Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

NBA

Celtics Take It to the Lakers

by

LOS ANGELES – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis scored 28 points and had 11 rebounds to lead the visiting Celtics to a 126-115 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA’s featured game on Christmas Day.

Porzingis, who did not play in Boston’s win against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday because of an ankle injury, helped the Celtics overcome a 40-point performance by Lakers center Anthony Davis, who shot 15 of 26 from the field. Davis also pulled down 13 rebounds.

The Lakers trailed by nine points after three quarters and trailed by at least eight points throughout the fourth. Los Angeles never led by more than two points.

Boston’s Jayson Tatum finished the game with 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. The Celtics also received 18 points and 11 assists from Derrick White, 19 points from Jaylen Brown and an 18-point effort from Jrue Holiday.

Taurean Prince (17 points), LeBron James (16), Rui Hachimura (12) and Austin Reaves (11) also scored in double figures for the Lakers. James, who had nine rebounds and eight assists, collided with Brown with 4:02 remaining in the first half, but both returned to the game.

It was the final game of Boston’s four-game California road trip. The Celtics went 3-1 in those contests.

The Celtics scored the game’s first 12 points. The Lakers didn’t get on the scoreboard until Cam Reddish sank a 3-pointer with 8:59 remaining in the first quarter.

Boston extended its lead to 32-14 with 3:11 left in the opening quarter, but Los Angeles ended the frame with a 9-0 run and trailed 32-23 after 12 minutes.

The Lakers tied the game, 52-52, on a Prince 3-pointer with 2:04 remaining in the second quarter, but Boston led 58-57 at halftime.

Los Angeles had its first lead of the game after a James basket made it 59-58 24 seconds into the third quarter. The Celtics outscored the Lakers 41-33 in the period, however, and had a 99-90 advantage entering the fourth.

After making a total of 47 3-pointers in their previous two games, the Celtics were 13 of 42 from deep on Monday.

–Field Level Media

Christmas Day: Celtics vs. Lakers

by

LOS ANGELES – The Boston Celtics can continue their recent torrid shooting toward some familiar rims when they visit the Lakers for a Christmas Day matchup between longtime rivals Monday.

After beating the Sacramento Kings 144-119 on the road Wednesday, the Celtics earned a 145-108 victory in Los Angeles against the Clippers on Saturday. Boston made 47 3-pointers during the two victories, a franchise record for made 3-pointers in a two-game stretch.

The Celtics weren’t even at full strength for the pair of games. Jayson Tatum didn’t play against Sacramento because of a sprained ankle, and Boston didn’t have Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) against the Clippers.

Tatum returned to the lineup Saturday and scored a game-high 30 points against the Clippers, while hitting half of his 10 attempts from 3-point range. Monday’s game will be played in the same downtown Los Angeles arena.

“We just play to our strengths,” Tatum said. “Nine times out of 10, everybody on the floor can space the floor and shoot. No matter if we’re shooting 50 percent or 20 percent, we always want to create the advantage and find the open man.

“I think that’s what makes us so dynamic. Everybody can space the floor, so it’s hard to guard us one-on-one. And if you help, we always got shooters around. It’s all about taking the right shots.”

Saturday’s victory over the Clippers marked the first time the Celtics have scored at least 140 points in back-to-back games since 1966. It was Boston’s seventh win in its last eight games, and the Celtics scored a combined 289 total points in consecutive contests.

“I do like the fact that we’re developing a fast-paced identity and not turning it over,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said when asked about the high-scoring pair of games. “I think at times in the past, we’ve played fast but turned it over. So we’re finding a good balance of pace and execution, which I think is important. But it’s not because of the points. I just liked our execution.”

The Lakers ended a four-game losing streak with a 129-120 road victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday. LeBron James was moved to point guard and scored a season-high 40 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter and 11 in the final 4:29.

James was 13 of 20 from the field and made all of his five 3-point attempts. He also had seven rebounds, seven assists and two blocks.

