The Boston Celtics defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 120-119. A game that many expected to be a blowout was a tight battle that came down to the final shot. The Pelicans have been plagued with injuries and were without Brandon Ingram and Herb Jones. In their absence, Trey Murphy III and Dejounte Murray stepped up. Jayson Tatum brought Boston to victory with 38 points and 11 rebounds. The Boston Celtics improved to 28-11 while the Pelicans fell to 8-32.
A Close First Half
The Boston Celtics’ offensive struggles cost them against the Sacramento Kings, and they continued in this game. The Pelicans got a 7-2 lead, and Boston started 0-of-6 from the field. Murray had a hot start, scoring 11 quick points on 4-of-4 shooting. The biggest reason the Celtics stayed within striking distance was their offensive rebounding. Getting extra rebounds helped when their shooting was poor, but Murray remained perfect shooting the ball and New Orleans extended their lead to double digits. Tatum got a few buckets to trim the lead, but their defense was lackluster. At the end of the first quarter, the Pelicans led 35-29. Murray was unstoppable with 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting. Tatum had 13 points.
New Orleans continued to shoot well in the second quarter, as Jose Alvarado made two three-pointers, but the Celtics answered. Jaylen Brown began to roll, scoring and assisting on multiple possessions. Boston took a 46-45 lead off a Derrick White layup. They went on an 11-2 run, capped off with a Payton Pritchard three and another Brown assist to Luke Kornet. A string of bad turnovers let the Pelicans go on a run, taking the lead back. The two teams went back and forth in a high-scoring first half, and at halftime, the Boston Celtics led 62-61.
The Pelicans three-point shooting was on fire in the first half. They shot 50% from beyond the arc, while Boston struggled, shooting 29.6%. Murray led the charge with five three-pointers in the first half for 17 points. Trey Murphy III had 10 points and Zion Williamson had 8. The Celtics’ low-effort defense has cost them games, and it kept this one close. Tatum had 17 points for Boston and Porzingis had 13. Brown had 5 points and 5 assists. The Boston Celtics were shooting poorly from three and giving up three-pointers. They had a slim lead, but these aspects were concerning.
The Boston Celtics Win
Both teams got off to cold starts in the third quarter. An and-one dunk from Murphy III started a trend of trading baskets. No team was able to get a significant advantage. The Pelicans were getting more open looks, while the Celtics were reliant on Tatum, Porzingis, and Brown. Murphy III made multiple three-pointers, scoring 13 in the quarter. After cold starts, neither team could get consistent stops on defense. The Celtics turned the ball over, giving up a bucket to end the quarter. Through three quarters, the Boston Celtics led 90-88.
Many of Boston’s recent losses have come with a slim lead and a bad fourth quarter. This one got off to a bad start, with two missed layups from Brown and a Williamson and-one. Kornet did worse than a missed layup, though, missing a dunk that led to a CJ McCollum and-one. But an and-one from Jrue Holiday fired up the Boston crowd. Murphy III answered with a teardrop shot and a three. With five minutes remaining, the Boston Celtics led 108-107.
Murray tied the game with another three-pointer, making for a close final stretch. Tatum responded with a smooth bank shot, putting the Celtics up by four. But a Williamson bucket and Murray free throws put the Pelicans back out front. A Tatum dunk gave Boston the lead back, and another dunk put them up by three. Free throws should have sealed the game, but Tatum missed two, keeping it a one-possession game.
From there, the Celtics chose to foul up three. McCollum made his free throws, making it a one-point game. Then, Boston got a five-second violation, giving New Orleans the ball back. McCollum drove in for the last shot but missed. The Boston Celtics won 120-119.
Final Thoughts
The Boston Celtics improved to 28-11, but this was not a win to be proud of. The last-place team in the Western Conference was neck and neck the entire way. A chaotic final minute nearly gave them the game in embarrassing fashion. Jayson Tatum put the team on his back, scoring 38 points with 11 rebounds. The Pelicans fell to 8-32 but fought hard in defeat.
Murphy III scored 30 points and Murray had 26. The two combined for 11 three-pointers. The Boston Celtics won, but they looked very vulnerable. The shooting and defense are not the same and they are looking more like playoff exits.
