The returning Isaiah Thomas ' game - high 28 points led the Celtics , while the Hornets had trouble compensating for the absence of their star point guard Kemba Walker , who missed Friday 's tilt for personal reasons . Fill-in Ramon Sessions did a respectable job on the offensive end with 13 points , but allowed Thomas to shoot 50 percent ( 10 - of - 20 ) from the field . Boston won the game with a second - half surge that saw them erase a 50 - 41 halftime deficit with a 55 - 38 edge over the third and fourth periods . Al Horford ( 18 points ) , Jae Crowder ( 12 points ) and Avery Bradley ( 12 points ) were productive , while Jonas Jerebko 's nine points led the second unit . Nicolas Batum 's 22 - point , 10 - rebound double - double partly helped to make up for Walker 's absence . Marvin Williams supplied 12 points , followed by reserves Marco Belinelli ( 11 points ) and Jeremy Lamb ( 10 points ) .

The Boston Celtics defeated the Charlotte Hornets , 96 - 88 , at TD Center on Friday . Isaiah Thomas ' presence had been missed by the Celtics ( 14 - 12 ) while he sat out four games with a groin injury . However , his return Friday provided a definitive spark , as he posted a game - high 28 points , along with five assists and three rebounds . Meanwhile , the Hornets ( 14 - 13 ) were dealing with the absence of their own star point guard in Kemba Walker , who missed Friday 's tilt for personal reasons . While fill - in Ramon Sessions did a respectable job on the offensive end with 13 points , he had trouble containing Thomas , who shot a stellar 50 percent ( 10 - of - 20 ) from the field . Boston won the game with their second - half effort , as they erased a 50 - 41 halftime deficit by outscoring the visitors 55 - 38 over the third and fourth periods . Nicolas Batum took up the offensive cause for Charlotte in Walker 's absence , tallying a team - high 22 points and supplementing them with 10 boards , five assists and three steals . Sessions supplemented his aforementioned scoring total with six rebounds and six assists . Marvin Williams supplied 12 points , six boards and three dimes . Marco Belinelli led the bench with 11 points , while Jeremy Lamb collected 10 points in a reserve role also . Al Horford was second to Thomas for Boston with 18 points , eight rebounds , five assists , five blocks and a pair of steals . Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder contributed a pair of 12 - point efforts , with the former also providing seven boards , two assists and a steal , and the latter registering five boards and three assists . Jonas Jerebko led the second unit with nine points . The Hornets will travel to Atlanta for a Saturday evening date with the Hawks , while the Celtics are off until Monday night , when they 'll be in South Florida to face the Miami Heat .


Russell Westbrook 's 45 - point , 11 - rebound , 11 - assist triple - double led the way for the Thunder , with the dynamic point guard going to the line a game - high 16 times and converting 14 of those opportunities into points . OKC boasted a hot hand shooting - wise , posting success rates of 51 and 42 percent , respectively , from the field and three - point range . Domantas Sabonis was a surprising second with a career - high 20 points , and Steven Adams supplied eight points and 11 boards . Enes Kanter was the only other Thunder player in double digits , tallying 20 points in 23 minutes . Isaiah Thomas ' 34 - point , 10 - assist double - double paced the Celtics . Al Horford was next with 23 points , while Amir Johnson posted 17 , supplying consecutive double - digit scoring performances for the first time this season . Avery Bradley registered 16 points to round out the first unit 's productive night .

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Boston Celtics , 117 - 112 , at TD Garden on Friday . The Celtics ( 17 - 13 ) have been at their best on the road this season , carrying just a 6 - 5 home record into Friday night 's tilt . Despite a game effort , their struggles continued Friday , as Russell Westbrook 's 45 - point , 11 - rebound , 11 - assist triple - double led the way for the Thunder ( 18 - 12 ) . The dynamic point guard went to the line a game - high 16 times , converting 14 of those opportunities into points . Overall , Oklahoma City had the hot hand shooting - wise , posting success rates of 51 and 42 percent , respectively , from the field and three - point range . The Celtics could n't quite keep up late , despite standout efforts from Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford . Domantas Sabonis was a surprising second on the Thunder in scoring with a career - high 20 points , which he supplemented with a rebound , an assist and a steal . Steven Adams supplied a modest eight points but did haul in 11 boards , while also recording three assists , two steals and a block . Andre Roberson managed five points , five rebounds , four assists and two blocks . Enes Kanter was an invaluable source of scoring off the bench with 20 points , six boards and two assists . Thomas ' 34 points led the Celtics , a total he complemented with 10 assists , two rebounds and a steal . Horford was next with 23 points , six rebounds , four assists , two steals and a block . Amir Johnson posted 17 points , six rebounds , five assists and two steals , supplying back - to - back double - digit scoring performances for the first time this season . Avery Bradley registered 16 points , six boards and an assist . The Thunder return home to face off with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Christmas Night , while the Celtics head to the Big Apple to take on the Knicks for a Christmas Day showdown .


The Boston Celtics defeated the Memphis Grizzlies , 113 - 103 , at TD Garden on Tuesday . The Celtics gave the Grizzlies a tough overtime loss less than two weeks ago and they inflicted more pain on them here . Rebounding was the biggest factor for Boston , as they won that battle , 47 - 37 . The Grizzlies were really let down by their shooting , as they went 42 percent from the field , 30 percent from three - point range and 69 percent from the free - throw line . The Celtics did a great job of closing things out at the charity stripe themselves , going 19 - of - 21 from the free - throw line . Boston actually led for the majority of the game , with the Grizzlies only lead coming in the first quarter . Memphis ( 20 - 14 ) had to play this game without Mike Conley ( toe ) and they simply could n't overcome his absence . Marc Gasol did all he could to carry the offense though , as he led the team with 26 points , four rebounds , nine assists , two steals and three blocks in a fantastic performance . Zach Randolph recorded a double - double off the bench , totaling 16 points and 10 rebounds . Tony Allen was second on the team with 17 points and eight rebounds on 6 - of - 9 shooting . Andrew Harrison filled - in for Conley to accrue 12 points , five rebounds and six assists as the starting point guard . Memphis will look to rebound in a home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday for their next matchup . Boston ( 19 - 13 ) has now handed Memphis two tough losses in the past couple weeks , as they continue to rise up the standings . Avery Bradley was the catalyst in this win , as he led the team with 23 points , seven rebounds and four assists . Isaiah Thomas was n't far behind , as he accrued 21 points and seven assists of his own . Jae Crowder had one of his best scoring games of the year , dropping 17 points and seven rebounds . Gerald Green and Marcus Smart were huge off the bench , as Green provided 19 points and five rebounds , while Smart collected 13 points , four rebounds and six assists . On deck for the Celtics is a road matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers .

Boston were expected to win this game against a shorthanded Memphis team and they did n't disappoint . The biggest discrepancy in the game was free - throw shooting , with the Grizzlies hitting just 69 percent of their free - throws to the Celtic 's 91 percent . Rebounding was also key , as Boston won that battle , 47 - 37 , in their victory . Marc Gasol did all he could to keep Memphis hanging around , as he accumulated 26 points , four rebounds , nine assists , two steals and three blocks in the defeat . Zach Randolph recorded a double - double off the bench , totaling 16 points and 10 rebounds . Avery Bradley was the Celtics best player , as he tallied 23 points , seven rebounds and four assists . Isaiah Thomas provided 21 points and seven assists of his own . Gerald Green and Marcus Smart were huge off the bench , as they combined for 32 points , nine rebounds and seven assists .


The Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat , 117 - 114 , at TD Garden on Friday . Boston were expected to win this game rather easily , but the Heat gave them a run for their money . There were 12 ties and 18 lead changes in total , as neither squad led by more than eight points . Both offenses were impressive , as Boston shot 51 percent , while Miami shot 53 percent . It was three - point shooting and free - throw shooting that decided the game , with the Celtics going 83 percent ( 24 - of - 29 ) from the free - throw line and 53 percent ( 17 - of - 32 ) from long distance . The Heat went just 70 percent ( 7 - of - 10 ) from the charity stripe and 39 percent from three ( 11 - of - 28 ) on their end . Miami ( 10 - 24 ) have made a habit of losing close games throughout the season , as this marks their 22nd loss by 12 points or less . Josh Richardson stepped up in the absence of Goran Dragic though , as he led the starters with 19 points , six rebounds , eight assists and four steals . The bench is what kept the Heat hanging around , as Wayne Ellington , James Johnson and Tyler Johnson all scored at least 14 points . Tyler Johnson finished the game with 19 points , four rebounds and six assists , while James Johnson led the team with 22 points , three rebounds and six assists . Justise Winslow accumulated 11 points , nine rebounds and six assists of his own . Hassan Whiteside 's recent struggles continued , as he totaled just 11 points , eight rebounds and one block in the loss . Miami will return to action on Sunday versus the Detroit Pistons . Boston ( 20 - 14 ) have gotten a career year out of Isaiah Thomas this season and they got a career night out of him in this win . Thomas dropped a career - high 52 points , with 27 of those coming in the fourth quarter . Strangely , he failed to provide an assist , but he went 15 - of - 26 from the field and 9 - of - 13 from three - point range in his historic night . Al Horford was the only other player in double figures , as he accrued 21 points , six rebounds and four assists on 8 - of - 12 shooting . No other player on the roster had more than nine points , five rebounds or five assists . The Celtics will be off until Tuesday , when they play the Utah Jazz for their next game .

Boston were expected to win this game easily , but 12 ties and 18 lead changes show just how close it was . Both offenses went off , as they each surpassed 50 percent shooting from the field . Boston took advantage of the lines on the court though , as they shot 83 percent from the free - throw line and 53 percent from three - point range . The Heat hit just 70 percent of their free - throws and 39 percent of their three 's . Isaiah Thomas had a historic night , as he dropped a career - high 52 points , with 27 of those coming in the fourth quarter . Al Horford was the only other Boston player in double figures , as he tallied 19 points , four rebounds and six assists . Josh Richardson filled - in for Goran Dragic to accrue 19 points , six rebounds , eight assists and four steals in the defeat . The Johnson 's came off the bench to do work yet again for Miami , as Tyler and James combined for 41 points , seven rebounds , and 12 assists


Isaiah Thomas dished out a career - best 15 assists , while also scoring a game - high 29 points . His standout effort led to a stellar shooting night for Boston , which posted respective success rates of 55 and 55 percent from the field and three - point range . Al Horford and Jae Crowder had matching 21 - point efforts . Avery Bradley compiled 14 points , Jaylen Brown led the second unit with 10 , and Marcus Smart went for nine points over 28 minutes despite coming in questionable with an illness . Gordon Hayward 's 23 points led Utah , and Derrick Favors had 12 points over 29 minutes . Rodney Hood supplied nine points , while Rudy Gobert brought down 13 rebounds . Joe Johnson and Boris Diaw went for 17 and 15 points off the bench , respectively , with the latter impressively compiling his total in just 15 minutes .