“To know I can go out and still make game-winning plays and affect the game in multiple ways, and I can still close out a game in the fourth quarter when my team needed it, when they started making a run, it’s always a good feeling, for sure,” James said.

Anthony Davis added 26 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for the Lakers, who also received a 21-point performance off the bench from Rui Hachimura.

James changed positions after point guard D’Angelo Russell was moved into a reserve role. Jarred Vanderbilt was inserted into the Lakers’ starting lineup.

“The result was a win,” Russell said. “For me, that’s all that matters.”

The Lakers entered Saturday’s game with one victory in six games since winning the NBA’s in-season tournament.

“We’ve been kind of struggling,” Hachimura said. “The schedule, the travel, all of that, but we talked about it after the game, the last game in Minnesota, and said the next game has to be a must win. (Anthony Davis) said it.

“We’ve got to keep doing it. We just got to get into a rhythm and the next one’s big too, the Christmas game against the Celtics. We’ve just got to go out there again like we just did and try to get into rhythm.”

–Field Level Media

Zoom, Zoom, Zoom

by

NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Officials from the NBA, the players association, the Golden State Warriors and Draymond Green are meeting virtually as a way of assessing the veteran forward’s progress toward returning from an indefinite suspension, ESPN reported Monday.

Embed from Getty Images

Green was suspended after punching Phoenix’s Jusuf Nurkic on Dec. 12, the latest incident in Green’s sometimes tempestuous career.

The conditions for his eventual reinstatement include individual counseling sessions as well as his participation in the meetings over Zoom. So far, Green has been “open and engaged” in the process, per the report.

The NBA will determine the length of the suspension, though ESPN said there’s a “general belief” that it likely will run for 11 to 13 games. He is allowed to practice with the team and use facilities for conditioning.

So far, Green has missed six games, and the Warriors have won the past five. They play at Denver on Monday.

The incident with Nurkic resulted in Green’s third ejection of the season. He also made headlines on Nov. 14 when he was ejected for putting Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a headlock during an on-court scrum.

That led to a five-game suspension for Green, who was first thrown out of a game this season on Nov. 11 after being tagged with two technical fouls against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

He has been suspended six times in his career.

In 15 games this season, the 33-year-old Green has averaged 9.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists. He is in his 12th season with Golden State and has won four NBA titles with the Warriors. He’s also a four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection.

–Field Level Media

Celtics: Kings for a Day

by

SACRAMENTO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jaylen Brown and Derrick White scored 28 apiece and the Celtics bounced back from an overtime loss 24 hours earlier in San Francisco to thump the host Sacramento Kings 144-119 on Wednesday.

Playing without Jayson Tatum, who sprained his left ankle Tuesday at Golden State, and Al Horford, who got a night off in the second game of a back-to-back set, the Celtics overcame a 41-point Kings first quarter with improved defense over the final three periods.

Kristaps Porzingis returned to the Celtics’ lineup and scored 24 points. He was rested on Tuesday. Boston snapped a four-game road losing streak and won for the sixth time in seven games overall.

De’Aaron Fox produced a game-high 29 points for the Kings, whose three-game winning ended.

Getting three 3-pointers from Fox and two from Keegan Murray, the Kings sprinted out to a 23-11 lead in the game’s first 5:09.

The Celtics got within 41-38 by period’s end, then held Sacramento to 25 and 24 points, respectively, in the middle two periods while running out to a 113-90 lead by the end of the third quarter.

Despite shooting 47.3 percent overall and 47.7 percent on 3-point attempts, the Kings never posed a threat over the final 12 minutes, adding just 29 points to their total.

In accumulating its second-biggest point total of the season, Boston did the hosts better in both shooting categories, making 55.4 percent overall and 52.4 percent of its 3-point tries. The 22-for-42 night from beyond the arc came one night after the Celtics went just 17-for-58 (29.3 percent) from long distance against the Warriors.

