Jaylen Brown had 31 points Friday night, as Boston dominated at home.
Boston welcomed the Phoenix Suns, who are currently in eleventh place in the West and are sliding out of the playoff picture as the season comes to a close. After losing to Miami at home on Wednesday, the Celtics bounced back on Friday night, securing a second win in ten days over the struggling Suns, 123-103.
Kevin Durant (ankle) did not suit up for the Suns; Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porzingis all returned to the lineup. The Celtics were rolling early with Jaylen Brown scoring two early buckets, and Kristaps hitting on his first three-pointer. Jayson Tatum got in on the scoring act also, nailing his first jump shot, as Boston jumped out to an early lead.
Phoenix was also scoring the ball easily behind Devin Booker’s four straight makes to keep the Suns in the game as both teams were feeling one another out early. J.B. converted on a high balloon bank shot from near midcourt as he shot a prayer to beat the shot clock. That shot would see him pass Antoine Walker on the Celtics all-time scoring list.
Tatum drove into the lane with ease to score his second basket, followed by a deep three, as the Celtics took an early seven-point lead, 20-13. With Celtics legend Paul Pierce watching on from the sidelines, veteran Al Horford scored his first basket from long range.
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Booker was doing it all for the Suns, assisting and scoring. The all-star guard had 10 points and 3 assists in the first quarter as the Suns hung around, 31-22 after one quarter.
Boston shot 5-12 from distance to open the game, and they continued to find open looks to start the second quarter as Payton Pritchard hit on his first triple of the game. Jaylen Brown continued his hot start with a sublime crossover drive for his twelfth point of the game.
Boston ramped up the pressure and continued to get outstanding looks as they stretched the lead to 16 points midway through the second quarter. Kristaps Porzingis looked comfortable coming back from a game off; he had 14 points and 4 rebounds in the first half.
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were scoring at ease in the first half, as the Suns were helpless to stop the Celtic wings. Tatum and Brown combined for 27 first-half points. Boston looked in complete control after the first half, up by 13 points, 60-47.
Bradley Beal went scoreless in the first half, and he finally got on the scoreboard in the third quarter, a free throw conversion. Tatum and Brown, though, continued to hunt mismatches and exploit Phoenix’s thin frontline. The pair were dominant as Boston’s lead expanded to 16 points.
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Tatum blocked Booker from behind in what looked to be a successful play, however the crew referees adjudged the play a goaltending violation. The Celtics’ coaching staff challenged the play, and it was successful. Brown then backed down the smaller Oso Ighodaro for his 25th point of the night. He then overpowered Bradley Beal and drew a foul, rising up for a jumper at the foul line; Boston would go 13 for 16 from the line at the 5-minute mark of the third.
Derrick White’s second three-pointer saw Boston go up by 21 points; as the Suns were well and truly struggling to execute on the offensive end. Sixth man of the year contender Payton Pritchard, hit a nifty step back bank shot for his tenth point, then Al Horford hit a driving hook shot as Boston continued to dominate the lowly Suns. Boston would lead the game 90-75 heading into the fourth quarter. Devin Booker was the only bright spot for the lackluster Phoenix Suns as he had 30 points after three quarters.
Kristaps Porzingis rose to block Caleb Martin on the first Suns play of the fourth; Martin struck the Latvian big bigman on the bridge of his nose with his off arm. The result of the play saw blood streaking down Kristaps’s face as the Celtics center headed to the lockers. Jaylen Brown put Grayson Allen in the mixer with a side-step dribble and hit on his 29th point of the night. Brown then dropped a wicked behind-the-head pass to Luke Kornet for a dunk in the lane.
In what would be a fun stretch of the fourth, Luke Kornet caught two consecutive alley-oops from Jaylen Brown but was fouled both times on what could have been poster plays. The Celtics and Suns traded buckets down the stretch, but the Celtics lead was never in doubt. Boston’s lead fluctuated between 15 and 20 points as time expired. With two minutes to go in the contest, Joe Mazzulla inserted the stay ready crew to close things out.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics in scoring all night and finished with 31 points and an early rest, Tatum had 23 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists while Kristaps Porzingis had 15 points. Devin Booker had 37 points for the visitors as the game ended with Boston comfortably winning by 20 points.
Boston next host the Washington Wizards at TD Garden on Sunday at 6 pm.