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Celtics, Down a Point, Turn It On

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Celtics guard Derrick White made seven 3-point attempts and scored a team-high 30 points Sunday to lead the Boston to a 103-86 victory over the visiting Orlando Magic in Game 1 of their NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

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Jayson Tatum added 17 points and 14 rebounds for second-seeded Boston, which received 19 points off the bench from Payton Pritchard. Jaylen Brown, who missed the final three regular-season games with posterior impingement in his right knee, finished with 16 points in 30 minutes.

Boston trailed by one at halftime, but took control by outscoring seventh-seeded Orlando 30-18 in the third.

Orlando’s Paulo Banchero led all scorers with 36 points. He also had 11 rebounds.

Franz Wagner contributed 23 points and five assists, but no other Magic player scored more than Jonathan Isaac’s seven points. Orlando’s Wendell Carter Jr. grabbed 13 rebounds.

Boston led 26-18 after one quarter and extended its lead to 12 points — its largest lead of the first half — when Pritchard connected on a 3-pointer with 10:50 left in the second quarter.

A 9-0 Orlando run sliced Boston’s lead to two points, then Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s 3-pointer with 1:57 remaining gave the Magic a 45-44 edge. The Magic led 49-48 at halftime as Banchero scored 19 points.

The Celtics scored 28 of the first 38 points in the third quarter and held a 76-59 advantage following Brown’s dunk with 1:56 left in the quarter. Boston had a 78-67 lead entering the final 12 minutes.

The Celtics led 89-71 early in the fourth and extended the lead to 19 points as the Magic never threatened.

Boston was 16-of-37 from 3-point range. Orlando was 10-of-27 from behind the 3-point arc, but was held to three 3-pointers in the second half.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series will be played Wednesday in Boston.

–Field Level Media

Celtics Don’t Cook at Home

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Celtics will try to avoid losing back-to-back games at home for the first time this season when they face the visiting Phoenix Suns tonight. After going unbeaten during a six-game road trip, Boston suffered a 124-103 home loss to Miami on Wednesday. Boston (56-20) has lost back-to-back games twice this season, but the first loss came on the road on both occasions.

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The Celtics have a 32-7 record on the road, but are 24-13 at home.

“We were on the road for 10, 12 days,” Jaylen Brown said. “Not an excuse or anything, but those first games back — that’s always a tough one just from a calibration standpoint. We’ve been in three, four different time zones, three different time zones. You’ve been away from home. You just get home and kind of get settled, and then you have to play a basketball game.

“It’s not an excuse. Of course we don’t make excuses. But first game back off a long road trip is always tough.”

Brown, who has been playing with a bone bruise in his right knee, scored a team-high 24 points in the loss to Miami. Following the game, Brown said he was playing through some pain.

“I’ve had to come to grips that every night I’m not going to feel my normal self, but that doesn’t mean I still can’t make plays and things like that,” he said. “So it’s just something that we are working through. (Wednesday) was a good step forward. I got some stuff lined up with the medical staff in order to be and feel better come playoffs. But as for now, just mentally working through not feeling great, but still able to find ways to be effective.”

Brown is listed as questionable for Friday’s game.

Boston’s Jrue Holiday (shoulder), Al Horford (toe) and Kristaps Porzingis (return from illness reconditioning) weren’t available to play in Wednesday’s loss. None were listed on Thursday’s injury report.

Phoenix (35-41) enters Friday’s matchup on a four-game losing streak. The Suns are 11th in the Western Conference standings — one game behind Sacramento — and need to move up one spot to qualify for the play-in tournament.

The Suns also need to get healthy. Kevin Durant is nursing a sprained ankle and isn’t expected back in the lineup until Tuesday’s home game against Golden State at the earliest. Durant is averaging 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 62 games this season.

Bradley Beal has also missed the last eight games with a left hamstring strain. Beal has played in 48 games this season and is averaging 17.3 points per contest.

“We still can make a run,” Beal said. “Obviously we’ve got to be healthy, get healthy, be available. The playoffs, anything can happen, man, but we’re a talented team and believe in what we can do. We’ve just got to give ourselves that opportunity.”

