Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

Celtics

Brown Leads Streaking Celtics Over NY

by

NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report)  – Celtics F/G Jaylen Brown collected 30 points and eight rebounds to help the visiting Boston Celtics extend their winning streak to eight games by beating the New York Knicks 116-102 Saturday night.

Boston made 15 of its 35 3-point attempts and shot 56.8 percent from the field.

Knicks’ All-Star guard Jalen Brunson scored a game-high 34 points and had nine assists for the Knicks, who dropped to 0-4 against the Celtics this season. Josh Hart added 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists for New York, and Precious Achiuwa finished with eight points and a team-high nine rebounds.

The Celtics led by four points at halftime and outscored the Knicks 35-26 in the third. New York failed to cut its deficit below nine points in the final quarter.

The Celtics received 22 points from Kristaps Porzingis and 19 points, six rebounds and six assists from Jayson Tatum. Six Boston players scored at least 10 points, and the Celtics had a 58-38 edge in points in the paint.

Boston ended the opening quarter on a 9-2 run and had a 30-26 advantage after 12 minutes. The Celtics extended their lead to 56-46 on a traditional three-point play by Porzingis with 3:26 remaining in the second quarter, but the Knicks closed the gap to 62-58 at halftime.

Brown led all scorers with 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting in the first half. Brunson had 19 points in the half.

It was 64-64 following a Brunson free throw with 10:47 left in the third, but Boston went on a 33-13 run and had a 97-77 lead after a Tatum 3-pointer with 1:39 left in the quarter. Boston made 9 of its 13 3-point attempts in the third, but the Knicks scored the final seven points in the quarter to trim Boston’s lead to 97-84 after three.

Donte Divincenzo (12 points) and Miles McBride (11 points) were the only other players who scored in double figures for the Knicks, who turned the ball over 14 times.

–Field Level Media

Celtics Put Streak on Line at MSG

by

NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Celtics will attempt to stretch their season-high winning streak to eight games when they visit the New York Knicks tonight. The Celtics returned from the All-Star break and earned their seventh straight victory by beating the Chicago Bulls 129-112 on the road Thursday.

Embed from Getty Images

Boston’s offensive depth was on display, as Derrick White scored 28 points, Jayson Tatum finished with 25 and Jaylen Brown added 21. Boston made 23 of its 47 3-point attempts. White and Tatum each made five shots from beyond the 3-point arc.

“That’s the fun thing about this team is most nights it’s JT (Tatum), JB (Brown) and KP (Kristaps Porzingis). They allow myself and everyone else the freedom to do what we need to do, too,” White said. “Having guys like that at the top is just allowing us to be aggressive and makes this a fun team to play with. That’s the fun thing, each quarter it might be somebody different and we’re all ready to go and having a lot of fun with it.”

Tatum, who is averaging a team-high 27.1 points per game, is among those being mentioned as a possible MVP candidate.

“There’s a lot of talented guys in this league right now,” Tatum said. “A lot of guys doing great things. I won’t have the points per game that the other three or four guys will, but I think the voters are smart enough to understand the dynamic of our team. Essentially having to do less scoring maybe on certain nights, but still impact the game in a lot of ways to kind of ensure that we win every single night.

“I know I can score 30 a night, but that’s not necessarily what this team needs on a nightly basis. Taking that step back, in a sense, for us to be better. I’ve done everything but win a championship.”

The Knicks ended a four-game losing streak by beating the Philadelphia 76ers 110-96 on Thursday. Jalen Brunson led the way with 21 points and 12 assists in the win.

The Knicks received a 22-point performance from Bojan Bogdanovic; 18 points and 12 rebounds from Josh Hart; and 18 points and 11 rebounds from Precious Achiuwa. New York connected on 15 of its 34 3-point attempts.

“The way we moved the ball, it was a great team effort,” said Bogdanovic, who shot 6-for-6 from the 3-point arc.