The Boston Celtics defeated the Utah Jazz , 115 - 104 , at TD Center on Tuesday . The Celtics ( 21 - 14 ) came in to the game refreshed , having last played when the calendar still read 2016 . Isaiah Thomas , who 'd posted a career - high 52 points in that Dec. 30 victory , decided that he wanted to get the new year off on a momentous note as well . This time his remarkable accomplishment came in the assist category , as the point guard dished out a career - best 15 dimes , and scored 29 points , hauled in four rebounds and recorded a steal . His standout effort helped Boston overcome a slim 29 - 28 deficit after one quarter and outscore the Jazz ( 22 - 14 ) by an 87 - 75 margin the rest of the way . Utah was led by Gordon Hayward 's 23 points , which he supplemented with two rebounds , two assists and a steal . Derrick Favors saw 29 minutes , his highest allotment since returning from a lengthy absence due to knee trouble , and produced 12 points , seven assists and six boards . Rodney Hood supplied nine points , four assists and three rebounds . Rudy Gobert could only tally eight points but did haul in 13 rebounds and record a block . A pair of wily veterans led the bench , as Joe Johnson generated 17 points , three rebounds , two assists , two blocks and a steal , while Boris Diaw went for 15 points in just 15 minutes . Al Horford and Jae Crowder checked in behind Thomas with matching 21 - point efforts , with the former adding five rebounds , four assists and a steal , and the latter posting three boards , an assist and a steal . Avery Bradley returned from a recent illness to compile 14 points , three rebounds and two assists . Jaylen Brown led the second unit with 10 - point tally , while Marcus Smart overcame the same stomach virus that had afflicted Bradley to suit up and go for nine points , three assists and a rebound off the bench over 28 minutes . The Jazz cross the border and take on the Toronto Raptors in their next contest on Thursday night , while the Celtics remain home and await the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday evening .


The Celtics overcame a 62 - 51 halftime deficit , outscoring the Sixers by a 59 - 44 margin in the second half . Al Horford 's go - ahead three - pointer with 17 remaining and two key free throws by Isaiah Thomas with two seconds left sealed the hard - fought home win . Avery Bradley 's 26 points led Boston , while Thomas ' 24 points helped offset a game - high seven turnovers . Horford had a 19 - point , 12 - rebound double - double , while Amir Johnson totaled 13 points . Jae Crowder notably went scoreless over 30 minutes , but Marcus Smart paced the second unit with 14 points . Joel Embiid 's 23 points led Philadelphia , although he fouled out with six seconds remaining . Ersan Ilyasova went for 20 points , while T.J. McConnell compiled 17 assists and supplemented them with nine points . Robert Covington matched McConnell 's scoring total , while Gerald Henderson 's 18 points led the bench .

The Boston Celtics defeated the Philadelphia 76ers , 110 - 106 , at TD Garden on Friday . Facing a Sixers ( 9 - 25 ) squad that had only tallied three road wins in 13 tries coming in , it may have been hard to blame the Celtics ( 22 - 14 ) if they were guilty of a little overconfidence Friday . A 39 - point second period by Philadelphia was therefore likely a rather sobering wake - up call , as was the 62 - 51 halftime deficit Boston found itself in . The Celtics were mostly a different team in the second half , as they outscored their visitors by a 59 - 44 margin over the final 24 minutes . However , the game was n't truly decided until the closing seconds , with Al Horford 's go - ahead three - pointer with 17 remaining and two key free throws by Isaiah Thomas with two seconds on the clock finally sealing the hard - fought home win . Philadelphia was led by Joel Embiid 's 23 points , which he supplemented with eight rebounds , three assists and two blocks . However , he battled foul trouble in the second half , and ultimately was charged with his sixth infraction with six seconds remaining . Ersan Ilyasova went for 20 points , three assists , two rebounds , two steals and two blocks , but missed a couple of key three - point attempts late with the Sixers trailing . T.J. McConnell was outstanding setting up his teammates for scoring opportunities , compiling 17 assists and supplementing them with nine points , four boards and a pair of steals . Robert Covington produced nine points , while Gerald Henderson led the second unit with 18 points , four rebounds , an assist and a block . Nerlens Noel was productive in a reserve role as well , registering 13 points , eight rebounds , two assists , three blocks and two steals . Avery Bradley was the high scorer for the Celtics on the night , totaling 26 points , and adding nine rebounds , two assists and a steal . Backcourt mate Thomas stepped up with 24 points , four rebounds and three assists , but did commit a game - high seven turnovers . Horford amassed 19 points , 12 rebounds , four assists and two blocks . Amir Johnson posted 13 points , five rebounds , three assists , four blocks and a steal . Jae Crowder notably went scoreless over 30 minutes , but did have three assists , two rebounds , two steals and two blocks . Marcus Smart paced the second unit with 14 points , eight assists , two rebounds , two blocks and a steal . The Sixers head to Brooklyn to face the Nets on Sunday , while the Celtics remain home to host the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday evening .


Marcus Smart produced 22 points in a spot start for Avery Bradley , while Isaiah Thomas ( 38 points , three rebounds , two steals and a block ) outdueled Anthony Davis to spearhead the home win . His standout night included a 6 - of - 11 tally from three - point range . Al Horford and Jae Crowder had matching eight - point efforts , while Gerald Green paced the bench with 15 points . Kelly Olynyk offered 12 points in a reserve role as well . Davis paced the Pelicans with a 36 - point , 15 - rebound double - double that also included two assists and two blocks . Langston Galloway posted 20 points over 22 minutes . Jrue Holiday was next with 13 points , while rookie Buddy Hield totaled nine points , with all three of his baskets notably coming from three - point range . Donatas Motiejunas made his season debut and supplied 11 points over 20 minutes .

The Boston Celtics defeated the New Orleans Pelicans , 117 - 108 , at TD Garden on Saturday . The Celtics ( 23 - 14 ) learned earlier in the afternoon that they 'd play without Avery Bradley , who 'd tallied a team - high 26 points on Friday versus the Sixers . Marcus Smart entered the starting five in his stead and did n't disappoint , producing 22 points , six assists , five rebounds , two steals and a block . However , the high - scoring affair was a showcase for two of the game 's brightest stars , as Isaiah Thomas ( 38 points ) and Anthony Davis ( 36 points , 15 rebounds , two assists , two blocks ) put on a spectacular show on opposite ends of the court . Ultimately , a 36 - point third quarter by Boston did in the Pelicans ( 14 - 24 ) , which suffered their 13th road loss in 17 games this season . Langston Galloway was actually the second leading scorer on New Orleans in a bench role , posting 20 points , four rebounds and an assist over 22 minutes . Jrue Holiday was next with 13 points , five assists , two rebounds , two steals and a block . Rookie Buddy Hield totaled nine points , four rebounds and two assists , with all three of his baskets coming from three - point range . Donatas Motiejunas made his season debut and supplied 11 points , five boards , four assists and a steal over 20 minutes . Thomas added three rebounds , two steals and a block to his game - high scoring total , and was also notably 6 - of - 11 from behind the arc . Al Horford and Jae Crowder had matching eight - point efforts , with the former adding eight assists , seven rebounds and a pair of blocks , and the latter providing six rebounds , two assists and a steal . Gerald Green paced the bench with 15 points and three boards , while Kelly Olynyk offered 12 points , four assists and four rebounds in a reserve role as well . The Pelicans continue on their trek through the Northeast with a visit to the New York Knicks on Monday night , while the Celtics tangle with the Toronto Raptors north of the border on Tuesday evening .


The Boston Celtics defeated the Washington Wizards , 117 - 108 , at TD Garden on Wednesday . A battle of two offensively proficient squads went according to script , starting from the opening tip . A breakneck - paced opening 12 minutes saw the Celtics ( 24 - 15 ) emerge with a 36 - 35 edge . The Wizards ( 19 - 19 ) proceeded to take the next two periods by a 50 - 47 margin , setting up the decisive fourth quarter . Boston pulled away with a 34 - point effort to close matters out in a game that featured a pair of spectacular dueling performances from Bradley Beal and Isaiah Thomas . The former led the Wizards with 35 points , which he supplemented with four assists , two rebounds , a steal and a block , while the latter provided 38 points , 20 of which came in the fourth quarter , along with six boards and five assists . Washington took better care of the ball , with their seven turnovers representing only half of the Celtics ' total ; however , Boston outperformed the visitors from the field , with their 51 percent success rate significantly outpacing the Wizards ' 43 percent tally . Otto Porter , Jr. was second behind Beal with 20 points , six rebounds , five assists and three steals . Markieff Morris registered 14 points , nine boards , four assists and a pair of steals . Marcin Gortat produced a near double - double with 10 points , nine boards and two assists . John Wall endured one of the worst shooting nights of his career , supplying just nine points on a 4 - of - 21 effort from the field . He did dish out 10 assists , while also recording three steals and a block . Jason Smith paced the bench with 13 points , five boards and an assist . Jae Crowder checked in behind Thomas with 20 points , five rebounds , an assist , a steal and a block . Al Horford compiled 16 points , nine rebounds , three assists , two steals and two blocks . Marcus Smart drew another start in place of Avery Bradley ( Achilles ) , managing nine points , four rebounds and four assists . Terry Rozier led the second unit with 11 points , four rebounds , an assist and a steal . The Wizards remain home to tangle with the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night , while the Celtics travel to Atlanta for a Friday evening showdown with the Hawks .

Bradley Beal and Isaiah Thomas put on a pair of spectacular dueling performances , with the former posting 35 points and the latter providing 38 , 20 of which came in the crucial fourth quarter . While the Celtics ' 14 turnovers were double that of the Wizards ' tally , Boston notably outperformed the visitors from the field , 51 percent to 43 percent . Jae Crowder supplied 20 points , while Al Horford compiled 16 points . Marcus Smart drew another start in place of Avery Bradley ( Achilles ) , managing nine points . Terry Rozier led the second unit with 11 points . Otto Porter , Jr. compiled 20 points , Markieff Morris registered 14 , and Marcin Gortat produced a near double - double with 10 points and nine boards . John Wall was only 4 - of - 21 from the field , mustering just nine points . Jason Smith paced the bench with a 13 - point tally .


