Celtics

In a game featuring teams among the favorites to reach the NBA Finals, the Clippers can't come up with clutch shots in a 116-110 loss to the Boston Celtics.

George later reposted on Instagram a video of his charge on Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart with the caption, “Are the refs fined for these?” Luke Kennard, a 47% three-point shooter, did not attempt a field goal, only the fourth time since joining the Clippers that has happened — but in the three other instances, Kennard played fewer than five minutes. When Boston used a 17-4 run to take a 13-point lead with three-minutes to play, the Clippers responded by outscoring Boston by 14 over the next 15 minutes. Leonard had one paint shot in the first quarter and one true rim attempt in his 18 first-half minutes. When he checked out with 1:37 to go, the Clippers stopped the next four Boston shots, as well. “If we want to be the last team standing we got to get better at everything — even if we were the No. “We were getting stagnant worrying about who’s guarding who instead of just running our offense and attacking who we want to attack afterward,” Lue said. [Tyronn Lue](https://www.latimes.com/sports/clippers/story/2022-01-10/clippers-respond-to-coach-tyronn-lue-challenge-with-win) learned to coach more than a decade ago by following former Boston assistant Tom Thibodeau into the Celtics’ office for 5:30 a.m. Unlike during the Clippers’ 20-point win against Boston three weeks earlier, Celtics big men Robert Williams and Horford both played, and George took one shot inside the paint in his first 17 minutes. But with a front-loaded schedule that features only 21 games after the All-Star break, there will soon be increasingly fewer opportunities to find their foothold, to leave games like this feeling as though they’d put the pieces all together. Derrick White, a guard, met George as he rose and stuffed George’s shot. But one of the responsibilities that eventually fell under Lue’s purview: Helping deliver honest assessments to stars such as Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.

The Celtics are on a four-game road trip next as they take on the Nuggets on New Year's Day.

Every time the Celtics match up against one of the best teams in the West, the matchup automatically gets to be a Finals preview. But they still affected the game as the C’s were able to get some revenge against the Clippers. The Celtics finished 11-for-39 (28.2%) from behind the arc as they heated up in the second half. Tatum and Brown didn’t both quite get to the 30-plus point mark like they have six times this season, but they keep putting up big numbers to help the Celtics. Foul trouble forced him to sit a few minutes, but Brown’s aggressiveness in the fourth has been important for the Celtics. BOSTON — The Celtics led for the majority of Thursday’s game against the Clippers, but the visitors just wouldn’t go away armed with two stars.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown had 29 points each and the Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Clippers 116-110 on Thursday night.

With his first 3-pointer of the night, Tatum moved ahead of Antoine Walker and into second on the Celtics' career list. sank a 3, and then Zubac made a turnaround hook shot in the lane to tie it. Marcus Smart had 17 points and nine assists, Grant Williams had 11 points and 10 boards and Al Horford added a blocked shot in the final seconds for Boston, which won its fourth straight game.

Mazzulla is set to miss his second game due to corneal abrasions in his eyes.

Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe [tweeted](https://twitter.com/GwashburnGlobe/status/1607897847403257858) that Mazzulla was "squinting badly" when he spoke to the media pregame. After facing the Clippers, they'll travel to the Western Conference for a four-game road trip. "We don't know what really happened or what's going on. [announced](https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/joe-mazzulla-celtics-questionable-corneal-abrasions-pickup-game-damon-stoudamire-clippers-nba/) a couple of days later that Mazzulla is dealing with corneal abrasions, which he suffered while playing pickup on the day of the Rockets game. [announced](https://twitter.com/celtics/status/1607899596734308353) that Mazzulla wouldn't coach because of eye irritation. [after tearing his ACL](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/danilo-gallinari-injury-timeline-return-date-celtics/wgwa3mxzmnninuitjlsw2sh6), and JD Davison and Mfiondu Kabengele, both of whom are on G League assignment, the Celtics will be without interim head coach Joe Mazzulla.

In the victory, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each registered a game-high 29 points, outdueling Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, who produced 26 and 24, ...