The Knicks continue to play without forward Julius Randle (shoulder), center Mitchell Robinson (ankle) and guard/forward OG Anunoby (elbow). It’s uncertain when any of the three will return.

“We’re undermanned right now,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Our starting frontcourt is not there so we know we have to play hard as hell. We know if we do that, we’ll have a chance to win.”

Saturday’s game will be the fourth meeting between the Celtics and Knicks this season. Boston won the first three. The Knicks will be looking to improve on their 19-8 home record.

“Just find a way to win — that’s what we have to do,” Thibodeau said. “We have to scratch them out right now.”

–Field Level Media

Celtics Pick Up Pace After Break

by

CHICAGO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Derrick White scored 28 points and Jayson Tatum followed with 25 to help the visiting Boston Celtics top the Chicago Bulls 129-112 on Thursday for their season-high seventh straight victory.

In their first game back from the All-Star break, the league-best Celtics shot 54.2 percent, including 48.9 percent from long range.

That compared to 46.8 percent overall and 35.7 percent from deep for the Bulls, who lost for the third time in four games.

Jaylen Brown (21 points) and Kristaps Porzingis (14) also scored in double figures for Boston.

Nikola Vucevic logged 22 points and 14 rebounds for the Bulls. After scoring 20 points in the first half to match Brown, Vucevic did not make his first (and only) basket of the second half until 6:34 remained in the game.

Chicago’s Coby White scored 20 points and DeMar DeRozan chipped in 18, while Ayo Dosunmu (14), Alex Caruso (12) and Andre Drummond (11) also finished in double figures.

Drummond added eight rebounds and Dosunmu dished a game-high eight assists.

Boston opened the third quarter on a 10-0 run to erase a three-point halftime deficit and never trailed after that. Chicago drew within five points midway through the quarter but was unable to keep pace. Tatum erupted for 15 points in the third quarter after scoring just five in the first half. He also led the team with seven rebounds.

The Celtics swished 23 3-pointers to the Bulls’ 10.

After trailing by as many as 16 points in the early going, the Bulls regained their composure in a breakout second quarter. Chicago’s 8-0 run to close the first period set the tone while helping offset a monster start for Derrick White, who had 12 points and three blocks in the first 12 minutes.

Chicago outscored Boston 39-28 in the second quarter to take a 62-59 advantage into halftime. The Bulls grabbed their first lead since 2-0 when Vucevic hit a pair of free throws with 1:58 remaining in the second quarter.

Torrey Craig (right knee) and Patrick Williams (left foot) missed the game for the Bulls.

–Field Level Media

Tatum and Celtics Look at Big Picture

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – With the NBA All-Star Game returning to the Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference format, Boston Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were able to giddily team up.

Tatum and Brown combined for 56 points as the East coasted to a 211-186 victory, and now the duo will return to the court for the top team in the league when Boston faces the host Chicago Bulls on Thursday night to open the second half of the season.

“It was pretty cool,” Brown said of getting to play alongside Tatum in Indianapolis. “We got the win, and we had fun. I think it’s just another platform to continue to raise for yourself but also raise for the city of Boston, just represent. I think that’s what we kind of look at it as. That’s what we’ve become.”

Boston entered the All-Star break with six straight wins — its third streak this season of at least that many victories –and is coming off a 50-point home win against the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 14.

Balance has boosted the Celtics, who have five players with scoring averages in double figures, led by Tatum (27.1 points per game), Brown (22.0) and Kristaps Porzingis (20.2).

Also the team leader in rebounds per game (8.6) and the co-leader in assists per game (4.8), Tatum is aware of the chatter about his league MVP candidacy, but he is quick to cast it aside as the Celtics pursue a championship.

“They have individual awards for a reason,” Tatum said. “As a competitor, as a player, you grew up watching your favorite players winning MVP and first-team All-NBA and all that.

“Of course you want to win those things. But you can’t take precedent over playing the right way and doing the things that you have to do in order for your team to essentially be the best team in the league and have a chance to win a championship.”