In an unsurprising turn of events , Isaiah Thomas was the big story in Monday 's game between the Celtics and the Hornets . `` The Little Guy `` finished the night with 35 points and extended his league lead on fourth - quarter scoring with a whopping 17 points in the final 12 minutes . Thomas shot 14 - of - 25 including seven made three - pointers and added five rebounds and four assists on the night . Boston also saw strong play from All-Star center Al Horford , who toyed with the Charlotte frontcourt en route to an efficient 22 points in 34 minutes . After a season - best night in Atlanta on Friday , bench big man Kelly Olynyk came up huge once again , scoring 15 points to go with nine rebounds and four assists . The Celtics continued their barrage of three - point shooting , making 15 threes and shooting a flat 50 percent from the field on the night . Charlotte , meanwhile , saw a relatively underwhelming offensive night . Point guard Kemba Walker led the team with 24 points but shot just 8 - of - 21 . Big man Marvin Williams scored an efficient 21 points , but the Hornets lagged behind Boston in shooting with only 44 percent from the field with eight three - pointers .

The host Boston Celtics took down the Charlotte Hornets at TD Garden on Monday , 108 - 98 . Boston ( 26 - 15 ) is now 13 - 3 in its last 16 contests and has seen star point guard Isaiah Thomas ascend to a new level through his recent play . Thomas leads the NBA in scoring in the fourth quarter and posted another big final 12 minutes on Monday , scoring 17 points in the fourth to give him 35 on the night . The All-Star drained seven three - pointers and had five rebounds and four assists in what was yet another astounding night for the Celtics ' star . While the game was close throughout , Boston held the lead from the second quarter and on , never allowing Charlotte to regain control of the game . A big part of the Celtics ' success was All-Star center Al Horford , who quietly scored 22 points while pulling in six rebounds . Off the bench , center Kelly Olynyk came through for 15 points and nine rebounds after an extremely strong 26 - point outing in Atlanta on Friday . The Celtics also saw the return of injured shooting guard Avery Bradley , who had missed the previous week of play with an achilles injury . Bradley appeared rusty , however , going for just five points on 2 - of - 9 shooting and committing a pair of costly turnovers . Charlotte ( 20 - 21 ) fell to 0 - 5 on its road trip with Monday 's loss . The team has struggled mightily after a strong 6 - 1 start to the season . Monday , however , showed some promise , as the Hornets were able to hold close to the surging Celtics . Star point guard Kemba Walker led the team with 24 points while adding four rebounds . Shooting guard Nicolas Batum was a key factor in almost every element , playing tough defense and narrowly missing a triple - double . Batum finished with eight points , 10 rebounds , and 10 assists . Big man Marvin Williams caused problems for the Boston frontcourt with his athletic scoring touch , finishing the night with 21 points . The Celtics will host the Knicks on Wednesday , while the Hornets will host the Trail Blazers .


The Celtics were expected to win this game easily , but the Knicks had other ideas . The rebounding differential was glaring to say the least , with New York winning that battle , 58 - 33 . The bench production was a huge part of that , with New York 's bench grabbing 33 rebounds , while Boston 's bench snatched down just eight boards . New York shot over 50 percent from the field , while Boston could n't crack 39 percent . Derrick Rose was at MVP form , as he accumulated 30 points , 10 rebounds , five assists , two steals and two blocks in the win . Willy Hernangonez was huge off the bench , providing 17 points and 11 rebounds . Mindaugas Kuzminskas also scored 17 , with Carmelo Anthony and Justin Holiday scoring 13 a piece . Isaiah Thomas carried the load for Boston , collecting 39 points , three rebounds and two assists . Al Horford did provide five points , seven rebounds and 10 assists , but went just 2 - of - 14 from the field .

The New York Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics , 117 - 106 , at TD Garden on Wednesday . The Celtics were expected to win this game easily against a shorthanded Knicks team , but they were dominated in this shocking result . The rebounding was the glaring difference , with New York winning that battle , 57 - 33 . The bench production was a major part of that , with the Knicks bench outrebounding the Celtics bench , 35 - 8 . Shooting was also decisive , with the Knicks shooting 51 percent from the field , while the Celtics failed to crack 39 percent shooting . The Knicks ( 19 - 24 ) had to play this game without Kristaps Porzingis and Joakim Noah , but prevailed with an impressive road win . Derrick Rose had a vintage performance , tallying 30 points , 10 rebounds , five assists , two steals and two blocks . Willy Hernangomez was huge off the bench , providing 17 points and 11 rebounds . Courtney Lee collected nine points , eight rebounds and seven assists off the bench as well . Mindaugas Kuzminskas got the start for Porzingis and accrued 17 points and six rebounds . New York will play again on Thursday against the Washington Wizards . The Celtics ( 26 - 16 ) had won 13 of 16 games headed into this matchup , but this was simply a game where they did n't have it . Isaiah Thomas kept Boston hanging around , as he dropped a game - high 39 points , while adding three rebounds and two assists . Al Horford did hand out 10 assists and grab seven boards , but he scored just five points on 2 - of - 14 from the field . Jae Crowder was second on the team , dropping 21 points and five rebounds . Boston will be off until Saturday when they host the Portland Trail Blazers for their next game .


C.J . McCollum led the way for Portland in the overtime victory with 35 points , three assists , two rebounds and three steals . Damian Lillard provided 28 points , two of which on free throws came with a second left in overtime to seal the win . Meyers Leonard led the second unit with 17 points , while Evan Turner went for 12 . Mason Plumlee generated 10 - point , 11 - rebound double - double and Al-Farouq Aminu tallied 11 points off the bench . Isaiah Thomas scored a game - high 41 points , which he supplemented with six assists and three rebounds . Al Horford and Marcus Smart posted matching 17 - point efforts , while Jae Crowder managed 16 . Rozier led the second unit with 15 points , including a three - pointer with 10 seconds left in regulation to tie matters up at 113 . Kelly Olynyk was productive as a reserve with 10 points .

The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Boston Celtics , 127 - 123 , in overtime at TD Garden on Saturday afternoon . The Blazers ( 19 - 27 ) checked in to Saturday with only seven road wins in 25 tries this season , and appeared to be facing particularly long odds against a Celtics ( 26 - 17 ) squad that had won seven of their past nine contests . However , a strong third quarter helped Portland catch Boston after they 'd faced a 65 - 56 deficit at the half , and they appeared poised for a hard - fought victory when Damian Lillard drained a pair of free throws with 10 seconds remaining . Terry Rozier turned the tables just two seconds later , though , making a 27 - foot three - point jumper off a Marcus Smart assist to knot matters up at 113 . Following a Lillard missed step - back jumper as time expired , the two teams headed to an extra period . The Celtics gained a temporary 118 - 117 advantage with 1:23 remaining in overtime after an Isaiah Thomas three - pointer , but another pair of Lillard free throws with a second left sealed the victory . C.J . McCollum led the way for Portland with 35 points , three assists , two rebounds and three steals . Lillard provided 28 points , seven assists , a rebound and a block . Meyers Leonard led the bench with 17 points , four boards and a steal . Evan Turner filled out the stat sheet with 12 points , four rebounds , four assists , two blocks and a steal . Mason Plumlee generated 10 - point , 11 - rebound double - double that also included eight assists and a steal . Al-Farouq Aminu was productive in a reserve role as well , tallying 11 points , seven boards , a steal and a block . The Celtics saw Thomas score a game - high 41 points , which he supplemented with six assists and three rebounds . Al Horford and Marcus Smart posted matching 17 - point efforts , with the former adding nine rebounds and five assists , and the latter supplying six rebounds , six assists and two steals . Jae Crowder totaled 16 points , four rebounds , two assists and a steal . Rozier led the second unit with 15 points , three boards and three assists , while Kelly Olynyk was also productive in a reserve role with 10 points , eight rebounds and an assist . The Trail Blazers head back to home to await the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night , while the Celtics head to the Nation 's Capital to tangle with the Washington Wizards on Tuesday evening .


The Boston Celtics defeated the Houston Rockets , 120 - 109 , at TD Garden on Wednesday evening . The Celtics ( 27 - 18 ) could n't quite keep up with the fast - paced Rockets ( 34 - 15 ) in the first half , but they made up for it after intermission . Boston outscored their visitors by a 68 - 51 margin over the third and fourth periods , despite the game being knotted at 98 as late as the 5:12 mark of the final quarter . That 's when Isaiah Thomas drained two clutch free throws after a flagrant - 1 foul on James Harden for hitting Jonas Jerebko in the face , and then followed those points with a jumper and a driving hook . The Celtics then scored 16 points the rest of the way while holding the Rockets to 11 , sealing the double - digit home win . Both teams had a hard time hanging on to the ball , as Houston was guilty of 17 turnovers while Boston gave it away 18 times . James Harden led the way for the Rockets with a 30 - point , 12 - assist double - double that also included six rebounds , a steal and a block . Ryan Anderson produced 19 points , five rebounds , an assist and a steal . Trevor Ariza and Clint Capela followed with matching 12 - point efforts , with the former adding two rebounds , two assists and a steal , and the latter registering seven boards , an assist and two blocks . All of Ariza 's points notably came on four three - pointers . Sam Dekker paced the second unit with 15 points , four rebounds , a steal and a block , while Montrezl Harrell tallied 11 points , three assists , two rebounds and a steal in a reserve role as well . Isaiah Thomas continued his stellar play while leading the Celtics with 38 points , nine assists , five rebounds and a steal . With Avery Bradley ( Achilles ) still out , his usage continues to be at a sky - high rate , as evidenced by Wednesday 's 27 shot attempts . Jae Crowder stepped up with a 23 - point , 10 - rebound double - double that also included four assists and a steal . Al Horford supplied a near double - double of 20 points , nine assists , three rebounds , three steals and two blocks , and had a first - half ending buzzer - beating three - pointer . Jonas Jerebko and Jaylen Brown , making starts in place of Amir Johnson and Bradley , respectively , could only combine for nine points and took just seven shot attempts between them . Marcus Smart , who went to the bench in favor of Brown , and Gerald Green led the second unit with matching seven - point tallies . The Rockets next travel to Philadelphia to do battle with the Sixers on Friday night , while the Celtics remain home to tangle with the Orlando Magic on Friday evening as well .

Isaiah Thomas continued his stellar play while leading the Celtics with 38 points , nine assists , five rebounds and a steal . Jae Crowder stepped up with a 23 - point , 10 - rebound double - double . Al Horford supplied a near double - double of 20 points and nine assists . Jaylen Brown started over Marcus Smart but only contributed two points and three rebounds . Smart and Gerald Green led the second unit with matching seven - point tallies . James Harden 's 30 - point , 12 - assist paced the Rockets . Ryan Anderson produced 19 points , while Trevor Ariza and Clint Capela followed with matching 12 - point efforts . Sam Dekker paced the second unit with 15 points , and Montrezl Harrell tallied 11 points in a reserve role as well . Both teams had a hard time hanging on to the ball , as Houston was guilty of 17 turnovers , while Boston gave it away 18 times .