Rockets: Boston's Defense and a Combined 77 Points from Tatum and Brown Power Third-Straight Victory](https://www.si.com/nba/celtics/top-stories/heres-what-stood-out-in-celtics-win-vs-rockets-bostons-defense-and-a-combined-77-points-from-tatum-and-brown-power-third-straight-victory) [Breaking Down the Top 5 Plays from the Celtics-Bucks Christmas Showdown](https://www.si.com/nba/celtics/top-stories/breaking-down-the-top-5-plays-from-the-celtics-bucks-christmas-showdown) [Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. [The Celtics Have Regained Their Defensive Identity, and It's More Likely to Lead to Banner 18 Than Shooting Their Way to a Championship](https://www.si.com/nba/celtics/top-stories/the-celtics-have-regained-their-defensive-identity-and-its-more-likely-to-lead-to-banner-18-than-shooting-their-way-to-a-championship) [The Top 5 Plays from Tuesday's Celtics-Rockets Game](https://www.si.com/nba/celtics/top-stories/the-top-5-plays-from-tuesdays-celtics-rockets-game) [Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Smart then got whistled for an illegal screen, and Leonard dished to George, who drilled a shot from beyond the arc at the other end. But with 5:32 on the clock, Brown picked up an offensive foul for utilizing an elbow, trying to separate from Paul George. But what stood out the most from the first half was Boston playing with more energy and activity at both ends of the court. With the infraction uncalled, after using a towel to wipe his mouth, he came down the court and cracked George, picking up another offensive foul. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post. That set the tone for a period where the Celtics held their guests to 23 points while registering 33. That gave the Celtics a 60-49 advantage at halftime. He entered the break leading all scorers with 20 points on 8/14 shooting. White didn't just stay with Wall, but he blocked Wall's shot, then threw it off him as the latter laid out of bounds on the baseline. When he spun, he inadvertently elbowed Reggie Jackson in the head.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Clippers. Here's what caused the eye injury that could force him out of ...

"He did a great job. [handed them a 113-93 beatdown earlier this month](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/celtics-vs-clippers-takeaways-cs-blown-out-la-113-93?b) in Los Angeles. [earning a convincing 126-102 victory over the Rockets](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/celtics-vs-rockets-takeaways-jays-carry-cs-third-straight-win?b). "As somebody who's dealt with eye problems, just take your time. "We pray and hope that he gets better soon." [Forsberg: These stats reinforce the Jays' status as NBA's best duo](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/celtics-jayson-tatum-jaylen-brown-best-duo-nba-stats?int)

BOSTON — The Celtics are officially without Joe Mazzulla for the second straight game because of corneal abrasions. Mazzulla was originally listed as ...

“We need him to get healthy so we can get back,” Stoudamire said. “We like to be whole around here. Mazzulla was originally listed as questionable Thursday

Celtics interim head coach Joe Mazzulla missed his second consecutive game on Thursday night against the Clippers due to corneal abrasions, but the team is ...

Been holding it in too long and it’s about time this gets said,” and the second tweet said, “It’s time for me to leave.” The third tweet said, “Oh I forgot the rest… “I just wanted to take a minute. “Now, I know that you may not have gotten the stuff that you wanted. Before the Celtics’ Christmas Day win over the Bucks, Smart got engaged to his girlfriend Maisa Hallum, and he got some help from actor Will Smith. “The biggest thing for him is we need him to get healthy so he can get back. The biggest thing for me is just making sure he’s in good spirits, because I know he wants to be here.” But I think the biggest thing is he needs to be comfortable.” We’ve been given medically the minutes that he should play and we just kind of play off of that. Last game he was able to play consistent minutes for a long period of time. “He’s been around for a while, so just see what he had a chance to do against Houston the other night and now coaching again tonight, it’s just good to see. Mazzulla suggested before Robert Williams’ debut two weeks ago that the Celtics center wasn’t on a minutes restriction as he returned from left knee surgery, but it seems the team is certainly managing his workload in his first few weeks. Damon Stoudamire, who won his first game as NBA head coach when he coached in Mazzulla’s absence for Tuesday’s victory over the Rockets, coached again Thursday.

Three weeks after absorbing their worst loss of the season in Los Angeles, the Celtics turned back the Clippers in Boston 116-110 on Thursday night, ...

Tatum finished with three in the game and now has (941) in his career. sank a 3, and then Zubac made a turnaround hook shot in the lane to tie it. With his first 3-pointer of the night, Tatum moved ahead of Antoine Walker and into second on the Celtics' career list. "And I think that we knew we had to have better performance the next few games. So we wanted to change the narrative tonight on our home floor and come out and get a win." The 113-93 defeat was their biggest of the season, and it was the first time this year they were held under 100 points.

The Celtics opened their seven-game homestand with three straight losses but won their last four to retain the best record in the league.

Damon Stoudamire noted the Celtics' recent losing streak in December as a "humbling" one after their win over the Clippers on Thursday.

The night certainly began on a humbling note for the Celtics. Stoudamire credited the Clippers afterward as well. Boston lost five of seven, including the first three contests to start a seven-game homestand, before going on the recent win streak, which included one brutal West Coast loss in their first meeting with the Clippers on Dec.

