Celtics

Despite having a thin bench, the Phoenix Suns used a strong fourth quarter to pick up a 106-94 road win against the Boston Celtics on Friday night, ...

That was the start of a 12-0 run that gave Phoenix a lead it didn’t relinquish. The Celtics outscored the Suns, 29-17, in the third quarter and trailed, 74-73, with 12 minutes to play, but Phoenix began the fourth with a 14-2 run. Phoenix trailed 7-0 until an Ayton layup got the Suns on the scoreboard with 7:35 left in the quarter.

After a bit of a moribund start to their 2022-23 campaign, the Philadelphia 76ers are on the upswing.

Jayson Tatum shot as poorly as he has all season in Friday's loss to the Suns as both concerns about his minutes and the depth behind him mount.

He helped Boston come back from down by 20 points to within one to start the fourth quarter, mostly operating behind the three-point line in a game where he never got one shot off in the restricted zone. Tatum echoed that sentiment, saying he and Nick Sang altered his diet and offseason training to prepare for the larger workload he struggled to handle in the postseason. I know he loves to hoop, and I know he feels like if he’s out there, they’ll have a high chance of winning and I feel the same way,” Bridges told CLNS. Chris Paul and Jock Landale punished the Celtics’ switching in the second quarter, which Tatum never sat during, shaking off his 0-for-5 scoreless start that last nearly the entire first half with a pair of threes. His turnovers ticked up, but the concern may be less about Tatum’s ability to handle longer stretches of play, which become inevitable in the postseason, and rather Boston’s ability to survive when he’s off the floor. Then, as far as the non-JT, I don’t think it’s about that. The team, we sold out on Jayson and Brown coming off the pick and rolls, and let the low man deal with the big man.” Both he and Bridges downplayed the difficulty of managing that playing time this week. The Celtics outscored Phoenix by one point in Tatum’s 37 minutes, underscoring a depth concern for Boston as the trade deadline approaches. He finished 3-for-15 with 20 points and five assists in arguably his worst performance of the season on Friday, resulting in a 104-96 loss to a Phoenix team that entered only ranked 12th in defense. That hasn’t proven to be the case in six games since Marcus Smart went down, with four losses following an ice-cold display against the Suns. BOSTON — Jayson Tatum would not land among the most valuable player candidates if the Celtics did not need his presence to succeed.

The Phoenix Suns beat the Boston Celtics 106-94 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, on Friday, starting their five-game road trip in the Eastern ...

The Jazz struggled at the 3-pointline where they missed 29 of the 44 attempts. Trae Young and De'Andre Hunter combined to score 53 points for the Hawks. The Magic's bench unit had an explosive night on Friday. The Kings rested their All-Star snub point guard De'Aaron Fox and relied more on Domantas Sabonis, who played for the Pacers last season, in playmaking. The Pacers went 17-for-41 from downtown and had 13 steals, which enabled them to score 28 fast break points. By contrast, the Celtics wasted their much more complete arsenal. On the Suns' side, Mikal Bridges led the roster in scoring with 25 points. As a result, they took as many as 20 fewer shots than the Suns and trailed in FG rate (43.2 percent-38.7 percent). The Celtics delivered 18 assists at the cost of 14 turnovers. His field goal (FG) shooting of 6-for-15 was not pretty, but Paul had 11 points in the second quarter alone, extending the Suns' lead from four points in the first quarter (24-20) to 13 after the first half (57-44). Before the competition had begun, NBC sports broadcaster and former Celtics champion forward Brian Scalabrine gave his take on the home team's game. /CFP

Mikal Bridges scored 25 points and Dario Saric had 14 with 13 rebounds Friday night to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 106-94 victory over Boston and send the ...

... Boston's Luke Kornet left early in the fourth and limped to the locker room. Phoenix scored the next 12, with Ayton putting in three straight baskets to start the run. Derrick White drove for a layup to snap the slump, but Damion Lee and Saric hit back-to-back 3s, and the Celtics never got closer than six from there. But the two Boston All-Stars shot a combined 12 for 36 from the floor and 6 for 22 from 3-point range. Booker, a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, wore a Detroit Red Wings knit cap as he sat on the bench in the same building where he scored 70 points in 2017. Chris Paul added 15 points, eight assists and six rebounds for Phoenix, which had a 20-point, second-quarter lead trimmed to one by the end of the third.

The visiting Suns, meanwhile, brought the heat from Phoenix and sizzled their way to a 106-94 win inside TD Garden. While the Boston windchill hovered around 30 ...

I thought the guys we wanted to take the shots took the shots. Give the C’s credit, though: they did manage to cut their massive deficit down to one point at the end of the third quarter. In total, the Celtics committed 15 turnovers to Phoenix’s nine and allowed more than three times as many second-chance opportunities (10 to three). “I thought we forced the right shots. I thought our guys came out with the right intentions.” It was quite a contrast to their shooting performance just two nights prior in a season-best 43-point win over the Brooklyn Nets when they shot 48.1 percent from deep, their best mark of 2023.

The Celtics rallied against the Suns on Friday, but they couldn't get over the hump as Jayson Tatum was ice cold in a double-digit loss.