Beal didn’t play when Boston earned a 132-102 victory at Phoenix on March 26. Jayson Tatum didn’t suit up for Boston because of a sprained ankle. Tatum is fifth in the NBA in scoring (27.0 ppg).

Porzingis (30) was Boston’s leading scorer in the win. Phoenix received a team-high 30 points from Durant.

–Field Level Media

Celtics, Tatum Defeat the Heat

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MIAMI – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 28 points, leading the visiting Boston Celtics to a 103-91 win over the slumping Miami Heat on Friday night. Boston (48-19) also got 25 points from Jrue Holiday, who made 10 of 15 shots, including shooting 5-of-8 on 3-pointers.

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Derrick White was key for the Celtics as he scored 12 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter. Through three quarters, he was 0-for-6 on 3-pointers. But he made 3-of-5 from deep in the fourth quarter.

The Heat (29-37), who are 9-25 versus teams with a record of .500 or more, have lost a season-high six straight games. A 10-2 run early in the fourth quarter keyed by a White trey gave the Celtics breathing room and they cruised from there.

Boston, which is 16-4 over its past 20 games, made 19 3-pointers to just 13 for Miami.

Andrew Wiggins led Miami with 23 points, and the Heat got 19 points and a game-high six assists from Tyler Herro.

Boston’s Jaylen Brown, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, sat out the game due to a right-knee injury. Boston replaced the 6-6 Brown with 7-1 Luke Kornet in the starting lineup.

Miami switched up its starting lineup, too, but not due to injury. The Heat started Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Duncan Robinson in place of Kel’el Ware and Davion Mitchell … but to no avail.

To open the game, Boston made its first five shots to take a 14-6 lead. The first four of those shots were 3-pointers.

Miami, though, hung in there, trailing just 30-23 by the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Heat tied the score 37-37 on a 3-pointer by Mitchell. After a Celtics miss, Miami took its first lead of the game, 39-37, on a Pelle Larsson cutting dunk with 5:34 left in the half.

Miami held Boston to 25.0 percent shooting in the second quarter as the teams went into halftime tied, 50-50. Miami shot 61.1 percent in the second quarter, including a 12-4 edge in paint points.

Holiday led all first-half scorers with 16 points. Wiggins had 14 points for Miami.

Miami led by as many as five points in the third, but the Celtics recovered to take a 78-77 lead into the fourth.

Boston then started the fourth with its 10-2 run, and Miami never got back on top.

–Field Level Media

OKC Thunder Into Boston

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BOSTON – Two of the favorites to win this year’s NBA championship will meet Wednesday night when the Boston Celtics close out a seven-game homestand against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Boston will enter the game as the No. 2 team in the Eastern Conference behind Cleveland. The Celtics have won five in a row and are 5-1 on their current homestand with the lone loss coming against the Cavaliers on Feb. 28.

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Oklahoma City, which is at the top of the Western Conference standings, is coming off Monday’s 140-127 home loss to Denver, which ended the team’s seven-game winning streak. The host Thunder beat the Nuggets 127-103 one night earlier.

“We play so many games, so many good teams in the league — a win is never as good as it seems,” Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “A (loss) is never as bad as it seems. That’s what I always tell myself. (Sunday) night, I went to bed and was like, ‘Tomorrow’s gonna be a new day, you have to play them again. If you lose, you’re gonna have a terrible feeling.’

“It’s life. It’s basketball. Just gotta stay level-headed and learn from your mistakes and try to be better tomorrow.”

Oklahoma City forward Jalen Williams didn’t play in the second half of Monday’s loss with what the team described as a right hip strain. Williams was injured when Denver’s Peyton Watson landed on him after Watson committed a foul with 6:07 remaining in the second quarter.

Following Monday’s game, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Williams would be evaluated further on Tuesday. Williams is averaging 21.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game this season.

The Celtics avoided what would have been an embarrassing loss by holding on to defeat the Jazz 114-108 on Monday. Boston nearly squandered a 24-point lead against visiting Utah, which is last in the Western Conference standings.

“I think a game like tonight, I think you would call it a trap game,” Boston’s Derrick White said following Monday’s victory. “We just had a big game against the Lakers (on Saturday), and obviously OKC’s coming in in two days. So games like this, it’s going to be up, it’s going to be down. You’ve just got to find a way to win them.”