LA Clippers star Paul George was not happy about this call vs. the Boston Celtics.

In slow-motion, it seemed clear that the contact between George and both defenders was certainly not enough for them to both fall down like that, but the officials disagreed. In the fourth quarter, Paul George was called for a change on what looked to be a clear flop by both Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown. For George to react in this way, he clearly feels as if the wrong call was made, and he has a real case.

Where are the Celtics in terms of All-NBA, Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Coach of the Year, and other accolades ...

The Hick From French Lick was not alone in his doubt of the skill DJ would show with the Celtics.

Damon Stoudamire hasn't been in Boston long, but he said he's been surprised by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

“He’s a bully to me, like when I say a bully, I say it from the standpoint of a good way,” Stoudamire said of Brown. Stoudamire said pregame Thursday that the Celtics expect Mazzulla back by Sunday, when they start a four-game road trip in Denver. Of course, the Celtics are currently in a great spot as a franchise. [Joe Mazzulla out](https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2022/12/celtics-joe-mazzulla-questionable-for-clippers-game-with-corneal-abrasions.html), he hasn’t missed much of a beat. And long before his Celtics coaching days, his first coaching stint in the NBA came with the Grizzlies more than a decade ago. [Damon Stoudamire knows all about the nuances](https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2022/12/damon-stoudamire-pushes-right-buttons-as-celtics-acting-head-coach-in-key-win-over-clippers-brian-robb.html) of being in the NBA.

A pair of former Celtics wings turned some heads with their new teams on Thursday night.

He’s averaging a career-high 7.1 points per game while shooting over 50 percent from the field. The young former Celtics wings are trying to make a name for themselves with the Pacers and Spurs respectively and took a positive step in that process on Thursday night across the NBA. “You’ve to praise Keldon, Stanley (Johnson) and Jeremy (Sochan) for carrying the load against Randle tonight.

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum got the better of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the battle of duos Thursday night. We share our takeaways from the Celtics' ...

With [Malcolm Brogdon](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/malcolm-brogdon?b) (illness) out, [Marcus Smart](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/marcus-smart?b) and Derrick White held down the backcourt with 17 and 15 points, respectively. [Robert Williams](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/robert-williams-iii?b) showed he's back to full strength with a strong performance off the bench. One play that stood out was his hard-fought rebound and pass to Smart, which set up a Sam Hauser 3-pointer on the other end. Marcus Smart was at the center of it all. The Jays will steal the headlines, but Derrick White deserves his flowers for what one could argue was a game-saving performance. The veteran guard dished a game-high nine assists, continuing his stellar playmaking this season. Teams have found that out the hard way during this four-game win streak. Where he really made his presence felt, however, was on the defensive end. earlier this month, the C's treated the TD Garden crowd to a 116-110 triumph in the rematch. Grant Williams attempted only one shot the entire game, but he made it count. Next, they'll open the new year with a Sunday night matchup vs. After falling to the Clippers in L.A.

Jayson Tatum had 29 points and 11 rebounds, Jaylen Brown also scored 29 points and the Celtics beat the Clippers 116-110 on Thursday night.

Tatum finished with three in the game and now has (941) in his career. With his first 3-pointer of the night, Tatum moved ahead of Antoine Walker and into second on the Celtics’ career list. sank a 3, and then Zubac made a turnaround hook shot in the lane to tie it. Los Angeles had won four of its last five games, sweeping a back-to-back against Detroit and Toronto earlier this week. Marcus Smart had 17 points and nine assists, Grant Williams had 11 points and 10 boards and Al Horford added a blocked shot in the final seconds for Boston, which won its fourth straight game. Brown hit two free throws down the stretch and Tatum made one to ice it.

The Athletic's Clippers beat writer Law Murray and Celtics beat writer Jared Weiss break down the possible finals matchup.

