Key moment
The Boston Celtics completely upset the LA Clippers on Saturday afternoon with their second straight offensive breakthrough. After losing by 144 points to the Sacramento Kings three nights earlier, Boston came into Crypto.com Arena with even more points, outscoring LA 145-108.
The Celtics got going with 3:32 of the second quarter in which they outscored the Clippers 20-6 and extended their lead from 41-34 to 61-40.
Boston's bench unit got the team going during this run, scoring the first eight points. Oshae Brissett got things started with a three-pointer, Sam Hauser then hit a three-pointer of his own and Neemias Queta hit a double from the free throw line.
From then on, it was all Tatum. He scored the Celtics' next 10 points, including three consecutive baskets from long range.
Boston took its 21-point lead and extended it by going as high as 39 points before posting a 37-point win over California for the second straight year.
Key players
Entering this week, Jrue Holiday had yet to post his first 20-point game as a Celtic. Now he has scored two 20-point efforts in his last two games.
After posting a season-high 21 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists in Sacramento, Holiday kept his rhythm going in LA, where he posted 20 points, six rebounds and seven assists.
The Los Angeles native was the most efficient player in the starting lineup as he made 8 of 12 goals from the field, including 4 of 6 from distance. Despite his outstanding playmaking role as the team's leader in assists, he only managed one turnover.
They call this time of year the Christmas season for a reason, and Jrue shows why.
Box score nuggets
- Jayson Tatum led all scorers with 30 points.
- In Boston, four players scored more than 18 points (Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White), while in LA only one (Paul George) did.
- The Celtics shot 25 of 53 (47.2 percent) from distance.
- Jrue Holiday scored at least 20 points for the second straight year.
- Derrick White led the game with three blocks.
- Neemias Queta posted career highs in points (14), rebounds (12) and assists (three).
- Half of Queta's rebounds came on offense.
- Oshae Brissett scored 12 points in 18 minutes off the bench.
- Boston outscored LA 23-8 in second-chance points.
- Jaylen Brown recorded a game-high plus/minus of plus-29 in 29 minutes.
Quote of the night
“It’s hard to protect us one-on-one. We create a lot of problems.”
– Jayson Tatum on Boston’s red-hot offense