White’s 28 points consisted mostly of 3-pointers, as he went 6-for-9. Payton Pritchard buried six of 11 3-point shots off the bench en route to 20 points, while Jrue Holiday went 4-for-6 from long range as part of a 21-point, 10-assist performance.

Porzingis was Boston’s leading rebounder with nine. He made seven of his 11 shots.

While the Celtics had five players score 20 or more points, the Kings had just Fox with his 29. He made six of his eight 3-point attempts, while his teammates were just 15-for-36 (41.7 percent).

Domantas Sabonis pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds to go with 13 points and eight assists for Sacramento. Murray (13), Keon Ellis (12), Trey Lyles (11), Harrison Barnes (10) and Malik Monk (10) also scored in double figures.

–Field Level Media

Celtics Fit to Beat Kings

by

SACRAMENTO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Celtics have the unenviable task of visiting the high-energy Sacramento Kings less than 24 hours after an overtime loss in San Francisco as they seek to end a road losing skid Wednesday night. Riding the momentum of a five-game winning streak, all at home, the Celtics appeared on their way to a rather comfortable road win over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night, running up a 17-point lead.

But Jayson Tatum, who had to leave the floor for almost an entire quarter after turning his left ankle, misfired on a potential winning shot at the end of regulation, leading to five more minutes of Celtics sweat that went for naught in a 132-126 defeat.

In the end, the Celtics wasted a 30-point night by Derrick White, who hit seven 3-pointers.

The loss was the fourth in a row on the road for Boston, which flew west for a four-game trip tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the best record in the NBA.

Fourteen of the Celtics’ 20 wins, however, have come at home; and, when they take the floor in Sacramento, the Celtics will do so with just a 6-6 road record.

Even before watching all five of his starters go 36 or more minutes against the Warriors, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla indicated Al Horford was a “load management” candidate on the second night of the back-to-back.

At the same time, Mazzulla noted that Kristaps Porzingis, who was held out of Tuesday’s trip opener, was likely to return against the Kings.

“Just calf management, back-to-back, a little slow after (Sunday’s home win over Orlando),” Mazzulla said of Porzingis. “Just really trying to manage that and make sure both those guys stay healthy.”

As they attempt to sidestep what would be just their second set of back-to-back losses this season, the Celtics will be running into a Kings team that likewise has taken advantage of its home dates of late. Sacramento has opened a six-game homestand with wins over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards, producing a 12-point average margin of victory in those wins.

The Kings were firing on all cylinders Monday in a 143-131 win over the Wizards, rolling to a season-high point total on the strength of balanced scoring, 53 percent shooting and 17 3-pointers.

De’Aaron Fox (30 points), Domantas Sabonis (28) and Keegan Murray (25) led the way with a total of 83 points on 30-for-52 shooting.

Kings coach Mike Brown is happy to see his team build up a little momentum at home with three tough opponents – the Celtics, Phoenix Suns and Timberwolves – completing the six-game homestand.

“We’re doing good,” Brown said. “I think we have the best fans in the NBA and guys should be excited to play in this building. They should get energy from the fans. We have to take advantage of it when we are here.”

The Celtics have prevailed in each of their last two visits to Sacramento, including 132-109 last March behind 36 points from Tatum and 27 from Jaylen Brown.

–Field Level Media

Boston Wins 14th Straight at TD Garden

by

Celtics Handle Orlando for Second Win of Weekend

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Jaylen Brown heated up late to polish off a 31-point performance as the Boston Celtics continued to inch toward history with a 114-97 victory over the visiting Orlando Magic on Sunday. Boston has won its first 14 home games of the season, becoming just the second team in franchise history to accomplish the feat. The 1957-58 Celtics got off to the best start in front of a home crowd, going 18-0.

Brown scored 17 of his points in the fourth quarter and went 12-for-20 from the field for the game.

Jayson Tatum added 23 points and eight rebounds for Boston, which also got 15 points and 10 boards from Kristaps Porzingis.

