By Darryl Harding Sr –
With the absence of Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford, three major producers for the Celtics, Boston persisted to rain a battalion of 3s down on the Utah Jazz. Hitting 20 3 pointers out of 49 attempts the Celtics controlled the game, led by a 38-point performance by Jason Tatum.
Considering the absence of two big men, Luke Kornet stepped in with 12 points and nine rebounds, helping the Celtics control the boards. Despite Keyonte George’s 26 points, 14 of them in the first quarter, the Celtics were able to score a record high 44 points in the first quarter.
Jordan Clarkson ended with 21 points and with 36 seconds left in the third quarter, Utah closed the gap to within two, 93-91. It was at this point that the Celtics went on a 20 to nothing run, keeping the Jazz scoreless in the first half of the fourth quarter.
Derrick White and Jrue Holiday contributed, producing over 40 points and combining for 11 assists. “End of the 3rd and the 4th quarter we dominated transitions,” said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla after the game.
With a small portion of the season left, the Celtics roll comfortably into playoff contention. Boston will go on Thursday night to host the Phoenix Suns, but with a now healthy Devin Booker. Utah will face the Atlanta Hawks at home on Friday night.