Chicago hopes to gain stability for the stretch run after resetting during the break. While the Bulls have not been over .500 this season nor at the break-even mark since Oct. 30, they enter the second half in ninth place in the East with room to ascend.

“The last couple of weeks have been kind of crazy for us with injuries, dealing with all the noise on the outside and the trade rumors,” said Bulls leading scorer DeMar DeRozan (22.7 ppg). “Emotionally, physically, mentally, we took on a tall task, and we pushed through it. Now we can kind of just breathe a little and gather our minds and emotions.

“Get some bodies back and get rejuvenated for the next 27 games. We’re going to need to put everything and more into those.”

The Bulls’ front office stood pat at the deadline after learning potential trade chip Zach LaVine needed season-ending foot surgery.

Steady play and leadership from DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic — coupled with the emergence of guard Coby White, who is averaging 24.2 points per game and shooting 44.7 percent from deep in February — have fueled the organization’s optimism.

Boston routed the visiting Bulls 124-97 on Nov. 28. Brown poured in 30 points and Tatum chipped in 21 to lead six Celtics scorers in double figures.

The teams are 5-5 in their past 10 meetings and split four games last season, with the home team prevailing each time.

–Field Level Media

Nets Next Up for Streaking C’s

by

BROOKLYN – Shortly after the final buzzer, the Boston Celtics were ready to move on from the intensity of another game with the Miami Heat while appreciating the physicality of Jaylen Brown in an exchange with Duncan Robinson in the fourth quarter on Sunday.

After a pair of close wins that saw their composure tested late, the Celtics attempt to push their winning streak to five games tonight when they visit the Brooklyn Nets.

The Celtics are 15-6 over their past 21 since winning six straight Dec. 20-31 and are attempting to win five straight for the fifth time this season. Boston’s current streak started with a 40-point win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Feb. 4, and the Celtics won their next three over the Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards and Heat by a combined 18 points.

After surviving Washington’s late comeback in a 133-129 win on Friday, the Celtics kept the streak going with a 110-106 win at Miami on Sunday. Boston held a 15-point lead early in the third and a 12-point edge early in the fourth before holding on.

Shortly after holding a 12-point lead, Brown was called for a flagrant foul when he collided with Robinson. The Celtics were outscored 17-10 until getting two defensive stops in the final 61 seconds.

“I enjoy watching physicality with poise, and I thought our guys did that throughout tonight,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said Sunday. “You obviously need to rise to the occasion, and I thought that it goes back to the expectation.”

Besides the composure down the stretch, the Celtics were aided by an offense that shot 50.6 percent and hit 16 3-pointers. The Celtics improved to 22-1 when shooting at least 50 percent and 30-4 when making at least 16 3s.

Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 26 and is averaging 28.8 points during the winning streak. Kristaps Porzingis added 25 and is averaging 29 during the winning streak.

Including a four-game sweep in the opening round of the 2022 playoffs, the Celtics are 12-1 in the past 13 meetings with the Nets. Boston is also on a seven-game winning streak in Brooklyn. Tatum scored 32 in Boston’s 124-114 win there on Nov. 4.

The Nets are playing their second game with new acquisition Dennis Schroder and hoping to get rolling after earning a 123-103 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.

The Nets are 6-11 in a 17-game stretch in which they have played 12 home games. They play 14 of their next 20 on the road after Tuesday.

On Saturday, Schroder made a successful debut for his new team with 15 points and 12 assists in 27 minutes, highlighting his effort with a lob that led to a Nic Claxton alley-oop dunk at the end of the third quarter.

“Just be aggressive, try to find my open teammates, push it in transition, play defense,” Schroder said. “They made it easy for me, but … I’m glad that we won the game.”

Cam Thomas led the Nets with 25 points after following up a 40-point showing by shooting 29 percent (16 of 55) in Brooklyn’s three-game skid to Cleveland, Dallas and Golden State.

