The Boston Celtics (15-3) displayed their explosive firepower with a 126-94 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers (11-8) on November 26, extending their win streak to six. The Celtics’ shooting clinic peaked in the second quarter, where they drained 12-of-17 three-pointers, breaking their franchise record (11) and tying the NBA record for the most threes in a quarter.
Payton Pritchard led the offensive onslaught, hitting 6-of-10 from deep, en route to 20 points. Jayson Tatum had 20 points and 9 rebounds. Derrick White contributed 19 points and 7 assists while Jaylen Brown added 17 points and 6 rebounds. Neemias Queta was all over the court with 12 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals and 4 blocks. Kristaps Porzingis made his season debut today after a five-month recovery from an offseason foot surgery and finished with 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
Ivica Zubac took charge for the Clippers with 23 points, including a highly efficient 11-of-14 shooting, along with 10 rebounds while James Harden was on triple-double watch with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists but it wasn’t enough to prevent their five-game winning streak from coming to an end.
Boston’s Red-hot Shooting Was Too Much for the Clippers
The game was a tightrope walk early, but Tatum scored 9 points and grabbed 7 rebounds to give the Celtics a 7-point lead. Boston came out firing in the second, sinking seven straight three-pointers to build a 48-32 lead. They kept the pressure on with a 25-10 run, extending their advantage to 29. Boston’s offense was uncontainable, erupting for 51 points.
The Clippers made a stand in the third, going on a 22-8 run and cutting the lead down to 14. Harden was the driving force, scoring 7 points and delivering 3 assists but the Celtics knocked down 4 triples to reestablish a 21-point lead. Boston took complete control in the fourth, stretching the margin to 32 and putting the game beyond doubt.
The Celtics resume NBA Cup action against Chicago on Saturday, while the Clippers travel to Washington on Thursday.
