Porzingis and Tatum lead Celtics in 121-99 blowout over Jazz

Coming off of a win in opposition to the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, the Celtics began a six-game highway journey in opposition to the Utah Jazz. With the Jazz having most of their gamers out with harm, the Celtics prevented the entice sport and beat Utah 121-99.

Kristaps Porzingis led the best way for the Celtics with 27 factors, 10 rebounds and 6 assists on 9-15 taking pictures from the sector and 3-5 from three. Jayson Tatum had an incredible sport as properly with 26 factors, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and three steals on 11-25 taking pictures. Though the Jazz made it a 2-point sport at one level, the Celtics took care of enterprise with 13-0 run late within the third quarter because the distinction maker.

Boston’s protection pressured Utah into 17 turnovers with 13 steals on the night time. The Celtics scored 26 factors off of the Jazz’s turnovers and had 33 second likelihood factors. Boston’s bench was additionally a giant issue on this sport. With Jaylen Brown dominated out, the bench scored 44 factors led by 18 factors from Payton Pritchard.

After Kristaps Porzingis hit a 30-foot three for the Celtics’ first factors of the sport, Boston rattled off a 14-2 run with threes from Jayson Tatum and Derrick White that pressured Jazz coach Will Hardy to name an early timeout.

The Celtics scoring run opened as much as 22-7 out of the Jazz timeout as their offense was clicking on all cylinders. Porzingis was a driving power in the course of the run as he continued his development of beginning video games sizzling, ending the primary quarter with 10 factors on 3-6 taking pictures.

Nevertheless, the primary quarter belonged to Jayson Tatum as every part was falling for him early on together with this play the place he bicycle-kicked the ball to himself for a layup.

Tatum completed the quarter with 14 factors, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and three steals on 6-9 taking pictures because the Celtics took a 35-21 lead on the finish of the primary. Boston’s offense was sizzling within the first quarter as they shot 46% from the sector and 41% from three. The Celtics protection additionally pressured the Jazz into 5 turnovers as Boston’s protection was in every single place.

Utah began the second quarter on an 11-4 with Tatum on the bench, with Johnny Juzang began to offer the Jazz some life. The Celtics offense had a sluggish to start out the quarter, however Porzingis saved them afloat. Boston was capable of reply with an 11-2 run of their very own to maintain the lead at double digits.

Tatum returned halfway by way of the quarter and continued to bully Utah’s smaller defenders below the basket. The Jazz by no means went away nonetheless as Collin Sexton began to chip away on the Celtics lead. Porzingis answered with a put again layup on the finish of the quarter as Boston took a 60-51 lead at halftime.

Kristaps Porzingis led the best way for the Celtics within the first half with 21 factors and seven rebounds on 6-11 taking pictures as he continued his nice play getting back from his sickness. Tatum was proper alongside him with 17 factors on 7-13 taking pictures whereas Sexton led the Jazz with 16 factors. Boston had an enormous benefit within the turnover battle within the first half as they pressured Utah into 9 of them whereas scoring 13 factors off these turnovers.

Porzingis opened up the second half proper the place he left off with a pleasant pretend handoff to get round Walker Kessler for a large open dunk.

Collin Sexton shortly responded with two three pointers as his sizzling taking pictures night time continued and the Jazz minimize the Celtics result in 5. Boston responded with baskets of their very own, however Sexton continued to torment the Celtics as he hit a 3rd three to chop the deficit to 4 factors and power Joe Mazzulla to name a timeout. Porzingis made a layup out of the timeout however a Keyonte George three minimize the Celtics result in 2 with six and half minutes to go within the quarter.

Then Boston began to discover a groove once more as Jayson Tatum hit a 3 and Derrick White pressured a steal that led to a Luke Kornet layup that pressured Utah to name a timeout. The Celtics continued to roll as they opened up their scoring run to 13-0 and pushed the lead again as much as 15 factors. Boston continued to deal with enterprise as they took an 89-75 lead into the fourth quarter. The Celtics protection continued to impress as they pressured 10 steals by way of three quarters.

Payton Pritchard opened the fourth quarter along with his seventh straight level for the Celtics whereas Kristaps Porzingis and Collin Sexton obtained right into a shoving match that resulted in double technical fouls. The Jazz began to make one other go at a comeback, however Jrue Vacation had an unimaginable sequence the place he obtained a steal on one finish and a layup on the opposite.

It turned the Payton Pritchard Present after this as he scored 8 straight factors for the Celtics highlighted by an unimaginable and-1 three from the brand.

After taking place with an harm earlier within the sport, Keyonte George began to hit a pair loopy pictures in an effort to get the Jazz again into it the sport. That was till Jayson Tatum checked again into the sport for the ultimate 5 minutes. He hit a layup and a fadeaway on back-to-back possessions and located Luke Kornet for one more basket that pushed the Celtics result in 20 factors and primarily iced the sport.

The following sport is on Sunday, March twenty third at 6 pm on NBC Sports activities Boston because the Celtics proceed their highway journey with a matchup in opposition to the Portland Path Blazers.