The game also will feature two of the league’s marquee players in Gilgeous-Alexander and Boston’s Jayson Tatum. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging a league-best 32.7 points per game and is a strong candidate to win the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award. Tatum, who didn’t play in Boston’s victory over Utah on Monday because of a right knee issue, is averaging 27.2 points per game, which is tied for fourth.

Gilgeous-Alexander had 33 points and 11 rebounds when Oklahoma City earned a 105-92 home victory against Boston on Jan. 5. Tatum finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds.

The Thunder held the Celtics to 27 points in the second half of that game. Boston was just 9 of 46 (19.6 percent) on 3-point attempts.

It remains unclear when Kristaps Porzingis will be available for Boston. Porzingis has missed the last six games with a viral illness.

“He’s doing what he can to get back,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. “But he kind of said it best … at the same time, we’ve just got to kind of make sure he’s good, and we do what’s best for him.”

–Field Level Media

A BAD, BAD, BAD LOSS

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BOSTON – Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell scored 41 points, including 26 in the second half, as the visiting Cavaliers extended their winning streak to nine games by beating the Boston Celtics 123-116 Friday night in a matchup of the Eastern Conference’s top teams.

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Cavs All-Star point guard Darius Garland added 20 points for Cleveland, which trailed by 22 points less than five minutes into the game. The Cavaliers have won their last seven road games and own the NBA’s best overall record (49-10).

Boston’s Jayson Tatum had season highs of 46 points and 16 rebounds, and added nine assists for Boston, which has lost two in a row and dropped to 18-11 at home. The Celtics were missing starters Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Jrue Holiday (hand).

The Celtics also got 37 points from Jaylen Brown, who tied the game at 114-114 on a jump shot with 3:15 to play. Mitchell gave Cleveland a 116-114 lead on a floater that began a 7-0 spurt by the Cavaliers.

Mitchell made 13 of 26 field goal attempts and was 10 of 11 from the free-throw line. Cleveland’s Evan Mobley finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds.

The Celtics made seven of their first nine 3-point attempts and had a 38-26 advantage after one quarter. Boston scored the game’s first 11 points and led 25-3 with 7:11 remaining in the quarter.

Cleveland trailed 49-47 with 6:25 remaining in the first half, but Boston had a 74-64 halftime lead. Tatum had 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in the half.

Boston pushed its lead to 17 points with just over eight minutes left in the third, but Cleveland was within 98-95 entering the fourth quarter.

The Cavaliers led for the first time when Mobley made a 3-pointer that put Cleveland up 104-101 with 8:43 to play.

The teams split their four regular-season meetings this season.

–Field Level Media

Celtics Extend Deal with TD Bank

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BOSTON/PORTLAND, (Maine) – The Boston Celtics extended their deal with TD Bank through the 2044-45 season. This sponsorship will continue the bank’s role as the retail and online banking provider for the NBA’s Boston franchise and the Maine Celtics of the G-League.

“We’re elated to extend our partnership with TD Bank, and build on our shared commitment to community engagement and connection with our fans,” Boston Celtics president Rich Gotham said in a statement. “TD Bank’s continued investment in our initiatives makes a significant impact, and their ongoing support ensures we can continue providing unique experiences for fans while contributing to meaningful causes that benefit the Greater Boston area.”

Included in the terms of the extension, the bank will launch a Celtics season ticket wait list that will enhance “engagement with this dedicated Celtics fanbase.”

With the Maine Celtics, TD Bank will add sponsored promotional games, such as ‘EmpowHER Night’ and ‘Fan Appreciation Game.’ They will also hold CommUNITY Crew events in Maine to support its local communities.

“TD’s New England heritage runs deep,” said Leo Salom, TD Bank president and CEO, in a statement. “Since 2004, we’ve proudly stood alongside Celtics fans, whether it’s celebrating unforgettable moments at TD Garden, bringing unique perks to our customers or supporting programs that uplift the communities we serve. As the official bank of the Boston Celtics for the next 20 years, we’re excited to keep growing this relationship and creating even more ways to support the team, the fans, and the community we all love.”