Paolo Banchero poured in a game-high 36 points to go along with 10 rebounds as Orlando fell to the Celtics for the second time in three days. Boston beat the Magic 128-111 on Friday.

Jalen Suggs (13 points) was the only other player to score in double figures for the visitors, who made just 38.2 percent of their shots.

Orlando managed to cut an 11-point halftime deficit to 69-65 when Banchero split a pair of free throws with 5:18 remaining in the third quarter.

Porzingis helped Boston maintain control, though, throwing home a putback dunk and converting the ensuing foul shot for a three-point play. Tatum was later fouled while attempting a trey, and he too cashed in at the charity stripe, making all three free throws for a 75-65 Celtics lead with 3:11 to go.

Boston took an 83-74 advantage into the fourth.

Brown then took over, scoring 15 points in the first 5:45 of the final period to make it 103-86. The Magic never threatened the rest of the way, with Boston leading by as many as 23.

After being held to 14 points on 5-of-17 shooting during Friday’s loss, Banchero came roaring out of the gate on Sunday, scoring 19 points to lift the Magic to a 31-27 edge after 12 minutes of action.

But Boston came to life just past the midway point of the second quarter, and after Brown scored nine points during a 20-5 run, the hosts found themselves up 61-46 with 51.8 seconds left in the frame.

The Celtics settled for a 61-50 lead at the break.

–Field Level Media

NBA: Celtics Dominate vs Magic

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The short-handed Boston Celtics overcame a slow start en route to dominating the visiting Orlando Magic 128-111 on Friday. Jayson Tatum had 30 points, six rebounds and four assists to lead six double-figure scorers for Boston, which has won four straight and is 13-0 at home this season.

Payton Pritchard added 21 on a season-high six 3-pointers, while Derrick White stuffed the stat sheet with 19 points, eight assists, four rebounds and four steals.

Jaylen Brown had 18 points, and Oshae Brissett and Sam Hauser 11 each to help the Celtics, who played without centers Kristaps Porzingis (calf), Al Horford (rest) and Luke Kornet (thigh) as well as guard Dalano Banton (non-COVID illness).

Orlando also had six players in double figures, including Jalen Suggs with 19 after suffering a wrist injury in the first half. Cole Anthony and Franz Wagner had 17 apiece.

Goga Bitadze posted a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double. Paolo Banchero added 14 points, and Anthony Black 13.

Orlando posted an opening 7-0 run and led 11-4 after Banchero’s driving finish at the 7:46 mark, but Brown’s 10 first-quarter points helped the hosts take back momentum.

Pritchard hit back-to-back 3-pointers off the bench, bringing Boston back within a basket with 4:32 left. Pritchard drained another after Tatum broke a tie in the final minute for a 30-24 advantage after one period.

After Tatum’s 3-point play got Boston off to a strong second-quarter start, Anthony sank a pair of threes and had eight points as Orlando responded with a 10-2 run.

Brissett had two of the Celtics’ next three baskets to help kick off a 13-3 spurt, extending their lead to double-digits. White fed Tatum for his second of three first-half dunks with 3:30 left before halftime.

The Celtics’ lead grew as high as 21 in the third, thanks to a 7-for-12 3-point shooting effort. Brown opened Boston’s scoring in the quarter with a turnaround shot, about two and a half minutes before White began the barrage from distance.

Pritchard also hit consecutive treys in the quarter, which Tatum finished with a driving 3-point play to get Boston over 100 points.

Moritz Wagner’s layup helped Orlando start the fourth on a 5-0 run, but Tatum and White responded with threes made 23 seconds apart. A Brissett dunk forced a Magic timeout with 7:52 left, matching Boston’s largest lead at 25.

Neemias Queta’s personal 5-0 run helped the Celtics late, responding to five straight Magic points.