The Boston Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic , 128 - 98 , at TD Garden on Friday evening . The Celtics ( 28 - 18 ) came in to Friday fresh off a big victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night , a win spearheaded by an explosive 38 - point effort from Isaiah Thomas . Their offensive momentum carried over into Friday and generated even better results overall , as Boston posted success rates of 56 and 47 percent from the field and three - point range , respectively . Instead of Wednesday 's top - heavy scoring effort , the Celtics saw six players hit double digits in the scoring column , and played superbly on the defensive end as well , holding the Magic ( 18 - 30 ) to just 65 points through three quarters . The Magic were led by a pair of 14 - point efforts from Nikola Vucevic and Damjan Rudez , with the latter providing his scoring off the bench . Vucevic added seven boards , two assists and a steal , while Rudez provided an assist , two steals and a block . Aaron Gordon went for 13 points , five boards and a steal . Bismack Biyombo generated 10 points , seven rebounds and three assists in 25 minutes on the second unit . C.J . Watson went for nine points , four assists , a rebound and a steal . The Celtics were paced by Thomas ' 21 points , a total he supplemented with eight assists , three rebounds and two steals . Rookie Jaylen Brown totaled a career - high 20 points , along with eight boards and two assists . Jae Crowder contributed a full stat line of 19 points , six boards , four assists , two steals and a block . Amir Johnson made the start for Al Horford ( groin ) , managing 10 points , four rebounds , three assists and a block . Kelly Olynyk led the second unit with 16 points , five rebounds and an assist , while Tyler Zeller provided 10 points , three rebounds , two assists , a steal and a block , his first game action since Dec. 29 . The Magic travel to Toronto to take on the Raptors on Sunday evening , while the Celtics head to Milwaukee to face the Bucks on Saturday night .

Boston posted success rates of 56 and 47 percent from the field and three - point range , respectively , and six players posted double - digit scoring . They played superbly on defense also , holding the Magic to just 65 points through three quarters . Isaiah Thomas ' 21 points led the way . Rookie Jaylen Brown totaled a career - high 20 points in another start for Avery Bradley ( Achilles ) . Jae Crowder contributed 19 points , and Amir Johnson managed 10 points while drawing the start for Al Horford ( groin ) . Kelly Olynyk ( 16 points ) paced the bench , while Tyler Zeller provided 10 in his first game since Dec. 29 . Nikola Vucevic 's and Damjan Rudez 's 14 - point efforts led Orlando . Aaron Gordon went for 13 points , while Bismack Biyombo generated 10 points from the bench . C.J . Watson went for nine points , four assists , a rebound and a steal .


In Boston , Isaiah Thomas has been given the nickname `` The King in the Fourth . `` On Monday , he showed why . The two - time All-Star scored 41 , with 24 of those points coming in the fourth quarter . Thomas was a perfect 15 - of - 15 from the free - throw line and hit four three - pointers . The game marked Thomas 's fourth career 40 - point game , all of which have come in the Celtics ' last 21 outings . On top of the massive scoring output , Thomas dished a respectable eight assists . Also recording eight assists was bench guard Marcus Smart , who scored 13 but shot just 3 - of - 13 from the field . Veteran All-Star Al Horford scored 13 and added six rebounds and six assists , while forward Jae Crowder impressed with an efficient 21 points . For Detroit , star center Andre Drummond was dominant . Drummond led the Pistons with 28 points and pulled down a whopping 22 rebounds . Point guard Reggie Jackson , on the other hand , shot only 4 - of - 12 for 12 points and fouled out in 28 minutes .

The Boston Celtics took down the visiting Detroit Pistons at TD Garden on Monday , 113 - 109 . Boston ( 30 - 18 ) has now won four straight games despite the absence of starting shooting guard Avery Bradley . The Celtics have quickly climbed the Eastern Conference standings and now sit a game ahead of the Raptors for second place in the East . Much of the team 's success has been due to the incredible play of point guard Isaiah Thomas . The two - time All-Star is closing in on Russell Westbrook for the scoring title , gradually increasing his averages with performances like Monday 's 41 - point explosion . Thomas scored 24 of his points in the fourth quarter , a trend he has firmly established throughout the season . The 5'9 superstar leads the league in fourth quarter scoring at over 10 points per night . Part of his success on Monday was due to his strength at the free - throw line , where he shot a perfect 15 - of - 15 . He added a stellar eight assists . The Celtics also saw strong play from veteran All-Star Al Horford . Horford had missed the previous two games with a groin injury but looked in fine form on Monday , scoring 13 points to go with six rebounds , six assists , and a pair of blocks on Detroit 's Andre Drummond . Forward Jae Crowder , meanwhile , scored 21 points while knocking down four three - pointers . Three-pointers gave the edge to Boston despite a rebounding and fast - break deficit , as the team made 13 threes while holding Detroit to only three . For Detroit ( 21 - 27 ) , center Andre Drummond had a monster game . Drummond led the team with 28 points and pulled down a whopping 22 rebounds . He acted as the clear leader of the team , with point guard Reggie Jackson experiencing struggles while on the floor . Despite saying that matching up against a top - tier point guard like Thomas would act as inspiration for his performance , Jackson shot just 4 - of - 12 from the field and fouled out in 28 minutes of play . Bench point guard Ish Smith , however , did not have the same struggles . Smith shot 6 - of - 7 from the field and had a pair of blocks , including one on Isaiah Thomas that led to a clutch fast - break bucket . Up next for Boston is a matchup against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday . The Pistons , meanwhile , will see the Pelicans on Wednesday .


The Boston Celtics defeated the Toronto Raptors , 109 - 104 , at TD Garden on Wednesday . Despite the Raptors leading for the first 42 minutes of this game , the Celtics took the most important one to escape with a win . In fact , the five - point margin was Boston 's biggest lead , as they held the lead for less than three total minutes . The fourth quarter was the difference , with the Celtics winning that quarter , 32 - 19 . Despite dominating the shooting , the free - throw line really killed Toronto , as they shot 56 percent from the charity stripe , while Boston shot 83 percent . The assist - to - turnover differential was huge for Boston too , recording seven more assists than Toronto and committing six less turnovers . The Raptors ( 30 - 20 ) had to play this game without DeMar DeRozan ( ankle ) , as it marked their seventh loss in their last nine games . Kyle Lowry carried the load , as he led the team with 32 points , two rebounds five assists and two steals . Norman Powell started for DeRozan and finished with 12 points , five rebounds and two assists . Jared Sullinger was second on the team in scoring , dropping 13 points and six rebounds off the bench . Toronto will play the Orlando Magic on the road for their next game on Friday . The Celtics ( 31 - 18 ) have rode Isaiah Thomas ' ridiculous fourth quarter form all season and that was the recipe once again here . Thomas finished the game with 44 points and seven assists , with 19 of those coming in the fourth quarter . Jae Crowder was second on the team , providing 14 points and eight rebounds . Al Horford scored just 11 points on 4 - of - 13 shooting , but grabbed three rebounds and handed out six assists . Marcus Smart was the only other Boston player in double figures , as he accumulated 10 points , five rebounds , five assists and two steals off the bench . The Celtics next game is on Friday , as they host the Los Angeles Lakers .

Toronto looked poised to grab a huge road win , but Boston made the final push that gave them the victory . In fact , Toronto led for the first 42 minutes of this game , with the Celtics largest lead being the five - point final margin . The fourth quarter was decisive , as Boston won that quarter , 32 - 19 . Fee-throw shooting was the Raptors downfall , as they hit just 56 percent , while the Celtics shot 83 percent from the charity stripe . Kyle Lowry carried the load in the absence of DeMar DeRozan ( ankle ) , as he tallied 32 points , five assists and two steals . Powell started for DeRozan and finished with 12 points , five rebounds and two assists . Jared Sullinger played well off the bench , totaling 13 points and six rebounds . Isaiah Thomas was the player of the game , as he accumulated 44 points , four rebounds and seven assists . Jae Crowder was second on the team in scoring , providing 14 points and eight rebounds .


This win pulled Boston ahead of Los Angeles for the most wins in NBA history and they appear to be putting some distance between the two teams . The second quarter was the key to their victory , as the Celtics outscored the Lakers , 33 - 21 . Defense was huge for Boston , as they held Los Angeles to under 39 percent shooting from the field and from three - point range . Lou Williams led the way for Los Angeles , as he tallied 21 points , four rebounds and four assists off their bench . D'Angelo Russell led their startes with 20 points , six rebounds and six assists . Larry Nance Jr. recorded a double - double of the bench , providing 18 points and 11 rebounds . Isaiah Thomas led the Celtics in scoring , as he dropped 17 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter . Al Horford stuffed the stat sheet , accumulating 11 points , eight rebounds and eight assists . Marcus Smart was a presence off the bench , collecting nine points , seven assists and five steals .

The Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers , 113 - 107 , at TD Garden on Friday . These two teams came into this matchup tied for the most wins in NBA history and the Celtics were able to pull ahead of the Lakers with this victory . The second quarter was the difference in the game , as Boston outscored Los Angeles , 33 - 21 . Defense was also key for the Celtics , as they held the Lakers to 39 percent from the field and 37 percent from three - point range . Boston shot 48 percent on their end and recorded 28 assists on their 39 made baskets . The Lakers ( 17 - 36 ) have now lost 10 of their last 12 games , as they ca n't get out of their own way . Lou Williams led Los Angeles in scoring , as he provided 21 points , four rebounds and four assists off the bench . D'Angelo Russell led the starters , collecting 20 points , six rebounds and six assists . Nick Young was the only other starter with more than four points , as he dropped 17 points to add to his three rebounds and three assists . Larry Nance Jr. recorded an 18 - point , 11 - rebound double - double off the bench . The Celtics ( 32 - 18 ) have rode Isaiah Thomas ' absurd fourth quarter numbers all season and he was at it yet again here . Thomas scored 17 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter , to go along with two rebounds and four assists . Al Horford flirted with a triple - double , accumulating 11 points , eight rebounds and eight assists . Jae Crowder was second on the team in scoring , totaling 18 points , six rebounds and two steals . Marcus Smart was a spark plug off the bench , accruing nine points , seven assists and five steals .


The Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Clippers , 107 - 102 , at TD Garden on Sunday . Despite this game coming down to the final seconds , Boston pulled out the wire - to - wire win over Los Angeles . The first and third quarters are where they made their mark , outscoring the Clippers by 15 in that 24 - minute stretch . Boston lived from behind the arc , as they went 16 - of - 52 from three - point range . The defensive statistics were huge , with the Celtics recording 12 combined blocks and steals to the Clippers ' four . The Clippers ( 31 - 20 ) had some dud performances from their starting unit and it really let them down in this defeat . Blake Griffin was the lone bright spot among starters , as he tallied 23 points , eight rebounds and four assists . The other four starters combined for just 20 points on 6 - of - 25 shooting . Jamal Crawford was huge off the bench , as he accumulated 23 points , five assists and three steals . Raymond Felton also played well off the bench , providing 16 points , five rebounds and four assists . The Celtics ( 33 - 18 ) have now won seven - straight games , as they continue to fight for that number - one seed . Isaiah Thomas once again carried the load , as he led the team with 28 points and eight assists . Al Horford had one of his best all - around games of the season , collecting 13 points , 15 rebounds , six assists , two steals and two blocks . Marcus Smart and Kelly Olynyk came off the bench to score 13 points apiece . Paul Pierce made his final appearance in Boston , as he hit his lone three - pointer in the final seconds to please the Boston faithful . The Celtics now head to Sacramento to play the Kings on Wednesday , while the Clippers will travel to Toronto to matchup with the Raptors on Monday .

Boston has been rolling lately , as this wire - to - wire victory marks their seventh - straight win . They lived behind the three - point line , going 16 - of - 51 from long distance . Defensive statistics were huge , with Boston combining for 12 blocks and steals , while the Clippers could only muster up four . Blake Griffin was the only Los Angeles starter to play well , as he tallied 23 points , eight rebounds and four assists . The other four starters combined for just 20 points on 6 - of - 25 from the field . Jamal Crawford was great off the bench , providing 23 points , five assists and three steals . Raymond Felton also played well off the bench , collecting 16 points , five rebounds and four assists . Isaiah Thomas led the Celtics in scoring , accruing 28 points and eight assists . Al Horford finished with 13 points , 15 rebounds and six assists . Kelly Olynyk and Marcus Smart carried the bench , as they scored 13 points apiece .


The Boston Celtics defeated the Philadelphia 76ers , 116 - 108 , at TD Garden on Wednesday evening . In keeping with the considerable improvement they 've demonstrated this season , the Sixers ( 21 - 35 ) gave the Celtics ( 37 - 19 ) all they could handle on their home court . They matched their hosts point for point in the first half , forging a 61 - 61 tie at intermission . Boston was finally able to gain a measure of separation in the third quarter , which was key to the victory . The Celtics enjoyed a very productive shooting night , tallying a 48 percent success rate from the field and 46 percent from three - point range . That helped them overcome a very poor performance in the turnover department , as they gave the ball away a whopping 22 times , a total that was matched by the Sixers . Dario Saric continued to provide excellent returns off the bench for Philadelphia , scoring a team - high 20 points in 33 minutes . He added 11 rebounds , one steal and one block . Robert Covington nearly accomplished a double - double of his own with 18 points , nine rebounds , two assists , three steals and one block . Nerlens Noel totaled 16 points , seven boards , three assists and three steals . T.J. McConnell provided 12 points , eight assists , three rebounds and five steals . Gerald Henderson supplied 11 points and a pair of steals . Nik Stauskas was productive as a reserve as well with 11 points , five rebounds and one assist . Isaiah Thomas unsurprisingly led the way again for Boston with a game - high 33 points that he supplemented with four rebounds and three assists . Marcus Smart enjoyed a superb offensive night while drawing the start at shooting guard , totaling 21 points , five rebounds , five assists , a jaw - dropping eight steals and one block . Jae Crowder stepped up with 18 points , five rebounds , two assists and one steal . Al Horford registered 12 points , five rebounds , two assists and two steals . Kelly Olynyk led the second unit with 16 points , seven boards , three assists and one steal . James Young managed 10 points , three rebounds , one steal and one block in 22 minutes off the bench . The Sixers kick off the second half of the season at home against the Washington Wizards on Friday , February 24th , while the Celtics head to Chicago to take on the Bulls on Thursday evening to close out the first half of their season .

The Celtics gained some much - needed separation in the third quarter after playing the Sixers to a 61 - 61 draw in the first half . Boston tallied 48 - and - 46 percent success rates from the field and three - point range , respectively , which helped them overcome 22 turnovers , a total that was matched by the Sixers . Isaiah Thomas tallied a game - high 33 points , while Marcus Smart , drawing the start at shooting guard , totaled 21 points and also recorded a whopping eight steals . Jae Crowder stepped up with 18 points and Al Horford registered 12 . Kelly Olynyk led the second unit with 16 points . Dario Saric 's 20 - point , 11 - rebound double - double in 33 minutes bench minutes led the Sixers . Robert Covington turned in 18 points and nine rebounds . Nerlens Noel totaled 16 points , while T.J. McConnell provided 12 .. Gerald Henderson and Nik Stauskas supplied 11 - point efforts .


The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Boston Celtics 114 - 98 Monday at TD Garden . It was pretty much all Hawks ( 33 - 26 ) from start to finish , as Atlanta managed to end an ugly three - game skid with a big road victory . It was a complete team effort for the Hawks , as all five starters managed to score in double figures and combine for 82 of the team 's 114 points . Dennis Schroder , who made his first start since the All-Star break , led the way for Atlanta with 21 points on 9 - of - 14 shooting from the field to go along with five assists and four rebounds in 30 minutes . The starting frontline of Dwight Howard and Paul Millsap each added a double - double , with Howard notching 17 points and 12 rebounds and Millsap adding 17 and 10 . The victory comes after the Hawks dropped three games in a row by a total of 52 points . As for the Celtics ( 38 - 22 ) , they 've now officially hit a slump in what has been a successful season , losing three of their last four games . It was a poor shooting night from the whole team , as they combined to hit just 39 percent of their shots from the field and 29 percent of their three - pointers . Isaiah Thomas did lead the way for the Celtics with 19 points , although it came on a brutal 4 - of - 21 shooting from the field . Other than Thomas , Marcus Smart ( 16 ) and Jaylen Brown ( 15 ) were the only other players to reach double - digit scoring Monday . Up next , the Hawks will head home Wednesday to take on the Mavericks , while the Celtics will look to turn things around at home against the Cavaliers on Wednesday .

Offensive efficiency has been a tad hard to come by for Isaiah Thomas in the month of February , and Monday night that was on display in the worst possible way for the All-Star point guard . While Thomas led the way scoring for his team with 19 points , he just a miserable 4 - of - 21 ( 19 percent ) from the field and 1 - of - 6 from behind the arc . It was by far Thomas ' worst shooting performance of this season , but while they have n't been nearly as bad in February , they still have n't been very efficient . In the 13 games Thomas has played in this February , he 's managed to shoot over 50 percent from the field just twice , while he has now shot under 40 percent four different times . Thomas ' saving grace has come at the free throw line , where he has never wavered and is shooting an impressive 90 percent from this month .


The host Boston Celtics beat the reigning champion Cleveland Cavaliers , 103 - 99 , in a dramatic Wednesday-night thriller . Boston ( 39 - 22 ) moved to just three games back from the first seed with the win . It was a much - needed boost for the Celtics , as the team was coming off a blowout loss to the Atlanta Hawks and had been just 1 - 2 coming out of the All-Star Break . Boston looked like it was back in the swing of things on Wednesday , however , as the team earned a hard - fought win over the Eastern Conference 's top team . All-Star Isaiah Thomas bounced back from his worst outing of the season against Atlanta to score 31 points over Cleveland , including a three - pointer to put the Celtics ahead with 45 seconds remaining . In his third game back from injury , guard Avery Bradley looked brilliant , scoring 11 points and locking down Cleveland 's Kyrie Irving on the game 's final possession . Big man Al Horford , meanwhile , broke out of a bit of a slump with a near triple - double , recording nine points , 10 rebounds , and 10 assists . Overall , it was a much - needed and energizing win for the Celtics as they look to fight for the top spot in the East going down the stretch . Cleveland ( 41 - 18 ) saw new addition Deron Williams debut in Wednesday 's game . The veteran made an immediate impact , playing 31 minutes and scoring 13 on 5 - of - 10 shooting . Superstar LeBron James , meanwhile , led the team with his seventh triple - double of the season . James had 28 points , 13 rebounds , and 10 assists on the night . All-Star Kyrie Irving also scored 28 , but failed to convert when given the opportunity to take the team 's last shot after being smothered by tight defense from Avery Bradley . One issue for Cleveland was rebounding , where the Celtics held a 47 - 40 edge despite struggles for most of the season . The Celtics will visit the Lakers on Friday , while Cleveland will see Atlanta .

The Celtics broke out of a mini - slump with numerous strong performances on Wednesday . All-Star and team leader Isaiah Thomas scored a team - high 31 points on 10 - of - 20 shooting while dishing out five assists . Big man Al Horford narrowly missed a triple double , recording 10 rebounds and 10 assists but only nine points . Marcus Smart came off the bench for nine points and eight assists , and forward Jae Crowder started the game and scored 17 points on 5 - of - 10 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds . As a team , the Celtics held a 47 - 40 advantage in the rebounding column and hit 10 three - pointers . For Cleveland , superstar LeBron James had yet another top - notch night . James recorded a triple - double , with 28 ponts , 13 rebounds , and 10 assists on the night . The triple - double was the seventh of the season for James , who is now averaging career highs in both rebounds and assists .


The Boston Celtics defeated the Chicago Bulls , 100 - 80 , at TD Center on Sunday evening . The Celtics ( 42 - 25 ) had hit a few bumps on their Western Conference swing , losing three of the last four contests of the road trip . A return home turned out to be just what the doctor ordered , as Boston dominated the Bulls ( 31 - 35 ) on both ends of the floor . Their defensive effort was particularly inspired , as they limited Chicago to a 38 percent success rate from the floor and 28 percent from three - point range . They also forced 17 turnovers , won the rebounding battle by a 51 - 40 margin , saw their bench combine for 42 points , and jumped out to a 46 - 26 lead halftime lead , giving them a definitive advantage they would n't relinquish . Robin Lopez paced Chicago with 13 points , three rebounds , three assists , two blocks and one steal . Denzel Valentine matched Lopez ' point total while leading the bench and added three boards . Bobby Portis turned in 12 points and eight rebounds . Dwyane Wade struggled through an uncharacteristically poor game , supplying just eight points , three rebounds and two steals . Jimmy Butler was even worse , posting five points ( on 2 - for - 11 shooting ) , seven rebounds , three assists and two steals . Cristiano Felicio was solid off the bench as usual with 10 points , four rebounds and one steal . Isaiah Thomas led the way for Boston with 22 points , two assists , one rebound and three steals . Avery Bradley provided 17 points , six rebounds , one assist , three steals and one block . Al Horford registered 12 points , seven rebounds , six assists , two blocks and one steal . Jae Crowder tallied a modest five points but hauled in 10 rebounds . Marcus Smart led a productive second unit with 12 points , six rebounds , three assists and two steals . Jaylen Brown and Kelly Olynyk pitched in with matching 11 - point efforts , with the former adding three rebounds , one assist and one steal , and the latter generating nine boards , three assists and one steal . The Bulls next head to Charlotte to tangle with the Hornets on Monday evening , while the Celtics remain home to face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night .