Perhaps the most encouraging sign for Brooklyn was Ben Simmons continuing his ramp-up after missing 38 games with a back injury. Simmons added 13 in 22 minutes and was constantly showing aggressiveness in a game where Brooklyn matched a season best by shooting 56.3 percent.

–Field Level Media

Well Rested Mavericks Await Celtics

by

DALLAS – (Staff and wire Service Report) – It’ll be a well-rested Dallas Mavericks team that takes the floor against the visiting Boston Celtics on Monday night.

Dallas hasn’t played since dropping a 127-110 decision to the Los Angeles Lakers on the road on Wednesday night. The Mavericks were scheduled to play at Golden State on Friday, but that game was postponed following the death of Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic.

Boston, meanwhile, will be playing its second game in as many nights. Despite a lackluster second half, the Celtics won 116-107 at Houston on Sunday. The Celtics led 70-55 at halftime but were limited to 46 points in the second half (20 in the third quarter).

Former Maverick Kristaps Porzingis led Boston with 32 points, six rebounds and five blocked shots. Derrick White added 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Jaylen Brown finished with a triple-double (13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists).

Boston, which boasts the NBA’s best record (33-10), shot 43.9 percent from the field (43 of 98).

“I think that’s the recipe and something that we took from last year is when we’re not shooting well, can we have a different switch attack?” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said after the Houston game. “Which is what Kristaps is able to bring us in the post and how do we fight for extra possessions, which is our offensive rebounding and our crashing. It’s something that we stress this year.”

Guard Jrue Holiday (sprained right elbow) and center Al Horford (rest) didn’t play in Boston’s victory over the Rockets. Horford typically doesn’t play in both games of back-to-backs.

Luka Doncic was back in the Dallas lineup for the loss to the Lakers after he missed three games with a sprained right ankle. Doncic scored 33 points, collected 13 rebounds and had 10 assists.

Doncic shot 12 of 24 from the floor but was just 2 of 9 from 3-point territory. He leads the Mavericks in points (33.6), rebounds (8.3) and assists (9.2) per game.

“First game back was tough with the legs,” Doncic said. “I thought a lot of threes were going in and they didn’t.”

Dallas trailed by two at halftime but was outscored 42-27 in the third quarter. The Mavericks were 11 of 40 on 3-point attempts.

“Some shots didn’t fall,” Dallas center Dereck Lively II said. “There were some times where we came down the court, and we just weren’t moving the ball well. We were just kind of getting up jumpers instead of trying to get into the offense and trying to move the ball around so we could get a better look.”

Most of the misses came from the Mavericks’ top scorers, as Doncic, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Kyrie Irving were a combined 3 of 21 from behind the arc.

“We generated a lot of wide-open looks and they didn’t drop for us,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “They made it a point to have pace and took advantage of the misses. When you miss open shots against a team like that, they are going to make you pay.”

Monday’s game is the first of two meetings this season between the Celtics and Mavericks. The teams will also play in Boston on March 1.

–Field Level Media

Celtics, Porzingis Dispatch Rockets

by

HOUSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Kristaps Porzingis scored a game-high 32 points while Jaylen Brown added a triple-double as the visiting Boston Celtics outlasted the short-handed Houston Rockets 116-107 on Sunday.

Porzingis finished 6-for-11 from behind the arc as the Celtics went 17-for-47 from deep as a team. Brown had 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists and Derrick White finished with 21 points and 12 boards for Boston, which was without Jrue Holiday (elbow) and Al Horford (rest).

The Rockets were without starters Fred VanVleet (back) and Jabari Smith Jr. (ankle). Rookies Amen Thompson, who had career highs of 15 points and 14 rebounds, and Cam Whitmore were inserted into the starting lineup, and the Rockets produced a valiant effort, closing within 93-90 when Dillon Brooks (25 points) scored with 9:13 to play.

But Whitmore missed two free throws and Porzingis answered with a midrange jumper before Payton Pritchard nailed a corner 3-pointer that enabled the Celtics to reclaim control for good.

