Derrick White and Payton Pritchard combined for a record breaking night from 3-point range, helping the shorthanded Celtics cruise to a 128-118 win over the Blazers at TD Garden. White (41 points) and Pritchard (43 points) became the first pair of NBA teammates to make at least nine 3-pointers in the same game while also posting individual career-highs.
Pritchard nearly set a franchise record with 10 made 3-point attempts, going 10-of-16 from 3-point range. White also put on a spectacular shooting display of his own, going 9-of-17 from 3-point range. The duo’s shotmaking helped the hosts erase an early six-point deficit and push their lead to as many as 25 points despite Boston playing without three starters (Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis).
Portland made things interesting late, cutting Boston’s 25-point lead to eight with three minutes left in the fourth quarter but the Celtics fought back to hold on for their second straight win. Anfernee Simons had a team-high 30 points in the setback for Portland.
The victory was Boston’s second straight win overall and pushed their lead over the Knicks for the No. 2 seed to 3.5 games.
Here are four takeaways from the Celtics’ win on Wednesday night:
Derrick White puts on a show: The Celtics were hurting for offense midway through the first half without three starters but Derrick White rose to the challenge. Despite facing one of the best defenses in the NBA over the past month, White put on a show from the perimeter, scoring a season-high 24 first half points to help give the Celtics an 11-point cushion at halftime on his way to a career-high of 39. It was the third highest scoring half of his career, just two points shy of his previous high. White did most of his damage from beyond the arc, knocking down six of his nine 3-point attempts in the first half, including several with a high degree of difficultly, quickly erasing a six-point first half deficit. White had snapped out of his shooting funk for awhile but this a masterful offensive performance on a night that Boston really needed it.
Payton Pritchard reasserts control of 6th man race with sensational outing: Joe Mazzulla kept the 6-foot-2 guard in a reserve role despite missing three starters and so Pritchard could bring his trademark firepower off the bench. He delivered alongside White, posting 18 first half points in 19 minutes, including 5-of-9 makes from 3-point range before erupting for 19 third quarter points on his way to a career-high. The point guard also added a team-high 10 rebounds showing the type of all-around contributions that has made him an indispensable member of this Celtics roster all year long.
Jordan Walsh gets a big chance: The revolving door of bench wings made another stop on Wednesday night with Boston down three regulars. Joe Mazzulla turned back to Jordan Walsh this time around with the second-year forward making his first appearance since February 26. The 6-foot-7 forward showed some stout defense against the Blazers wings, gritty rebounding (six boards) and hit his first 3-point shot since January 22, earning him a lot of love from the bench. Walsh ended up playing a season-high in minutes with 20 and likely earned himself another look this week with Boston likely to be shorthanded again Thursday night.
Savvy rest plan for the Celtics pays off: Boston entered their busiest stretch of the season with seven games in 11 nights, beginning on Wednesday night against the Blazers. Boston elected to stagger the rest of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown (likely to sit Thursday against the 76ers), along with splitting up rest time for the bigs in Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis. The move should help Boston pick up a couple of wins in the standings while ensuring good recovery for the players. Pritchard (42 minutes) and White (39 minutes) probably deserve a night off too Thursday after their historic performances.
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