Check out full game highlights from the Celtics’ 145-108 win over the Los Angeles Clippers
Three Key Storylines
- Jayson Tatum powers through ankle injury
- Neemias Queta making the most of his opportunities
- Another 3-point clinic for Boston
The Boston Celtics took care of business against one of the hottest teams in the NBA on Saturday.
Their West Coast road trip continued in Los Angeles against the Clippers, who entered the early-afternoon matchup with nine wins over their last 10 games. Coming off a bounce-back road win over the Sacramento Kings, the C's improved to 2-1 out west with a 145-108 win at Crypto.com Arena. They've scored a whopping 289 points over their last two games.
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Jayson Tatum returned after missing Wednesday's win with a sprained ankle and led the C's with 30 points in 30 minutes. He was one of six Celtics players in double figures, including Jaylen Brown (24 points) and Jrue Holiday (20 points).
The Celtics will stay in L.A. and prepare for a Christmas Day showdown with LeBron James and the Lakers on Monday. First, here are three takeaways from Saturday's victory.
Jayson Tatum powers through ankle issue
Tatum was listed as questionable to play in Saturday's game up until the opening tip. He suffered an ankle sprain in Tuesday's loss at Golden State that forced him to miss Wednesday's win in Sacramento.
The injury didn't appear to impede his performance at all in L.A. The four-time All-Star quickly made his presence felt with a 10-point first quarter highlighted by two tough finishes at the rim.
Tatum stayed hot in the second quarter, though he had Celtics fans holding their collective breath with another ankle issue.
He drilled a 3-pointer but landed awkwardly on Clippers rookie Kobe Brown's foot. After staying down holding his ankle for several moments, he popped back up and hit his free throw to complete the four-point play. C's fans breathed a sigh of relief as he stayed in the game and finished the first half with 21 points.
Brown received a Flagrant 1 for the incident, which you can watch below:
Tatum finished with 30 points (9-16 FG, 5-10 3-PT), five rebounds, two assists, and a steal. He did so in only three quarters as a sizable lead allowed him to rest for the entire fourth.
The re-aggravation of Tatum's ankle injury doesn't appear to be an issue, but his status will still be worth monitoring leading into Boston's Christmas Day game.
Neemias Queta brings the energy
Queta has seen a boost in minutes recently with fellow big men Luke Kornet and Kristaps Porzingis missing time due to injuries. The two-way center has made the most of his opportunities.
He started the West Coast trip with his first career double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds vs. Golden State) and has continued to impress. In Sacramento, he tallied six points and eight boards in 19 minutes. On Saturday in L.A., he notched his second double-double in three games.
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The former All-NBA G League selection racked up a career-high 14 points and 12 rebounds (nine in the first half) in 23 minutes. It took him only 16 minutes to record his double-double.
At this point, the Celtics must consider signing Queta to a standard contract. Two-way players can only be active for 50 total games. Whenever he's gotten a chance this season, Queta has shown the potential to be a rock-solid third center for Boston.
This West Coast trip has undoubtedly given Brad Stevens and Co. something to ponder.
Dominance from deep and on the glass
After putting on a 3-point clinic in Sacramento, the Celtics provided an encore in L.A.
They shot 15-for-33 from beyond the arc in the first half to come just one 3-point make shy of the franchise record (16 last Feb. vs. Charlotte). That lights-out shooting continued in the second half as the C's finished 25-for-53 (47.2 percent) from deep.
Seven Celtics players hit multiple 3s: Tatum (5-10), Jrue Holiday (4-6), Jaylen Brown (3-6), Derrick White (3-10), Payton Pritchard (3-5), Oshae Brissett (3-4), and Al Horford (2-5).
The Celtics didn't just dominate from 3, they also wreaked havoc on the offensive glass. They became just the third team in NBA history to make at least 15 3-pointers and grab at least nine offensive rebounds in a first half.
Queta played a huge role in that department with six offensive boards. Brown and Holiday added three apiece as the C's had 15 total offensive boards to L.A.'s nine. That advantage translated to second-chance points, where Boston dominated 23-8.