Alperen Sengun notched a triple-double for Houston with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

Houston, having trailed by 17 points in the first half, pulled within 85-80 when Aaron Holiday buried a 3-pointer with 2:25 left in the third quarter. But the Celtics extended their lead back to double digits entering the fourth when Brown sank a floater and White drilled a step-back 3-pointer with 31.9 seconds left in the third.

Back-to-back Porzingis threes provided the Celtics with their first double-digit lead at 18-8 with 5:52 remaining in the first quarter.

Porzingis tallied 15 points in the first period to help Boston grab a 35-25 advantage, but Houston kept clawing despite its short-handed rotation. Jalen Green followed his circus layup with another bucket in the paint to pull the Rockets within 44-39 with 7:39 remaining in the second quarter.

But the Celtics surged to a 17-point lead behind triples from Pritchard, Sam Hauser and Porzingis. White, meanwhile, scored in the paint four times down the stretch of the first half, and his 12-foot floater with 2.4 seconds left extended the Boston lead to 70-55 at intermission.

Porzingis and White combined for 36 first-half points, and Boston did additional damage on the offensive glass by converting nine offensive rebounds into 19 second-chance points.

–Field Level Media

Twenty and One

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Jamal Murray scored a game-high 35 points and Nikola Jokic added 34 to help the Denver Nuggets hand the Boston Celtics their first home loss of the season with a 102-100 victory on Friday night.

Murray made 15 of 21 shots from the floor. He also had eight rebounds and five assists. Jokic finished with 12 rebounds and nine assists.

Jayson Tatum missed a 17-foot jump shot that would have tied the score with three seconds to play. Denver came up with the rebound and ran out the clock.

Boston entered the game 20-0 at home this season, and had won 27 straight home games dating back to last season.

Derrick White led the Celtics with 24 points. Tatum finished with 22 and Kristaps Porzingis had 21. Porzingis, who scored Boston’s first 11 points, was held to two points in the second half.

Al Horford had 10 rebounds for Boston, which had its three-game winning streak end.

The Celtics were 14-of-44 from beyond the 3-point arc. Jaylen Brown scored 13 points, but was 1-of-9 on 3-point attempts. Tatum was 1-of-8 on 3-pointers.

The Celtics went on a 7-0 run to take a 98-95 lead with 4:51 to play, but Denver took the lead for good on a Jokic basket that put the Nuggets in front 99-98 with 3:36 remaining.

Michael Porter Jr. finished with 13 points and eight rebounds and Aaron Gordon added 10 rebounds for Denver.

Boston led 32-31 after one quarter, built a 12-point lead in the second and had a 61-55 advantage at halftime. Porzingis, Murray and Jokic each scored 19 in the first half.

A Jokic 3-pointer put Denver in front 69-68 with seven minutes left in the third, but Boston responded with a 9-0 run to take a 77-69 lead. The Nuggets scored the final eight points in the third and trailed 82-81 entering the fourth. White scored 13 of Boston’s 21 points in the third.

–Field Level Media

Long-range Game Sinks Spurs

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Jayson Tatum tossed in a team-high 24 points and the short-handed Boston Celtics made 18 of their 38 3-point attempts en route to a 117-98 victory over the visiting San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night.

Jrue Holiday finished with 22 points and Jaylen Brown added 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists for Boston. Holiday made six of his seven shots from beyond the 3-point arc.

The Celtics played without starting center Kristaps Porzingis (right knee inflammation) and starting point guard Derrick White (left ankle sprain).

The victory improved Boston’s home record to 20-0. The Celtics are the only NBA team that hasn’t lost on its home court this season.

Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 27 points and five rebounds in 27 minutes. He shot 10 of 19 from the field and made 2 of 6 3-point attempts.

Wembanyama entered the game leading all NBA rookies in scoring (19.6 ppg), rebounding (10.3), blocks (league-best 3.2) and steals (1.14).

