After back-to-back losses against the Atlanta Hawks, the Boston Celtics are back to their winning ways with a comfortable 104-92 victory against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on Sunday (PHL).
The Celtics held a narrow 2-point lead over the Pelicans at halftime, but immediately seized control of the game in the third quarter, stifling the Pelicans and allowing them to score only 11 points.
Boston extended its lead to 79-68 with nearly 5 minutes remaining in the quarter after Jayson Tatum’s 3-pointer.
No space...no problem 😎 pic.twitter.com/9rFtnJDMyC
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 30, 2024
The Celtics then maintained their double-digit lead for the rest of the game, eventually surging ahead by 22 points in the fourth quarter.
Tatum finished with 23 points, while Kristaps Porzingis added with 19 points and 10 boards.
Jaylen Brown, meanwhile, contributed 17 points as Boston, who boast the league's best record at 58-16. The Celtics also managed to avoid what would have been their first three-game losing streak of the season.
The Celtics, having secured the Eastern Conference's no. 1, edge closer to also securing home-court advantage throughout the NBA playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans, positioned fifth in the Western Conference, dropped to 45-29. New Orleans hold a narrow half-game lead over Dallas and a two-game lead over Phoenix in the battle for the final two guaranteed playoff spots in the West.
Zion Williamson led the charge for New Orleans with a game-high of 25 points, including 12 in the first quarter, along with nine rebounds. CJ McCollum also made significant contributions, adding 24 points to the Pelicans' effort.