–Field Level Media

Home Style: Celtics Defeat Cavs

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Celtics look to beat a second straight opponent that has given them recent trouble as the Orlando Magic come in Friday night for the first of two games in three days between the teams. It may be only mid-December, but the series could have a big impact on the final Eastern Conference playoff picture as first-place Boston’s lead on Orlando — which is tied for third with Philadelphia — is just two games.

The Celtics are coming off sweeping Cleveland in another two-games-in-three-days set, beating the Cavaliers 120-113 on Tuesday and 116-107 on Thursday after Boston went 1-3 against Cleveland last season.

The wins moved Boston to 12-0 at home this season, but coach Joe Mazzulla knows his team’s mindset should not change regardless of where the games are played.

“We have to be able to play, regardless of circumstances,” he said, “and I think we’re starting to learn and not be defined by that.”

Jayson Tatum had double-doubles in the back-to-back wins against Cleveland, including 27 points and 11 rebounds on Thursday. Jaylen Brown, who was originally questionable due to a left ankle injury, added 18 of his 22 points in a hot first half.

Teammate Derrick White feels it’s about more than just stats for the star duo, who paced Boston’s 50.6 percent shooting.

“They do so much night in and night out that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet,” White said. “We’re thankful to have them.”

Similar to Cleveland, Orlando recently has had the upper hand in its series against Boston, winning four consecutive matchups dating to last December.

“I get it because we’re the Celtics and we’re supposed to win it every single year that there’s expectations of, ‘Yeah, two or three teams will give you (a hard time) but everyone else will be easy,’ and that’s just not the case,” Mazzulla said. “That’s not the NBA.”

Orlando’s streak of head-to-head success against Boston continued into this season with a 113-96 win on Nov. 24.

Moritz Wagner had a game-high 27 points while Tatum posted 26 to lead the Celtics, who shot just 40.8 percent.

The Magic have not allowed 100 points to Boston in three straight meetings, while their two most recent opponents — Detroit last Friday and Cleveland on Monday — were each held under 95.

“I think you continue to preach exactly what you know travels, which is defense,” Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley said. “That’s who we are, and that’s what we’ll continue to be about.”

Orlando, which has not made the playoffs since 2020, is 11-2 since Nov. 15. A 104-94 win Monday at home against Cleveland was its second straight after back-to-back losses that ended a nine-game winning streak, the longest in the NBA this season.

Paolo Banchero, who has been Orlando’s leading scorer in two of the past three games, had 20 points and 10 rebounds Monday. He netted 11 as Orlando turned around a halftime deficit in a 30-15 third quarter.

“We don’t want to be the doormat anymore and a team that people talk about as, ‘It’s just the Orlando Magic,'” guard Jalen Suggs said. “We want to be that tough team, and you’ve got to scout and bring full mental energy and physicality when you come play us.”

The Celtics played Thursday without center Luke Kornet, who was a late scratch due to an adductor injury. As a result, Lamar Stevens contributed four points in nine minutes in his first action since Nov. 28.

–Field Level Media

Celtics Remain Unbeaten at Home

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Celtics went 26-for-26 from the free-throw line and improved their home record to 11-0 this season by beating the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers 120-113 on Tuesday night at TD Garden.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scored a team-high 25 points for the Celtics, and Kristaps Porzingis finished with 21. Tatum and Porzingis each had a game-high 10 rebounds. Celtics guard Derrick White made 5 of 8 3-point attempts and added 17 points.

The game was tied 106-106 with 6:05 to play, but Boston scored the next nine points, and the Cavaliers were never closer than seven the rest of the way. The Celtics have won 18 consecutive regular-season home games dating back to March.

Cleveland received a game-high 29 points from Donovan Mitchell, and 26 from Darius Garland.

Caris LeVert returned to Cleveland’s lineup after missing the past four games with a knee injury and tossed in 11 points in 23 minutes, but the Cavaliers were without forward Evan Mobley (knee) for the third straight game. Mobley is averaging 16.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per game this season. He is shooting 57.3 percent from the field.