Boston 's defense spearheaded the win , as they limited Chicago to a 38 percent success rate from the floor and 28 percent from three - point range . They also forced 17 turnovers , outrebounded the Bulls by a 51 - 40 margin , posted 42 bench points and built a 46 - 26 halftime lead . Isaiah Thomas ' 22 points led Boston . Avery Bradley provided 17 points , while Al Horford registered 12 . Jae Crowder tallied a modest five points but hauled in 10 rebounds . Marcus Smart had a bench - leading 12 points , and Jaylen Brown and Kelly Olynyk pitched in with matching 11 - point efforts . Robin Lopez and Denzel Valentine led Chicago with matching 13 - point efforts . Bobby Portis turned in 12 points and eight rebounds . Dwyane Wade ( eight points ) and Jimmy Butler ( five points , 2 - for - 11 shooting ) notably underperformed . Cristiano Felicio was solid off the bench with 10 points .


The Celtics ' 54 percent shooting helped spearhead the home win , as did the 30 percent success rate from behind the arc they limited the T-Wolves to . Boston created some distance by outscoring Minnesota by a 27 - 17 margin in the third quarter before sealing the deal with an impressive 32 - point fourth period . Isaiah Thomas ' 27 points paced the Celtics . Horford followed with a full line of 20 points , nine boards , eight assists and two blocks . Avery Bradley poured in 18 points , while Kelly Olynyk and Marcus Smart paced the bench with matching 10 - point efforts . Ricky Rubio led the T-Wolves with 23 points on 8 - of - 14 shooting . Andrew Wiggins followed with 21 points , and Shabazz Muhammad matched Wiggins ' point total while leading the bench . Karl-Anthony Towns posted a 17 - point , 14 - rebound double - double , while Gorgui Dieng registered eight points and nine rebounds .

The Boston Celtics defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves , 117 - 104 , at TD Garden on Wednesday night . The Timberwolves ( 28 - 39 ) came into Wednesday 's contest running hot and with their Big Three of Ricky Rubio , Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins particularly playing well . Minnesota 's 75 percent win ratio over their previous four games had vaulted them to just 4 games behind eighth - seeded Denver coming into play against the Celtics ( 43 - 25 ) , but Boston poured some cold water on their quest for one night . Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford stepped up to counter another strong set of performances from the T-Wolves ' aforementioned superstar trio and the Celtics were able to shoot an outstanding 54 percent overall while limiting their visitors to a 30 percent success rate from behind the arc . Boston created some distance by outscoring Minnesota by a 27 - 17 margin in the third quarter before sealing the deal with an impressive 32 - point fourth period . Rubio continued a recent stretch of strong offensive play by leading the T-Wolves with 23 points on 8 - of - 14 shooting , and he added seven assists , three rebounds and one steal . Wiggins followed with 21 points , four boards and four assists . Shabazz Muhammad matched Wiggins ' point total while leading the bench and supplemented it with three boards , one assist and one block . Towns posted a 17 - point , 14 - rebound double - double that also included four assists . Gorgui Dieng registered a near - double - double of eight points , nine rebounds and four assists . Thomas paced the Celtics with 27 points , along with four assists , three rebounds and one steal . Horford followed with a full line of 20 points , nine boards , eight assists and two blocks . Avery Bradley poured in 18 points and added four assists and three rebounds . Kelly Olynyk and Marcus Smart paced the bench with matching 10 - point efforts , with the former also managing three assists and one rebound and the latter dishing out six dimes and hauling in a pair of boards . The Timberwolves continue heading south and face off with the Miami Heat on Friday night , while the Celtics visit the Brooklyn Nets on Friday evening as well .


Midway through March , Jae Crowder went through a tough stretch where he failed to score in double figures for five straight games . That 's far behind him now , however , as following his performance in Monday 's victory over the Wizards , Crowder has put together one of his better three - game stretches of the season . Against Washington , Crowder scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds in 38 minutes . Over his last three games , the swingman is now averaging 18 points and 9 rebounds per game . And while Crowder 's scoring is a bonus for this team , his rebounding is what is most important for their success moving forward . In Boston 's last 13 games , Crowder has grabbed at least nine rebounds seven times , and they are 6 - 1 in those contests . In the six games where he failed to reach nine , the Celtics are just 2 - 4 .

The Boston Celtics defeated the Washington Wizards 110 - 102 Monday at TD Garden . The final score is n't a great indicator for how much the Celtics ( 45 - 26 ) dominated Monday 's game , as the game was essentially over by the end of the third quarter when Boston held a 17 - point advantage heading into the final period . Isaiah Thomas once again led the way for the Celtics , scoring a game - high 25 points despite shooting just 2 - of - 10 from behind the arc . His partner in the backcourt Avery Bradley had a much more efficient outing , scoring 20 points on 8 - of - 16 shooting from the field and 4 - of - 8 shooting from long range . In the end , it was n't the prettiest shooting performance from Boston , as they hit just 43 percent of their shots , but their ability to get offensive rebounds helped them overcome those misses , as they grabbed 20 by the time Monday 's contest was over . For the Wizards ( 42 - 28 ) , they actually shot better from the field than the Celtics ( 43 percent ) and hit the name number of free throws ( 20 ) , but Boston ended up getting up eight more shots than Washington thanks to their work on the offensive glass , and that ended up being the difference Monday . It also did n't help that their starting backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal failed to get into a groove offensively , as the two shot a combined 10 - of - 25 from the field and 3 - of - 10 from behind the arc en route to scoring a combined 35 points , while they 've been averaging a combined 46 points per game this season . In the end , six different Wizards players managed to score in double figures , but it just was n't enough to get a key road win .


This win for Boston completed the season sweep over Indiana , as the Pacers have now traded off wins and losses across their last 15 games . The key for the Celtics here was their shooting , as they hit 51 percent of their shots , while holding the Pacers to under 44 percent . Boston also took care of the defensive rebounding , winning that differential , 33 - 27 . Paul George carried Indiana , as he accrued 37 points , five rebounds , two assists and three steals . Jeff Teague was the only other Pacer in double figures , as he tallied 25 points , two rebounds and six assists on 10 - of - 15 from the field . Isaiah Thomas led Boston with 25 points and five assists . Avery Bradley amassed 18 points and eight rebounds . Jae Crowder and Al Horford both scored 15 points , with Horford also providing eight rebounds and eight assists .

The Boston Celtics defeated the Indiana Pacers , 109 - 100 , at TD Garden on Wednesday . This concludes the season sweep for Boston in this series , as they thoroughly dominated Indiana all year . Shooting was key for the Celtics , as they shot over 51 percent , while the Pacers could n't crack 44 percent from the field . Boston also took care of the defensive rebounding , winning that battle , 33 - 27 . The Celtics also recorded 27 assists , while the Pacers could only muster up 20 . The Pacers ( 36 - 35 ) continue their unbelievable run of mediocrity , as they have now traded off wins and losses across their last 15 games . Paul George carried the load , as he tallied 37 points , five rebounds , two assists and three steals . Jeff Teague was the only other player for Indiana to reach double figures in scoring , as he accrued 25 points , two rebounds and six assists on 10 - of - 15 shooting . Myles Turner accumulated seven points , nine rebounds , five assists , two steals and two blocks . Lavoy Allen led the bench with eight points and 14 rebounds . On deck for the Pacers is a home matchup against the Denver Nuggets on Friday . The Celtics ( 46 - 26 ) have now won five of their last six games , as they continue to battle for the top - spot in the east . Isaiah Thomas led the way for Boston , as he collected 25 points and five assists . Avery Bradley finished second on the team , totaling 18 points and eight rebounds . Al Horford flirted with a triple - double , amassing 15 points , eight rebounds and eight assists . Boston will host the Phoenix Suns on Friday for their next matchup .


The Boston Celtics defeated the Phoenix Suns , 130 - 120 , at TD Garden on Friday . Boston were expected to win this game easily and they left no doubt with this dominating victory . In fact , the Celtics pulled out a wire - to - wire win , as they held a double - digit lead for the final 40 minutes of action . Scoring in the paint was a big factor for the Celtics , as they won that battle , 48 - 38 . Boston also took advantage of the points off turnovers , winning that differential , 23 - 14 . The 31 assists for the Celtics on 44 made baskets dominated the 23 assists for the Suns as well . The Suns ( 22 - 51 ) have now lost seven - straight games , as they ca n't wait for the season to end . Devin Booker had the game of his life though , scoring a career - high 70 points to add to eight rebounds , six assists and three steals . Those 70 points are a franchise record for Phoenix , as he went 21 - of - 40 from the field . Alex Len finished with 11 points , six rebounds , two assists and two blocks . Jared Dudley came off the bench to provide five points , four rebounds and 10 assists . Alan Williams also played well off the bench , amassing nine points and 14 rebounds . On deck for the Suns is a road matchup against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday . The Celtics ( 47 - 25 ) have now won six of their last seven , as they continue to battle for the top - spot in the east . Isaiah Thomas led Boston , as he accumulated 34 points , two rebounds and seven assists . Al Horford collected 15 points , 10 rebounds , six assists and two steals . Amir Johnson started and accrued eight points , eight rebounds , three steals and three blocks . Gerald Green and Kelly Olynyk both came off the bench to score in double figures . Boston 's next game is against the Miami Heat on Sunday .

While all the talk in this game will be about Devin Booker , it was the Celtics who took care of business in the standings . In fact , Boston pulled out a wire - to - wire win , as they held a double - digit lead for the final three quarters . Points in the paint really helped Boston , as they won that battle , 48 - 38 . Booker was the star of the game , as he scored a franchise - record 70 points in the defeat . He did that damage on 21 - of - 40 shooting , while also adding eight rebounds and six assists to his tally . Alex Len and Alan Williams did a nice job at center , as they combined for 20 points and 20 rebounds . Isaiah Thomas led Boston , as he accrued 34 points and seven assists . Al Horford finished with 15 points , 10 rebounds and six assists . Jae Crowder also recorded a double - double , totaling 13 points and 10 rebounds .