The Sixers are third in the East, but they are just two games behind the Celtics, and one game behind in the loss column. The Celtics also have a game against the second-place Bucks looming on Feb. Meanwhile, the Celtics had a couple of other tough stat lines as well — Grant Williams was 0-for-2 from the field and a cringeworthy -24, while Sam Hauser didn’t play until Mazzulla emptied the bench in the final minutes of the fourth. “I think the start of that fourth quarter, once we cut it to one, that was kind of the game, and we’ve got to be ready to go. You have to be able to win on those margins all the time. From there, the Celtics were forced to fight both the clock and a short-handed but energetic Suns team. “Other times, we depend on guys to come off the bench to lift us up, stuff like that. The rest of the Celtics shot 7-for-28 from behind the arc (25 percent). He missed the rim entirely on a driving layup against Landale. That shot was one of just three Tatum converted from the field. They proceeded to then win the third quarter 29-17 and appeared well-positioned to take control in the fourth, trailing by one. Then Jock Landale got free at the rim in transition and threw down a dunk.

The network recently re-released the documentary ahead of the release of his Netflix documentary due out on Feb. 8.

At points in both halves, the Celtics looked like they were sleepwalking through the game. Joe Mazzulla called it “inconsistent execution”, while Jaylen Brown ...

Boston can still hit the All-Star break in a great spot, but they need to take care of their own business. The Celtics aren’t as good as the team that demoralized the Nets so badly that Kyrie Irving asked for a trade. This one is simple: For the first time in a long time, Boston was beaten up on the glass. Boston can’t continue to bleed points the way they do when Jayson Tatum sits, and they need cover for Jaylen Brown as well. By the beginning of the fourth quarter, Boston had the ball and a chance to take the lead. We’ll continue to link things together here to say: The Celtics need a wing. But maybe Williams is pressing a bit and starting to feel the pressure of playing for his next deal. That’s a center outrunning the entire defense right to the front of the rim: To put it very simply: The Celtics are great when Jayson Tatum is playing. Through December, Williams looked like someone the Celtics were going to have to hand a big contract to as a restricted free agent. But Boston was in the midst of a stretch where they played two games in a week. The above being said, Jaylen Brown was the only Celtic who showed up to score in the first eight minutes or so of the game.

The Celtics can't use Marcus Smart's absence as an excuse for getting out-hustled and out-rebounded by the Devin Booker-less Suns. Read more on Boston.com.

“Phoenix did a great job managing the game with their offense and their ability to execute. We cut it to what 1 or something like that and never got over the hump, so definitely disappointed.” And they were relatively careful with the basketball, limiting themselves to eight turnovers. “We just have to get back to what we were doing while he was in there,” Celtics guard Derrick White said. Mikal Bridges, who led the Suns with 25 points, went 9-for-20 from the field and 0-for-3 from 3-point territory. The Celtics continue to press on without Marcus Smart who has been out with an ankle injury and hasn’t played since Jan.

98.5 The Sports Hub's James Stewart, the executive producer of the Felger & Mazz program, linked Anthony Davis to the Boston Celtics.

While no context as to how Boston would go about a Davis trade was included, the Houdini is here to stomp out that idea with spiked boots. Last season, the Cs had the best starting lineup, and in 2022-23, Derrick White has been a stellar stand-in for the first five. Lower on the list is Immanuel Quickley, whose likely to be promoted to the starting lineup before getting traded, Damon Jones, who has been retired since 2009, and Anthony Davis.

Is there a chance fan favorite Kelly Olynyk rejoins the Celtics? NBC Sports Boston's Chris Forsberg believes so. “I asked a couple people around the league, ...

But it’s someone I think the Celtics have legitimate interest in.” Olynyk, who played with the Celtics from 2013-17, has never been known for his defense. [Olynyk’s contract is reasonable](https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2023/02/01/celtics-trade-deadline-jakob-poeltl-naz-reid/) ($12.8 million, partially guaranteed next season), but Forsberg noted it would almost certainly force the Celtics to include Danilo Gallinari, Payton Pritchard, and Justin Jackson in return. [reported](https://heavy.com/sports/miami-heat/kelly-olynyk-nba-trade-deadline/) that the Celtics are “looking at the possibility” of reacquiring the 6-foot-11 big man. “I think that’s something that has to intrigue the Celtics,” Forsberg said. Get breaking news and analysis delivered to your inbox during basketball season.

Our insider Chris Forsberg shares what he's hearing from league sources about the Celtics' reported interest in acquiring Jazz center Kelly Olynyk before ...

President of basketball operations Brad Stevens and the NBA-best Celtics could be looking back to their past for some added help at the 2023 NBA trade ...

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Our insider Chris Forsberg shares what he's hearing from league sources about the Celtics' reported interest in acquiring Jazz center Kelly Olynyk before ...