But we did see plenty of blitzes with [Ivica Zubac](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/ivica-zubac-OTPpn38MDEHT1u47/) out there as well, so it was just a desire to get Tatum and Brown off the ball as much as possible in the half court. The Clippers have the means to adjust, and that would be helpful in a playoff setting. Boston hasn’t forced many turnovers this season, but George (four) and Leonard (three) had seven of the 13 Clippers turnovers in Boston. The Clippers are actually healthier now than they were when the Celtics were in L.A., with [Norman Powell](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/norman-powell-hiYUGADQy1AEo1fw/) returning to health. Tatum and Brown have been going off as of late, but the team hasn’t been solely reliant on their brilliance. But he was determined to score, and he usually pulls it off when he does that on the break. [Payton Pritchard](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/payton-pritchard-GzXEX2vCKpnRkK1M/) was in the first-half rotation, but those minutes didn’t go well, and Pritchard wasn’t seen again after halftime. [Kawhi Leonard](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/kawhi-leonard-ZVBR9DRffqJpzLHV/) and [Paul George](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/paul-george-kIIUTtsJtSpaZfu1/) played a home game together since Nov. And in this game in Boston, Tatum and George had a sequence in the second quarter where they were trading baskets. Tatum told The Athletic years ago that Leonard and George were the two contemporaries he studied to make the leap as a downhill scorer and playmaker. This year, both the Clippers and Celtics have championship aspirations that could see them meet for a third time five months from now in the NBA Finals. After the Clippers beat the Celtics 113-93 in Los Angeles, the Celtics exacted revenge with a 116-110 win in Boston.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown outdueled Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the win for the Celtics. Read more on Boston.com.

Hauser does a lot of little things and brings some value to the floor even when he’s shooting poorly, but let’s be realistic: The Celtics need him to make 3-pointers. For all of their myriad good habits, the Celtics tend to be a little too willing to try to kill the clock, and it nearly cost them against the Clippers. Smart executed one of his best let-the-ball-roll plays of the season in the fourth quarter, but the Celtics seemed content to try to ride out the game after they took a double-digit lead, and the Clippers came storming back to within three before White’s block. So it makes you feel funny, but I think that Rob makes up for a lot of stuff at the rim, and I think Al is great at staying between his man and the basket. He finished with 12 points and six rebounds, but perhaps his most representative play came in the second quarter when he closed a gap from the free-throw line in the blink of an eye to block a shot, then contested a second shot (and likely forced a miss), then grabbed the rebound, then immediately got it to a ball-handler. After trying to get cute and nearly costing themselves the game, the Celtics got tough and won it. He’s too good a shooter to continue missing like this (27.3 percent from deep over his last 15 games), but the Celtics could really use a few of his sudden 3-point barrages that turn a four-point game into a 14-point one over a two-minute stretch. Brown is a dominant mid-range scorer who gets to the rim and scores with an impressive mix of finesse and ferocity, but he has struggled from 3-point range this season – 33.1 percent overall, and 30.4 percent over his last 10 games on 9.2 attempts per game. Every time Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum match up with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the comparisons are impossible to ignore and a lot of fun to track. Maybe the gravity Brown still commands is too valuable to sacrifice, but given how dominant he has been in nearly every other facet of his game offensively this year, it almost feels like a waste. So I just appreciate them because they make it easier for you to coach them, they allow you to coach them, and they allow you to help them get better.” Williams played his first minutes of the season with last year’s starting lineup – Al Horford, Marcus Smart, Tatum and Brown.

Tyrese Haliburton led the way with 29 points — he made six of his eight triples — while Buddy Hield, who drained five out of six attempts from beyond the arc, ...

Sure, San Antonio didn’t have Devin Vassell (knee) on Thursday, but without a significant majority of its usual suspects on the offensive contribution front, New York didn’t seem to stand a chance from the outset. [Los Angeles Clippers](https://www.clipsnation.com) took the Boston Celtics to task in L.A., to the tune of a 113-93 thrashing. The Knicks have lost five in a row. That 20-point defeat was Boston’s biggest of the season, and it was the first time this year the C’s scored fewer than 100 points (it has since only happened one other time, in a loss against the Magic). Morant added 19 points, but it was Dillon Brooks who continued to exceed expectations, dropping 25 in the win. That’s what Cleveland did on Thursday against the Pacers, who hit 19 of their 31 tries from deep en route to a nine-point victory over the reeling Cavs.

Marcus Smart is playing terrific basketball lately. Over his last eight games, Smart has averaged 7.7 assists against just 1.9 turnovers per game. That's better ...

The team heads to the middle of the country for a four-game road trip to kick off 2023. Tatum was more than willing to move the ball, and Boston got some good looks out of these spots because Tatum was willing to move the ball. It’s a good thing too, as the Celtics won’t be in Boston much in January. The hope is that it will force Tatum to give it up to a less-dangerous teammate. They shot 22-of-51 from the floor and just a combined 3-of-19 from behind the arc. Let’s hope this visitor got the hint and stays away for a while. The Clippers were doing a good job of loading to the ball against Jayson Tatum. In Smart and White, Boston has two of the better shot-blocking guards in the NBA. The Clippers defense is designed to force opponents into a lot of 1-on-1 play. It wasn’t a top-tier assist night for the Celtics. Derrick White joined Marcus Smart in a big night for the Boston backcourt. The LA Clippers, when healthy, are one of the best teams in the NBA.