The host Boston Celtics hung on to beat the Miami Heat on Sunday , 112 - 108 . Boston ( 48 - 26 ) is now in a tie with the Cavaliers for the first seed in the Eastern Conference . Sunday 's game marked a huge win for the Celtics , as the team not only earned its fourth straight victory , but moved into first place for the first time all season . Strong ball movement and shooting helped propel the Celtics to victory , as Miami was characteristically tenacious on the glass . The Cs shot over 53 percent from the field and dished out 32 team assists . Two Boston starters , star point guard Isaiah Thomas and forward Jae Crowder , led the team 's offensive charge . Thomas , the league 's second - leading scorer , dropped 30 points on the night . Crowder , meanwhile , had a season - high 25 points including three huge three - pointers . Crowder was also immensely impactful on the defensive end , coming away with two blocks and two steals . Miami ( 35 - 38 ) , meanwhile , has been surging lately , pushing their way to the playoff picture after a dismal 13 - 30 start to the season . On Sunday , the Heat showed the intensity that led them to their playoff push , out - rebounding the Celtics by seven and coming away with 16 forced turnovers . Center Hassan Whiteside was at the heart of the win , scoring 19 points to go along with 15 rebounds . The Heat also enjoyed bench production in droves , with sixth man Tyler Johnson coming away with a team - high 24 points off the bench . Boston will host the Bucks on Wednesday , while the Heat will visit Detroit on Tuesday .

It was a big night for the Celtics on the backs of strong offensive play . Superstar point guard Isaiah Thomas led the team with 30 points while shooting 10 - of - 18 from the field . It was a season - best night for forward Jae Crowder as well , as he shot 8 - of - 13 from the field and 3 - of - 5 from three - point range en route to a season - high 25 points . Crowder added six rebounds , two steals , and two blocks . As a team , the Cs shot over 53 percent from the field and dished out 32 team assists . The Heat , meanwhile , shot 45 percent from the field but out - rebounded the Celtics 40 - 36 and forced 16 Boston turnovers . Center Hassan Whiteside had a double - double with 19 points and 15 rebounds . Meanwhile , sixth man Tyler Johnson led the team in scoring off the bench with 24 points .


Malcolm Brogdon 's heavily contested 16 - foot jumper with three seconds left gave Milwaukee breathing room at 103 - 100 . Marcus Smart then missed a last - gasp 24 - foot three - point attempt at the one - second mark that would have sent the game into the overtime . The Bucks considerably outperformed Boston shooting - wise , as they posted a 53 percent success rate from the field while limiting the Celtics to a 40 percent tally . Giannis Antetokounmpo 's 22 points and nine boards led the Bucks . Khris Middleton tallied 19 points . Brogdon posted 16 points and nine assists . Greg Monroe led the bench with 16 points as well . Isaiah Thomas ' 32 points paced Boston . Jae Crowder collected 13 points , while Avery Bradley managed a 12 - point , 10 - rebound double - double . Al Horford mustered 11 points . Smart led the bench with 11 points , 11 rebounds , five assists , one steal and one block .

The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Boston Celtics , 103 - 100 , at TD Garden on Wednesday evening . The Bucks ( 39 - 36 ) checked into Wednesday 's contest playing outstanding basketball , as they 'd notched victories in 12 of their previous 15 games . Nevertheless , they faced a formidable challenge in the top - seeded Celtics ( 48 - 27 ) , who 'd lost only nine of 36 home contests . Milwaukee was able to prevail yet again in what was a see - saw battle , however , with a heavily contested Malcolm Brogdon 16 - foot jumper with three seconds left giving them some breathing room at 103 - 100 . Marcus Smart then missed a last - gasp 24 - foot three - point attempt at the one - second mark that would have sent the game into the overtime . The Bucks considerably outperformed Boston shooting - wise , as they posted a 53 percent success rate from the field while limiting the Celtics to a 40 percent tally . Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for the visitors with 22 points , nine rebounds , three assists , three steals and three blocks . Khris Middleton tallied 19 points , six boards , five assists , two steals and one block . Brogdon posted 16 points overall and added nine assists , four rebounds , one steal and one block . Greg Monroe led the bench with 16 points , eight rebounds , three assists and one steal . Isaiah Thomas paced the Celtics with 32 points , five rebounds , four assists and three steals . Jae Crowder collected 13 points , three assists and two rebounds . Avery Bradley managed a 12 - point , 10 - rebound double - double that also included two assists and two steals . Al Horford mustered 11 points , six boards , six assists and one steal . Smart led the second unit with 11 points , 11 rebounds , five assists , one steal and one block . The Bucks head back home to tangle with the Detroit Pistons on Friday night , while the Celtics remain home to take on the Orlando Magic on Friday evening as well .


The Boston Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic , 117 - 116 , at TD Garden on Friday . Boston were expected to win this game easily , but Orlando gave them a hard - fought battle . In fact , there were 11 ties and 18 lead changes in this thriller . Despite the Celtics taking 14 less shots than the Magic , they ended up shooting 45 percent from the field , with Orlando shot just 40 percent . The Magic actually won many of the statistics , as they ended up leading in rebounding , assists , free - throw percentage , three - point percentage , points in the paint and turnovers in this defeat . The Magic ( 27 - 49 ) have now lost eight of their last 11 games , as their defense continues to falter . Aaron Gordon led the way for Orlando , as he tallied 32 points , 16 rebounds and two blocks . Evan Fournier finished second on the team , totaling 20 points , two assists and two steals . Elfrid Payton fell just shy of a triple - double , collecting 12 points , nine rebounds , 15 assists and two steals . The Magic will be in action again on Saturday in a road matchup against the Brooklyn Nets . The Celtics ( 49 - 27 ) recently captured the top - spot in the east , as this close win may prove to be the difference at the end of the year . Isaiah Thomas was the player of the game , as he amassed 35 points , three rebounds and seven assists . Al Horford accumulated 12 points , nine rebounds and six assists . Jae Crowder accrued 18 points , five rebounds and two steals . On deck for Boston is a road matchup versus the New York Knicks on Sunday .


The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Boston Celtics , 114 - 91 , Wednesday at TD Garden . The Cavaliers ( 51 - 27 ) came into Wednesday 's contest with revenge on their minds , and following a low - scoring , tightly contested first quarter that saw the Celtics ( 50 - 28 ) take a one - point lead , the motivation kicked in ; at least for LeBron James it did . James launched a 22 - 4 run to open up the second quarter and he and his teammates never looked back , as Boston was unable to get much closer than that throughout the remainder of Wednesday 's game . James finished with a game - high 36 points , 10 rebounds and six assists in 39 minutes as his team avenged their last - second loss at Boston earlier in the season . Each of the other four Cleveland starters joined James in reaching double figures in the scoring column , but the story of the game was their defense . The Cavaliers ' defensive effort was their best in a long time , as 91 points is the fewest they 've given up since March 16 against the Jazz . The Celtics managed to shoot just 41 percent from the field , 21 percent from behind the arc , and to make matters even worse , 62 percent from the free throw line . It was the first time in nine games that Boston failed to score at least 100 points and their lowest point total since they scored 88 against the Warriors on Nov. 18 . Isaiah Thomas still managed to lead the way with a team - high 26 points to go along with six assists and four rebounds , but no other Celtic scored more than 13 points in the loss . The win for Cleveland moves them one game ahead of the Celtics for first place in the Eastern Conference standings with just four games remaining for each team .


The Boston Celtics defeated the Brooklyn Nets , 114 - 105 , at TD Garden on Monday evening . The Celtics ( 52 - 29 ) knew that they needed to win out their last two games in order to have a shot at the top seed in the Eastern Conference . With the news coming out earlier in the day that the Cavaliers had opted to rest both LeBron James and Kyrie Irving on Monday night versus the Heat , Boston had even a bit extra motivation to ensure they took care of business against the dangerous Nets ( 20 - 61 ) . They came smoking out of the gates , building a 28 - 13 first - quarter lead and a 58 - 40 edge by halftime . Although the Nets made things interesting with a 55 - point second half , the home team ultimately prevailed with balanced offense that included a pair of double - digit scoring efforts off the bench . Jeremy Lin led the way for Brooklyn with a 26 - point , 12 - assist double - double that also included four assists and one block . Brook Lopez was right behind him with 25 points , seven rebounds , two assists and one block . Rondae Hollis-Jefferson managed a 17 - point , 11 - rebound double - double that also included three assists , four steals and two blocks . Caris LeVert totaled 12 points , three rebounds , two assists and one block . Justin Hamilton led the second unit with 11 points , four rebounds , one steal and one block . Isaiah Thomas spearheaded Boston with 27 points , four rebounds , three assists and one steal . Al Horford pitched in with 19 points , eight boards , four assists , one steal and one block . Avery Bradley supplied 18 points , five rebounds and two assists . Jae Crowder filled out the stat sheet with 11 points , eight rebounds , six assists , two blocks and one steal . Marcus Smart led the bench with 13 points , six assists , two rebounds , one steal and one block . Kelly Olynyk was solid as a reserve as well with 11 points , six rebounds and three assists . The Nets finish up the season on Wednesday night against the Bulls in Chicago , while the Celtics remain home to tangle with the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday evening as well .


The Boston Celtics defeated the Milwaukee Bucks , 112 - 94 , at TD Garden on Wednesday night . The mission Wednesday night for the Celtics ( 53 - 29 ) could n't have been any clearer : win and there was a high probability that the East 's top seed was theirs , considering the Cleveland Cavaliers were resting their Big Three against the Toronto Raptors . That made Boston 's first - quarter performance all the more maddening , as they fell behind 36 - 25 in the first 12 minutes despite the Bucks ( 42 - 40 ) resting Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton , among others . The Celtics righted the ship after that point , however , taking a 57 - 56 lead into halftime . After a tightly - contested third quarter , Boston pulled away in the fourth by doubling up their visitors , 32 - 16 . They featured a balanced attack that overcame a poor shooting night from Isaiah Thomas , as six players managed double - digit scoring . Michael Beasley and Spencer Hawes co - led the Bucks with 15 - point efforts from the starting five and bench , respectively . Beasley added five rebounds , two assists , three steals and two blocks , while Hawes contributed five rebounds and two assists . Rashad Vaughn pitched in with 14 points , four assists , three rebounds , two steals and one block . Malcolm Brogdon posted 11 points , five boards , three assists , one steal and one block . Greg Monroe was productive as a reserve as well with 10 points , six rebounds and four assists , while Thon Maker totaled nine points , six boards , three assists and three blocks . Gerald Green actually paced the Celtics with 18 points , six rebounds and one assist in 21 minutes off the bench . Amir Johnson and Jae Crowder supplied matching 16 - point efforts , with the former adding five rebounds , one assist , one steal and one block , and the latter registering five boards , two assists and three steals . Thomas managed 13 points , eight assists , four rebounds , one steal and one block but only shot 3 - for - 11 from the field . Al Horford collected 12 points , six rebounds , two assists and two steals . Jaylen Brown amassed 10 points , four rebounds , one assist and one steal in 22 minutes off the bench . With Wednesday 's win , the Celtics claimed the season series , 2 - 1 . Boston will enter the postseason as the top dog in the East , while the Bucks will be the No . 6 seed .