An 11-0 run gave Cleveland an 18-4 advantage with 7:34 remaining in the first quarter. A Mitchell 3-pointer extended the lead to 25-10 with 5:15 left in the first, and the Cavaliers led 31-21 after 12 minutes.

The Celtics tied the game at 52-52 on two Brown free throws with 3:52 left in the first half before taking their first lead on a Brown layup with 1:39 remaining. A Garland 3-pointer capped the first-half scoring and handed the Cavaliers a 60-59 halftime lead.

The Celtics had a 17-2 advantage in makes at the free-throw line in the first half.

A 13-2 run gave Cleveland a 74-68 edge with 7:30 left in the third quarter, but Boston regained the lead when a Jrue Holiday trey capped a 9-0 spurt that put the Celtics in front 83-82 with 3:53 left in the quarter. Boston had a 94-92 lead entering the fourth.

The Cavaliers lost despite making 19 of their 45 3-point attempts (42.2 percent).

The teams will meet again on Thursday in Boston.

–Field Level Media

LA Lakers Outplay Pacers for NBA Cup

by

LAS VEGAS – Anthony Davis recorded 41 points, 20 rebounds, five assists and four blocked shots as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Indiana Pacers 123-109 on Saturday night in the NBA in-season tournament championship game.

Austin Reaves scored 28 points off the bench and LeBron James added 24 points and 11 rebounds for Los Angeles. D’Angelo Russell had 13 points and seven assists for the Lakers, who outrebounded the Pacers 55-32.

Tyrese Haliburton registered 20 points and 11 assists and Bennedict Mathurin also had 20 points for Indiana.

Aaron Nesmith added 15 points, Obi Toppin scored 13 and Myles Turner and Isaiah Jackson had 10 points apiece for the Pacers.

The stats in this contest don’t count, but Davis would have posted his fifth career 40-point, 20-rebound effort. The game also doesn’t count in the regular-season standings.

James was named the in-season tournament MVP.

“Records will be broken but one thing that will never be broken is being the first to do something. We’re the first champions of the in-season tournament and nobody can ever top that,” James said. “It’s great to be able to do it with such a historical franchise and even better to do it with a great, great cast of funny, engaged, competitive men over here.”

The Lakers went 7-0 in the inaugural in-season tournament and the Pacers finished 6-1. Each team went 4-0 in group play and posted two knockout-round wins to reach the title game.

“I will remember the togetherness, the pride that they took in what they were accomplishing along the way and the excitement,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of his team and its journey to the title game.

Each player on Los Angeles earns $500,000, while the players on Indiana will each receive $200,000.

“First to do it, first team to win it,” Davis said. “We know it’s not the real thing but we keep taking steps in the right direction. … Our energy and focus were off the charts (Saturday). First to do it, we’ll take it.”

Los Angeles shot 53.4 percent from the field while hitting just 2 of 13 shots from 3-point range.

Indiana connected on 36.8 percent of its shots and was 10 of 41 from 3-point range.

Mathurin made two baskets early in the fourth quarter as the Pacers crept within 92-89. Indiana again was within three after a trey by Turner with 6:11 left before Los Angeles delivered the knockout punch with a 13-0 burst.

Cam Reddish knocked down a 3-pointer to make it 105-99 and Davis followed with 10 straight points to make it 115-99 with 3:11 left. The Pacers were unable to move closer than 12 down the stretch.

Reaves scored 22 points on 7-of-9 shooting and Davis had 17 points and 11 rebounds as Los Angeles led 65-60 at the break. Nesmith had 11 points in the first half for Indiana.

Davis tallied 13 points in the first quarter as the Lakers led 34-29. Reaves scored 15 in the second quarter for Los Angeles.

Los Angeles started the third quarter with a 7-1 run to take a 72-61 lead.

Mathurin made a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to leave Indiana trailing 90-82 entering the final stanza.

“We’re sick. We got outplayed (Saturday) from the start of the game to the end of the game,” Haliburton said. “They just outplayed us.”

–Field Level Media