Evan Sidery joins Ben to recap the win for the Boston Celtics over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night and discuss where both teams stand in their ...

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The Boston Celtics may be without interim head coach Joe Mazzulla for a second straight game when they host the LA Clippers on Thursday after the ...

'He did a great job,' Celtics star and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart told reporters of Stoudamire. The Boston Celtics may be without interim head coach Joe Mazzulla for a second straight game when they host the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday after the 34-year-old injured his eye playing pickup basketball [Boston Celtics](/sport/boston-celtics/index.html) may be without interim head coach Joe Mazzulla for a second straight game when they host the [Los Angeles](/news/los-angeles/index.html) Clippers on Thursday after the 34-year-old injured his eye playing pickup basketball.

Robert Williams has made an immediate impact since returning from offseason knee surgery. Chris Forsberg uses numbers and some remarkable highlights to ...

That happened at the end of the Clippers game and Boston had to lean heavy on its defense to get to the finish line. Williams III makes good things happen with his energy alone and the Celtics simply cannot replicate his impact when he’s not out there. Now, Williams III has supercharged that area during his floor time and is helping stabilize Boston’s offense even as the team isn't shooting at quite the same clip as it was to start the season. Williams III doesn’t just make it tough for opponents to shoot around the basket, he deters them from even thinking about it. And despite being the best half-court offenses in the NBA, the Celtics still have a maddening propensity to go cold when they don’t keep their finger on the turbo button. Boston’s total rebound rate pops to a team-best 57.3 percent, or 7.5 percent above the team’s season average, with Williams III on the court. Williams III can analyze what the game needs and then make it a priority when he hits the floor. Williams III treats the basketball like a ticking time bomb and is so eager to get rid of it that he sometimes unintentionally cranks the pace on the floor. But being able to roll Williams III into the game as a human Five Hour Energy Drink is a luxury, too. "Being able to watch the game, not starting, you can kind of break the game up a little bit, see where the energy is needed,” said Williams III. Among the 24 high-volume, five-man lineups in the NBA this season (greater than 150 minutes played), Boston’s starting group with Derrick White and the core ranks third with a net rating of +17. The luxury these Celtics have is that their preferred small-ball starting lineup in Williams III’s absence has been so good that there’s no need to force last year’s starting lineup.

Celtics defensive anchor Robert Williams has taken things slow to start his 2022-23 campaign and isn't concerned with his current role.

“Basically, they check on me like every two minutes while I’m in the game and ask me if I’m good. I like being able to see where I need to add energy coming off the bench. Robert Williams made his sixth appearance for the Boston Celtics this season on Thursday night.

In the final Celtics Talk Podcast episode of 2022, Eddie House joins Chris Forsberg to share predictions for the C's in 2023.

We're seeing Jayson Tatum play at an MVP level, and Jaylen Brown isn't far behind. Marcus Smart is doing all the things that make his Marcus Smart, and with ...

But after losing in the Finals -- and, after losing their head coach in September -- there were a lot of questions about how the Celtics would respond. Horford scored 15 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, and became the oldest player in Celtics history to score at least 30 in a playoff game. Russell won 11 titles in his 13 seasons in Boston, and his legend is being honored by the Celtics and the rest of the league throughout the season. The Celtics offense was running circles around everyone else to start the season, dropping a ridiculous amount of points at a ridiculously efficient pace. With that, the wins began piling up and the Celtics began to climb up in the standings. When he had the chance to posterize Giannis in the next quarter, he didn't let it go to waste. Combining the end of last season and the start of this season, the Celtics have went 60-22 in 2022. The Celtics were back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010, but they weren't ready for that big stage against the Golden State Warriors. Boston tipped off the playoffs with a thrilling Tatum buzzer-beater in Game 1, and the C's defense made Durant look pedestrian for four games. They finished 51-31 and claimed the two-seed in the Eastern Conference, and felt like a legit contender when the postseason arrived. Marcus Smart is doing all the things that make his Marcus Smart, and with Malcolm Brogdon added to the mix, the Boston bench is as good as it's been in over a decade. While there is disappointment from losing in the NBA Finals last summer, it has been a lot of fun getting to this point.

HoopsHype presents player scouting reports for the 2022-23 Boston Celtics, including Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Can shoot a bit from the perimeter but mostly operates as a screener and roller… Solid size and quickness on the wing at 6-foot-8… Also uses size to clean up on the glass… Has even become a dependable three-point shooter. Skill set should allow him to stay in the league for a while. Has evolved from an athletic big who can block shots to a legitimate DPOY candidate for years to come…