The Boston Celtics convincingly defeated the Los Angeles Clippers, 126-94. The Celtics caught fire in the second quarter, giving them a huge lead that they would not give up. This game also marked the return of Kristaps Porzingis. He played in his first game since the NBA Finals. Both teams were dealing with injuries, as the Celtics were missing Al Horford and Luke Kornet, while the Clippers were without Norman Powell and Mo Bamba. The win helps the Boston Celtics improve to 15-3 while the Clippers fall to 11-8.
The Boston Celtics’ Dominant First Half
Porzingis did not take long to score his first points of the season, scoring off a deep three. He did not shy away from shooting the ball or drawing contact, which could excite or stress out Celtics fans depending on the person. Both teams were cold from three to start, so the game stayed close. Jayson Tatum began to get going, which fueled an 11-2 Celtics run. Harden responded, scoring 7 points in the first quarter. Tatum led the Celtics early with 9 points and 7 rebounds, while Porzingis had 4 points. Through the first quarter, the Boston Celtics led 27-20.
In the second quarter, Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser heated up, draining multiple threes off the bench. This seemed to pass over to the rest of the team, as Derrick White and Jaylen Brown joined the three-point party. The Boston Celtics started the second quarter shooting 6-of-6 from three. This helped the Celtics extend their lead. Brown then got hot from three, continuing his shooting streak from the previous game against Minnesota. The Clippers could not contain the Boston offense. Everyone was getting involved, and with 12 threes, the Boston Celtics tied an NBA record for three-pointers in a quarter.
At halftime, the Boston Celtics had an astounding 78 points, leading 78-49. The Celtics scored 51 points in the second quarter and had multiple players in double figures. Brown led the Celtics with 15 points. Tatum and White each had 14 and Pritchard scored 12 off the bench. Porzingis had 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 blocks in his first half of action. For the Clippers, Ivica Zubac led the way with 17 points and 7 rebounds. Harden had 10 points. The explosive second quarter from the Boston Celtics blew the game wide open, creating a nearly insurmountable gap.
Celtics Cruise To Victory
The Clippers tried to cut into the deficit, opening the third quarter on a 10-0 run. Porzingis was the one to settle things down for Boston, scoring six quick points. But the Clippers did not relent in their comeback attempt, cutting a 29-point halftime deficit down to 15. Harden heated up, getting multiple buckets and assists as he initiated the Los Angeles offense. Pritchard and Hauser brought more needed energy off the bench, knocking down a couple more threes to maintain the Celtics lead. This pushed the gap back above 20. At the end of the third quarter, the Boston Celtics led 99-78.
The Boston Celtics rolled into the fourth quarter after sustaining the Clippers run. Neemias Queta got more playing time, backing up Porzingis, and made use of his minutes. Queta did not play on Sunday after a string of bad games but was effective tonight. The Celtics extended their already large lead, effectively putting the game away. Both teams emptied the bench in the game’s final minutes, sealing the Boston Celtics 126-94 victory.
Final Thoughts
This is the sixth consecutive win for the Boston Celtics, making them 15-3. Tatum and Pritchard each had 20 points. Tatum also had 9 rebounds. White scored 19 points, Brown scored 17 points, and Porzingis had 16 points in his first game back. For the Los Angeles Clippers, they drop to 11-8. Zubac had 23 points and 10 rebounds. Harden scored 19 points with 9 assists and 8 rebounds. This was a big win for the Boston Celtics, both in the margin of victory and the positive momentum. The Celtics finally sustaining a blowout win on the night of Kristaps Porzingis’ return is a huge boost going forward.
