 9/17 FG to go along with 6 rebounds and 2 assists. Brown was particularly crucial early in the third quarter, when he hit 7 straight points to help extend a 17-point halftime lead to 25.
Jaylen Brown hot shooting continues - hits a three on the first possession of the game. pic.twitter.com/S1lWYUHDVr
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzellNBA) December 23, 2023The Celtics never looked back from there, continuing to nurse at 20+ point lead the rest of the night. It was an all-around team effort in which six players hit double figures.
Neemias Queta had another strong showing as the first big off the bench. He finished with 14 points and 12 boards in 23 minutes of action, marking his second double-double of the week.
Neemias Queta is up to 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Guarantee this man!! pic.twitter.com/LWps8Uaz0B
Jrue Holiday also had a strong game on both sides of the floor; he finished with his second straight 20+ point game, shooting 8-12 from the field to go along with a team-high 7 assists as well as 6 rebounds.
Oshae Brissett had another great game; he hit 3 of 4 three-pointers and finished with 12 points in 18 minutes. Derrick White scored a quiet 18 points, Al Horford added 6 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, and the Celtics hit more than 140 points in consecutive games for the first time in franchise history.
The Clippers had no answer for the Celtics hot shooting throughout the night, and while Paul George had a big first quarter with 12 points, he ended up finishing with 21 for the night and didn’t have a big impact in the second half.
Two-player Drew Peterson made his Celtics debut and scored his first points for Boston, and JD Davison got some run as well. The closing lineup of those two guys, plus Lamar Stevens, Oshae Brissett, and Dalano Banton, only continued to push the lead into the closing seconds.
The Celtics were without Kristaps Porzingis for the 12th game this season; he sat this one out after spraining his ankle on Wednesday in Sacramento. They’re 14-1 with Porzingis in the line-up, and, after tonight, 8-5 without him.
The Celtics will finish the California road trip against the Lakers on Christmas Day at 5pm ET.