 

 

Devin Vassell scored 21 points for San Antonio, which received nine points and 10 assists from Tre Jones. The Spurs never led after the first quarter.

San Antonio shot 41.9 percent from the field (39 of 93) and 20.6 percent from 3-point territory (7 of 34).

The Celtics, who received 12 points off the bench from Payton Pritchard, outrebounded the Spurs 54-41. Boston hit 46.7 percent of its field-goal attempts (42 of 90).

The Celtics led 30-25 after one quarter and outscored the Spurs 40-20 in the second to take a 25-point halftime lead. Boston shot 60 percent from the field in the first half, when it made 13 of its 19 3-point attempts. The Celtics ended the half on a 12-2 run.

 

 

NOTES: Boston had a 30-point lead early in the third, but San Antonio shaved 14 points off of its deficit and trailed 94-78 entering the fourth. The Spurs failed to pull closer than 16 points in the final 12 minutes.

It was the second game between the teams this season. Boston won the first meeting 134-101 at San Antonio on Dec. 31.

–Field Level Media

Celtics Meet Pacers Monday Night

by

INDIANAPOLIS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Celtics will be seeking back-to-back victories over the Indiana Pacers when the teams meet Monday night in Indianapolis.

The Celtics received 38 points, 13 rebounds and six assists from Jayson Tatum and led wire to wire in a 118-101 road victory against the Pacers on Saturday. The loss ended Indiana’s six-game winning streak.

Tatum made a season-high eight 3-pointers and was 14 of 23 from the field. Jaylen Brown added 31 points in the win.

The Celtics led by 16 in the first half, but the Pacers were within three points, 84-81, after three quarters. Boston opened the fourth quarter with a 16-4 run, and Indiana failed to get within single digits after that.

“We started playing with the right intentions,” Tatum said. “We had too many turnovers in the first half and that’s what got them back into the game. This team — they feed off turnovers and playing in transition. Just really taking care of the ball and knowing who we wanted to attack.

“It’s going to be tough (Monday),” Tatum continued. “They’re going to make adjustments. We have to see what we can do better. It’s like a playoff series on the road. We won Game 1. Gotta get ready for Game 2.”

Indiana, which leads the NBA in scoring (126.8 ppg), was held to its lowest point total of the season in Saturday’s loss. The Pacers were 8 of 42 from behind the 3-point arc (19.0 percent).

“We missed a lot of shots,” Indiana guard Tyrese Haliburton said. “They’re a really good defensive team, but we shot a lot of shots that we like. I mean, I’ll go back and watch film so I can really tell you, but felt good with a lot of the shots that we shot today. Just didn’t capitalize on them.”

Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers with 20 points in the loss. Haliburton added 17 points, six rebounds, seven assists and five steals, but he was 5 of 17 from the field and 2 of 9 from 3-point range.

The Celtics missed nine of their 19 free throws but outrebounded Indiana 56-38.

“We were right there,” Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. “We were down one and gave up a two-pointer at the end of the third quarter. We were down three after three and hadn’t played particularly well.

“We never had a lead in the game and we’re doing some good things defensively, but the rebounding is a big problem.”

The Celtics overcame the loss of center Kristaps Porzingis, who headed to the locker room in the first quarter with an eye injury after he was hit in the face by Aaron Nesmith. Porzingis, who is averaging 19.8 points per game, warmed up before the start of the second half but did not return to the game.

Boston’s Al Horford came off the bench and finished the game with 10 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and two blocked shots.

“We just can’t keep taking (Horford) for granted,” Tatum said. “Best teammate I ever had. Ultimate professional and somebody we can count on night-in and night-out, and he proved that again tonight.”

The Pacers may have Bruce Brown back in the lineup Monday. Brown has been dealing with a bone bruise on his right knee and didn’t play Saturday, which was Indiana’s second game in as many nights.

Boston has won two of three games against Indiana this season.

–Field Level Media