He can play with [Robert Williams](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/robert-williams-iii), he can play with [Al Horford](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/al-horford), he can play with Grant Williams. He could be a solid contributor off the bench and give the Celtics some much-needed frontcourt depth. [(Danilo) Gallinari](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/danilo-gallinari), Payton Pritchard, Justin Jackson in order to make the money work. [wrote earlier this week on Heavy.com](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/nba-rumors-celtics-looking-kelly-olynyk-trade-jazz) that both the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat have interest in acquiring Olynyk. "I think that's something that has to intrigue the Celtics. But the Jazz are probably more concerned about the future and not competing in 2023, and trading Olynyk could add to their already impressive stockpile of draft picks and young players.

Just two days after a blowout win over the Nets, the Celtics fell flat in an ugly loss to the Suns.

Maintaining constant confidence and pace will be key to the Celtics’ eventual success this season. A similar problem occurred the last time they matched up against the Suns, only in that instance, Boston blew out Phoenix and went on to drop two straight games to the Boston flipped a switch in the worst way possible in the span of two days. And we had spurts throughout the game where we gave up runs where we didn’t manage it well, whether it was because of our offense or it was because of our second-shot defense.” And so, Phoenix did a great job of managing the game with their offense and their ability to execute. Against the Nets, the Celtics shot 57.6% from the field and 48.1% from deep. We just got to be better going forward. We got to find ways. Just two days later against Phoenix, those numbers dropped to 38.7% overall and 26.3% from distance. “I think they came down and outplayed us from start to finish for the most part,” Jaylen Brown said post-game. “We got off to a decent start, but they outplayed us. After a dominant offensive performance against Brooklyn, they sputtered to a halt.

Mikal Bridges scored 25 points and Dario Saric had 14 with 13 rebounds Friday night to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 106-94 victory over Boston and send the NBA- ...

... Boston's Luke Kornet left early in the fourth and limped to the locker room. Phoenix scored the next 12, with Ayton putting in three straight baskets to start the run. Derrick White drove for a layup to snap the slump, but Damion Lee and Saric hit back-to-back 3s, and the Celtics never got closer than six from there. But the two Boston All-Stars shot a combined 12 for 36 from the floor and 6 for 22 from 3-point range. Booker, a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, wore a Detroit Red Wings knit cap as he sat on the bench in the same building where he scored 70 points in 2017. Chris Paul added 15 points, eight assists and six rebounds for Phoenix, which had a 20-point, second-quarter lead trimmed to one by the end of the third.

The list of potential trade targets includes former Celtics, including one currently with Danny Ainge's team, and others with ties to Jayson Tatum.

For now, the Hornets are just spiraling toward the bottom of the standings and positioning themselves to be players in the Victor Wembanyama draft sweepstakes. ▪ Javonte Green: This is a good example of a player who would make sense to target, except for the fact that he probably wouldn’t be part of the Celtics’ condensed playoff rotation. He is making $10 million this season and has a team option for next year. Washington: The 6-foot-7-inch forward is still just 24 years old and is making $5.8 million this season. The asking price could be hefty for a player who might not even be part of the Celtics’ long-term future, though, as Poeltl will become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, and Horford and Williams are both on multi-year contracts. He is shooting 40.4 percent from the 3-point line and would give the Celtics a scoring dynamic they don’t get with Williams or Kornet. Stevens and Spurs coach/president Gregg Popovich have made their mutual admiration clear, and they have been willing trade partners over the past year. This would be a fascinating negotiation, since former Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge is now in charge of the Jazz. He still has close ties to Boston and his son Austin remains an assistant general manager. During his first year in the front office, he reacquired Horford and center Daniel Theis, who both played for him when he was coach. The Celtics also have several expiring trade exceptions with which to work, most notably the $5.9 million exception that was created when Dennis Schroder was sent to the Rockets last February. Robert Williams is injury-prone and Al Horford turns 37 in June, so while Luke Kornet has been serviceable a new third big man would not hurt.

Our insider Chris Forsberg shares what he's hearing from league sources about the Celtics' reported interest in acquiring Jazz center Kelly Olynyk before...

He can play with [Robert Williams](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/robert-williams-iii?chrcontext=NECN), he can play with [Al Horford](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/al-horford?chrcontext=NECN), he can play with Grant Williams. [(Danilo) Gallinari](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/danilo-gallinari?chrcontext=NECN), Payton Pritchard, Justin Jackson in order to make the money work. He could be a solid contributor off the bench and give the Celtics some much-needed frontcourt depth. But it's someone I think the Celtics have legitimate interest in." "I think that's something that has to intrigue the Celtics. "Now, it's a little bit of a prohibitive number to get to, a little more than $12 million. But the Jazz are probably more concerned about the future and not competing in 2023, and trading Olynyk could add to their already impressive stockpile of draft picks and young players. He left Boston in the summer of 2017 to join the Miami Heat in free agency and played in South Beach for three-plus seasons. "I asked a couple people around the league, and league sources indicate the Celtics' interest here is real," Forsberg explained. 8 seed in the Western Conference standings entering Saturday. 9 NBA trade deadline, but there are plenty of other players in the rumor mill generating interest across the league. The 6-foot-11 center was drafted by the Celtics in 2013 and played with them through the 2016-17 season.

“It's disappointing to have such a high after the last game to come out like we did today,” admitted Boston Celtics reserve guard Derrick White after ...