The naming rights to the arena for the Celtics and NHL’s Boston Bruins is done through the Bruins and parent company Delaware North,

 

 

Pistons Bid for 8th Straight vs. Celtics

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DETROIT – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The surprising Detroit Pistons will try to do something on Wednesday that they haven’t accomplished in 17 years. They’ll look to stretch their winning streak to eight games when they host the defending champion Boston Celtics.

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The last time Detroit won eight or more consecutive games came in 2008, when it strung together 10 victories from Jan. 23-Feb. 13.

The Pistons reached the Eastern Conference finals for the sixth straight time that season and lost to the eventual champion Celtics.

Detroit posted back-to-back victories in very different ways on Sunday and Monday. The Pistons won an offensive showdown at Atlanta, 148-143, then relied on a solid defensive effort to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers, 106-97.

“It took grit. It wasn’t easy,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “I think both teams were coming in a little fatigued. The style of basketball they play is rough, rugged and physical — a lot of hands, a lot of grabbing and holding. So, it wasn’t going to come easy for us.”

That game began a four-game homestand for the Pistons. They’ll also face Denver on Friday and Brooklyn on Saturday before heading out on a four-game road trip.

“I know how much this team means to this city when our guys are playing at the level they are playing at,” Bickerstaff said. “They aren’t doing it for themselves. We need our fans. We love it when they’re in the building. They’ve got our back. It just brings a different vibe to the group because we want to make them happy.”

No one is making them happier than All-Star Cade Cunningham, who is averaging career highs in points (25.8 per game), assists (9.5) and rebounds (6.3). Cunningham believes Bickerstaff, who replaced Monty Williams after he was fired by Cleveland following last season, deserves a lot of credit for the franchise’s turnaround.

“I think he’s Coach of the Year, obviously,” Cunningham said. “The things that he’s done, how prepared that we’ve been, I’m not surprised that we’ve won so many games. We feel more prepared than other teams.”

Boston will be playing the second game of the back-to-back. The Celtics collected their sixth consecutive victory by defeating Toronto, 111-101.

Jaylen Brown led the way with 24 points, Derrick White supplied 22 and Payton Pritchard contributed 20 off the bench.

Pritchard has reached the 20-point mark in four of his last seven games.

“He’s really well rounded where he can score at all three levels,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said. “He can do it in transition, he can do it in the half court, he can do it off offensive rebounds and he can create his own shot.”

The Celtics didn’t have two of their starters as Jrue Holiday was rested and Kristaps Porzingis was a late scratch due to illness. Reserve big man Al Horford (left big toe sprain) also sat out but all three are expected to play on Wednesday.

“He wasn’t feeling well and at the same time we wanted to make sure that we’ll have him for tomorrow,” Mazzulla said of Porzingis. “We kind of all made that decision together, just kind of as a team, that it’d be best if we make sure we have him tomorrow.”

The Celtics will be aiming for a four-game series sweep. They won the season’s first three meetings over the Pistons.

–Field Level Media

Tatum Beats Buzzer and Pelicans

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NEW ORLEANS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jaylen Brown scored 28 points and Jayson Tatum added 27, including a tie-breaking jumper with 0.2 seconds left, as the visiting Celtics held off the New Orleans Pelicans 118-116 on Friday night.

Tatum added 10 assists, Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White scored 16 points each and Luke Kornet had 11 off the bench for the Celtics.

Trey Murphy III scored a season-high 40 points, Jose Alvarado added 20, CJ McCollum had 17 and Brandon Boston Jr. 10 for New Orleans, which lost its fifth straight game. Pelicans starting point guard Dejounte Murray had to be helped to the locker room after injuring his lower right leg in the first quarter. He did not return.

New Orleans trailed by five after three quarters, but Alvarado hit a 3-pointer to open scoring in the fourth. The Pelicans got within two points four more times, with the Celtics answering on the first three. On the fourth occasion, Murphy made a short jumper to finally pull New Orleans even at 114 with 1:37 left.

Brown and McCollum exchanged baskets before Tatum dribbled down the clock and swished the game-winner from 21 feet.

Four Celtics scored during a 9-6 run to start the third quarter, increasing the Celtics’ lead to 68-59. Murphy made two 3-pointers, and Alvarado and Karlo Matkovic made one each as the Pelicans took a 77-75 lead.

