BOSTON — The Celtics went up big, and while they had to fend off the Clippers, they came away with the 121-118 victory Sunday at TD Garden. The C’s won their second straight game to get to 7-7 on the season while the Clippers dropped to 4-9.
It was all Celtics to start the game. While the Clippers were briefly hot from 3, they couldn’t keep up the level of shot-making. The Los Angeles starters also struggled early as the Celtics got out in transition, putting up 15 fast-break points in the first half.
But the Clippers locked in after the Celtics had a 24-point lead early in the second half, going on a 30-11 run to close the third quarter. James Harden scored 18 points in the fourth quarter as the Clippers refused to go down easily, cutting the deficit all the way down to a point. In the end, Harden missed a clean look at a 3-pointer to tie the game on a nifty play call with 1.6 seconds left and with no timeouts.
Payton Pritchard was on fire with 30 points while Derrick White had 22 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. Jaylen Brown also added 33 points and 12 rebounds. Harden led the Clippers with 37 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. Ivica Zubac had 16 points and 12 rebounds.
The Celtics play the Nets at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Brooklyn for their next game. Here are four takeaways from Boston’s win over Los Angeles:
Getting a clutch win: The Celtics looked like they were going to cruise to victory, but the Clippers just kept up the pressure with Harden leading the way. Notably, that goes down as a clutch win as the C’s have struggled to finish out close games to open the season. They improved to 3-5 in those close-game situations. The C’s also never allowed the Clippers to take the lead as they held on for the win. Brown wasn’t super efficient as he finished 14-for-33 from the field, but he took plenty of shots when the Celtics needed him to down the stretch.
Climbing out of slumps: Both Pritchard and White have proven they’re legit shooters in the league, but they got off to brutal starts. It appears they’ve slowly climbed out of the funk. Pritchard finished 8-for-13 on 3-pointers while White was 4-for-8 from deep Sunday. Considering the Celtics haven’t been able to rely on two of their best shooters on the roster early, it’s a positive development. Pritchard came into Sunday’s game making 28.1% of his 3s on the season while White was at 29.2%.
Another start: Jordan Walsh got his second straight start as his spirited recent play has gotten rewarded. It was another solid showing for the third-year pro as he got the Harden assignment defensively. Walsh finished with six points, eight rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes as it’s clear his defense continues to be an asset on varying opponents. While it’s not guaranteed Walsh will continue to be the starter, his emergence as a contributor is a plus. Along with Josh Minott and Hugo Gonzalez, the Celtics have three young wings who have had their bright spots early this season.
Opportunity awaits: While the Celtics had a busy schedule to open the season, they’re in a stretch where they play only six games in 16 days. They also face the Nets over their next two games, Tuesday in Brooklyn then Friday in Boston as part of NBA Cup play. The C’s have a real chance to put together their first significant win streak of the season against one of the worst teams in the league. As Boston has hovered around the .500 mark to open the year, it’s crucial to pick up those types of victories over the course of a long season.
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