Boston Celtics basketball was on full display those final three quarters in New Orleans, as the Celtics locked in for a 104-92 win over the Pelicans.
After surrendering 37 points in the opening 12 minutes, the Celtic defense came to life, conceding just 55 points in the final three quarters.
It was great to see the guys pick up the intensity after a tumultuous opening period and get a great road win against an excellent team.
104 points isn’t a high number for our record-setting offense, but the difference in efficiency between the C’s and New Orleans was the difference in the game.
Despite attempting fewer field goals and free throws, Boston outshot New Orleans from all three levels of the court, which proved to be the deciding factor.
The Celtics had all five starters in double figures, including Jayson Tatum (23 points, 9 rebounds), Boston’s top scorer on the night.
Jaylen Brown (17 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists) and Kristaps Porzingis (19 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks) had fantastic all-around games on Saturday, with JB continuing to play All-NBA basketball on both ends of the court.
KP wasn’t too shabby either, as he posted a team-high +12 in 31 minutes of action.
After a rough couple of games, this was a great bounceback win for the Celtics. Boston got back to playing with pace and efficiency on both ends of the floor, which made life miserable for the Pelicans.
The Celtics have already clinched the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference for this year’s playoffs and are inching closer to clinching homecourt for a potential NBA Finals matchup.
The Celtics next game will be Wednesday versus Oklahoma City. Go Celtics!