The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Utah Jazz 88 - 75 at Staples Center on Sunday . As with many contests involving the Jazz , the game was largely a defensive slugfest , with each team counting an 18 - point effort as the high - water mark among their respective first units . Blake Griffin and George Hill did the honors for the Clippers ( 20 ) and Jazz ( 1 - 2 ) , respectively , and Austin Rivers , Jamal Crawford and Dante Exum were the only other players on either side to tally double digits in the scoring column . DeAndre Jordan , despite mustering only seven points , did make a key contribution to the hard - fought victory by bringing down 16 boards in a tough matchup against Rudy Gobert . Hill added three assists , two rebounds and two steals to his team - high scoring total . Gobert turned in a near double - double with eight points and nine rebounds , and he also produced three assists and two blocks . Joe Johnson and Rodney Hood struggled throughout the night on offense , combining for 12 points on 5 - for - 19 shooting . Exum paced the reserves with 10 points , which he complemented with two rebounds , two assists and a steal . Griffin 's final stat line consisted of 18 points , 10 rebounds , an assist and a steal . Chris Paul was close to a double - double himself , supplying nine points , nine assists , three rebounds and four steals . J.J. Redick managed only nine points but no other stats , while Rivers ' bench - leading effort consisted of 19 points , two rebounds and an assist . Crawford produced 12 points , a rebound , an assist and a steal as the second - leading scorer among the reserves . The Jazz head to San Antonio for a Tuesday night tussle , while the Clippers remain home to face off with the Suns on Monday night .

As is likely to often be the case this season , a healthy and reinvigorated Blake Griffin led the way for the Clippers , despite the Jazz 's suffocating defense . His line of 18 points , 10 rebounds , an assist and a steal paced the team , with only reserves Austin Rivers and Jamal Crawford joining him with double digits in the scoring column . Chris Paul 's nine assists and four steals were pivotal non - scoring contributions , as well , helping the Clippers to prevail despite 41 and 22 percent success rates from the field and three - point range , respectively . With George Hill and Dante Exum the only two players to tally double - digit scoring , the Jazz struggled offensively throughout the afternoon . Rodney Hood and Joe Johnson , dependable sources of scoring in the early going , mustered a combined 12 points on just 5 - for - 19 shooting .


Strong scoring performances down the stretch separated the Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns , especially in the fourth quarter , where Jamal Crawford shined . The reigning Sixth Man of the Year saw 27 minutes of action and scored 14 points on 5 - of - 10 shooting . Both Chris Paul and Blake Griffin finished with 20 - plus points , while DeAndre Jordan and JJ Reddick also finished in double figures . Jordan , who was initially considered questionable with a thumb injury , played 31 minutes and was dominant around the rim to the tune of 80 percent shooting . Minutes were spread around the Clippers ' rotation , with second unit running the floor late in the fourth quarter . Raymond Felton pitched in 18 minutes , while Austin Rivers saw 24 minutes . The Suns were simply unable to match the efficiency that Clippers showed throughout the second half , but did see T.J. Warren , Eric Bledsoe , Alex Len and Brandon Knight finish in double figures .

The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Phoenix Suns 116 - 98 at Staples Center on Monday . The Clippers ( 40 ) rallied behind their core four starters in Chris Paul , Blake Griffin , DeAndre Jordan and JJ Reddick in the blowout win over the Suns . The two teams battled it out through three quarters , and Phoenix was able to keep the game within striking distance towards the end of the fourth quarter , but the Clippers started to pull away through effective pick - and - roll play and Jamal Crawford 's bench performances . Crawford aided the starters after making back - to - back baskets early in the final period , and then added a trip to the free throw line , which put the Clippers up by 17 points with 7:50 left to play . Crawford finished with 14 points on 5 - of - 10 shooting in 27 minutes . The aforementioned core four starters all finished in double figures , led by Paul 's 24 points , eight assists and five rebounds , while Griffin totalled 21 points , five assists and 11 rebounds . The Suns ( 0 - 4 ) fail to grab their first win of the season , but got a solid performance from Brandon Knight and hung with one of the Western Conference 's most complete teams through three quarters . Knight scored 18 points , but did not add any assists or rebounds , while Eric Bledsoe rounded out the box score with 12 points , eight rebounds and five assists . Sophomore Devin Booker was ruled out for the game as he nursed a sprained right big toe . Next up , the Suns host the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday , while the Clippers stay at home the same day to face the Oklahoma City Thunder .


A low scoring affair between two teams that shot a lowly percentage from the field was capped off by only two stand out box score performances from unsurprising leaders . The Los Angeles Clippers rallied behind all - star point guard Chris Paul , who posted an impressive stat line of 15 points , nine assists and 11 rebounds , nearing a triple - double . Russell Westbrook , on the other end of the floor , posted 35 points on 14 - of - 30 shooting , to go along with six rebounds and five assists . The Thunder , as a unit , shot just 41 percent from the field , which would have been bad , save for the Los Angeles Clippers , who shot worse . The Clippers posted a 39 percent from the field as a unit and shot themselves out of many opportunities to take the lead on their home court . Only one team was able to walk away with a perfect record , and the Westbrook led Thunder made that happen on their way to a 40 start to the season .

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 85 - 83 at Staples Center on Wednesday . Two undefeated records to open the season and only one was going to leave with that sterling mark still in tact . The Thunder ( 40 ) came away with an offensively sloppy , but defensively sound victory , save for Russell Westbrook , who continues to pack the box score with phenomenal numbers . DeAndre Jordan was able to put one shot back with :3 seconds left in regulation to cut the lead to two points , but even after Westbrook missed both free throws , the Clippers ran out of time before being able to get a shot off to tie or win the game . Both the Thunder and the Clippers ( 3 - 1 ) shot far below average from the field . Los Angeles completed just 39 percent of their field goals , while Oklahoma City just edged them out with a lowly 41 percent of their own . The Thunder were led by Westbrook , who put forth 35 points , six rebounds and five assists in 33 minutes . Nobody else on the team put up double figures , and Victor Oladipo still has not found a rhythm , as he finished with nine points on 3 - of - 11 shooting . Chris Paul rounded out the stat sheet with a near triple - double , totalling 15 points , nine assists and 11 rebounds , while Marreese Speights continues to add scoring depth off the bench , as the Warriors import added 14 points on 6 - of - 9 shooting in 16 minutes . Next up , the Thunder face a very difficult second game of a back - to - back in Golden State against the Warriors , while the Clippers have a day off before visiting the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday .


The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Detroit Pistons 114 - 82 at Staples Center on Monday . The Clippers ( 6 - 1 ) continued what has been a dominant start to the regular season , earning what was not only their sixth win of the season , but their sixth win by double - digit points . Along with that , Chris Paul continues to be very effective as the team 's floor leader , notching 24 points , eight assists and six rebounds despite not playing a single minute in the fourth quarter , as the Clippers dominated the Pistons from start to finish . Paul is now averaging 19 points , 9 assists and 6 rebounds despite only playing 30 minutes per game to start the year . Additionally , after getting off to a rough start of the season , J.J. Redick notched his first 20 - point game of the season , as he hit 3 - of - 4 shots from behind the arc and 6 - of - 9 from the field overall . As a team , the Clippers shot a scorching 52 percent from long range . For the Pistons ( 4 - 3 ) , there was n't much to be excited about , as Andre Drummond was their leading scorer on the night with just 15 points on top of 12 rebounds . In fact , given how poorly the team played , Detroit 's reserves ended up outscoring their starts 42 - 40 with Jon Leuer leading the way for the bench mob by recording 14 points and six rebounds in 29 minutes . The Pistons , after winning three of their first four regular season games , have now dropped two of their last three while their offensive continues to be hot and cold . Up next , Detroit will travel to Phoenix on Wednesday to take on the Suns , while the Clippers will stay at home to play the Trail Blazers on Wednesday .

Chris Paul 's terrific start to the 2016 - 17 season has been a rather effortless one , as while he is averaging 19 points , 9 assists and 6 rebounds , he is doing so in just 30 minutes per game . Monday night was yet another example of Paul doing a lot in such a little amount of time , as he managed to record 24 points , eight assists and six rebounds in a mere 25 minutes . Paul has never averaged less than 32 minutes per game in a season , but he 's remaining just as productive as he has been in seasons where he plays upward of 36 minutes . Paul is n't getting any younger and managing minutes is key for a player who has dealt with numerous injuries in his past , but the Clippers wo n't be losing a step for as long as Paul 's efficiency goes up even as his minutes may go down .


The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 111 - 80 at Staple Center on Wednesday . The matchup was never close . The Clippers ( 7 - 1 ) took a 20 points lead at the end of the first quarter and simply built upon the Blazers ( 5 - 4 ) shooters being unable to bury a shot from the low post , to the midrange and behind the arc . It was not a particularly spectacular defensive effort by Los Angeles , rather the matchup advantage of Chris Paul on Damian Lillard . The Blazers point guard was ice cold , as he finished just 1 - of - 10 from the field and 0 - of - 4 from three point territory . The rest of the Portland team was unable to bail out the rough performance from Lillard , as C.J . McCollum and Maurice Harkless matched their starting point guard with eight points in the loss . Los Angeles , on the other hand , did not need any form of expert shooting to build upon an early lead , but did turn in effective performances from their starters . Blake Griffin led the way for Los Angeles , as he finished with 22 points , 13 rebounds , five assists , two steals and one block on 7 - of - 14 shooting . Chris Paul added 19 points and seven assists , while J.J. Reddick scored 10 points on 3 - of - 5 shooting . The bench was once again led by Marreese Speights , who contributed 12 points , eight rebounds and an assist in the win . Next up , the Clippers visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday , while the Blazers will return home the same day to host the Sacramento Kings .

Blake Griffin turned in the most all - around performance in the win against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday at Staples Center . While the Blazers found it nearly impossible to knock down a shot , especially Damian Lillard , Griffin thrived on the court with 22 points , 13 rebounds , five assists , two steals and one block on 7 - of - 14 shooting . As a unit , Los Angeles shot 44 percent from the field , which bested Portland 's lowly effort of 35 percent shooting . Lillard finished just 1 - of - 10 from the field , and was unable to bury a three on four attempts . The matchup with the defensively elite Chris Paul proved to be too much throughout the evening . Marreese Speights turned in another strong performance off the bench after scoring 12 points , to go along with eight rebounds in 15 minutes of action .