Brown scored eight points and White and Payton Pritchard scored three each as Boston took a 91-86 lead going into the fourth.

Murphy scored 16 points to help New Orleans take a 34-31 lead at the end of the first quarter.

New Orleans led by five twice early in the second quarter, but Kornet made consecutive baskets to complete a 6-0 run and put Boston ahead by one point. The Pelicans regained the lead briefly, but Tatum made consecutive 3-pointers to start an 8-0 run that gave the Celtics a 47-42 lead.

New Orleans closed within one point twice, but White and Tatum each made a 3-pointer to help Boston extend the lead to nine. Murphy’s 3-pointer trimmed New Orleans’ deficit to 59-53 at halftime.

–Field Level Media

C’s Win with Porzingis’ Career Night

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BOSTON – Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis scored a season-high 34 points and collected 11 rebounds to help Boston breeze to a 122-100 victory over the visiting Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night. Porzingis made 10 of his 18 field goal attempts, including 8 of 14 shots from behind the 3-point arc. His eight 3-pointers tied his career high.

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Porzingis had 26 points in the first half, when he made 6 of 8 shots from behind the 3-point arc.

Jaylen Brown added 28 points, six rebounds and six assists for the Celtics, who also received a 22-point performance from Derrick White. White made four 3-pointers.

The Bulls didn’t have leading scorer Zach LaVine, who is averaging 24.0 points per game. Chicago coach Billy Donovan said LaVine will miss multiple games to be with his wife to prepare for the birth of their third child.

Chicago guard Coby White returned from an ankle injury and scored 16 points in 31 minutes. It was White’s first game since Jan. 19.

Patrick Williams came off the bench and contributed 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Bulls, who were playing the first game of a three-game road trip. Chicago will play at Toronto on Friday and at Detroit on Sunday.

Sam Hauser (hip) and Al Horford (toe) didn’t dress for the Celtics, who avoided a third straight home loss.

Boston was 18 of 44 from 3-point range (40.9 percent). Chicago was 37 of 92 from the field (40.2) and 15 of 49 (30.6 percent) from 3.

The Celtics scored the game’s first 10 points and led 26-23 after one quarter. Boston scored 41 points in the second quarter to build a 67-51 halftime lead and was up 96-76 after three quarters.

Boston’s lead peaked at 24 points late in the third quarter. Chicago failed to get closer than 16 points in the fourth.

Boston has won three of the four games between the teams this season.

–Field Level Media

Celtics Tops Mavs in Finals Redux

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DALLAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 24 points and Derrick White added 23 to lead the visiting Celtics to a 122-107 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.

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Tatum and White each made four 3-pointers, while the Celtics were 20 of 52 (38.5 percent) from 3-point range as a team in the victory.

All five Boston starters scored at least 17 points. Jaylen Brown tossed in 22, Kristaps Porzingis finished with 18 and Jrue Holiday had 17. Holiday was 5 of 10 from 3-point range.

Kyrie Irving scored 22 points for the Mavericks, who have lost six of their last eight games. Quentin Grimes scored 20 points off the bench for Dallas, and Daniel Gafford had 19 points and 15 rebounds.

It was the first meeting between the teams since they faced each other in the 2024 NBA Finals. Boston has won five straight against Dallas during the regular season and won four of five games in the Finals last season.

Dallas led 16-6 just four minutes into the game and had a 29-25 advantage after one quarter. The Celtics built a 15-point lead in the second quarter, but the Mavericks scored the final five points in the half to trail 59-49. Boston had no turnovers in the first half.

The Mavericks scored the first six points of the second half to make it 59-55, but the Celtics owned the rest of the quarter. Boston led 93-68 following a Sam Hauser 3-pointer with 1:57 remaining in the third.

The Celtics made eight 3-pointers in the third and had a 96-76 lead heading into the fourth.

White scored 16 points in the third, when he was 6 of 9 from the floor. It was the most points he scored in a quarter this season.

Dallas was within 11 points after a Grimes layup with 3:44 to play but failed to get any closer.

The teams will meet again Feb. 6 in Boston.

–Field Level Media