Last week, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard went off in Jayson Tatum’s absence, combining for 84 points while the Celtics’ All-NBA superstar watched from the bench.
On Monday, it was Sam Hauser’s turn.
Hauser didn’t quite match the record-setting totals White and Pritchard posted against Portland, but he delivered by far his most productive offensive performance of the season as Boston defeated the tanking Utah Jazz 114-108 at TD Garden.
Stepping into the starting lineup with Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford all sitting, Hauser scored a season-high 33 points and accounted for half of the Celtics’ made 3-pointers, going 9-for-19 from beyond the arc. Seven of those threes came in the third quarter, helping Boston turn a competitive game at halftime into what looked like a runaway rout.
The 47-18 Celtics then watched 15-50 Utah erase a 24-point deficit in the fourth quarter before a strong closing stretch led by Jaylen Brown sealed Boston’s fifth straight victory.
The Celtics lineup that started Monday’s game (White, Jrue Holiday, Hauser, Brown and Luke Kornet) had not played a single minute together all season, and it struggled to find its footing. Utah stayed within striking distance throughout the first half.
Non-rotation reserves Baylor Scheierman, Torrey Craig and Neemias Queta entered late in the first quarter, and all three quickly made positive plays. Scheierman recorded a steal seconds after checking in. Craig, whose energy is evident on the court and in his reactions on Boston’s bench, grabbed two offensive rebounds and hit two 3-pointers. Queta had an offensive board, a block and a layup, partially offsetting his three early turnovers.
White played the entire second quarter and carried the Celtics’ offense for multiple stretches, pouring in 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting while adding two assists. Brown flexed his muscles late in the quarter, fighting his way for layups on back-to-back possessions, but Boston entered halftime with a narrow 53-47 lead.
That lead exploded in the third quarter thanks to Hauser, whose seven 3-pointers in the frame set a franchise record. He outscored the Jazz by himself in the quarter (23-22) as Boston’s cushion hit double digits, then 20 points, then 24. It was tied for the fifth-highest-scoring quarter by a Celtics player in the play-by-play era (since 1996-97), trailing only one by Tatum, one by Kemba Walker and two by Isaiah Thomas.
The Celtics entered the fourth up 90-69 but — in a troublesome trend that’s reappeared in recent games — could not finish off the Jazz. Utah rallied, staging a 34-13 run to tie the game at 103 apiece with 3:21 remaining. Bryce Sensabaugh fueled that furious comeback with 17 points off Utah’s bench, and John Collins drilled two 3-pointers after missing his first nine attempts from deep.
But the Celtics were able to survive the upset bid. Brown drew a foul and made one free throw to put Boston back ahead, and Holiday hit a corner three on the next possession — his first points since the first quarter. Brown then came up with back-to-back steals, following the first with a driving dunk and using the second to set up Hauser’s ninth and final three of the night.
A Kornet offensive rebound and a Holiday steal shut the door on Utah.
The Celtics will face a far more talented Western Conference foe Wednesday night when they host the first-place Oklahoma City Thunder to close out a seven-game homestand. The Thunder trail only Cleveland in the NBA’s overall standings and boast the NBA MVP front-runner in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 33 points in a win over Boston on Jan. 5.
Tatum and Horford should be available for that matchup, but Porzingis’ status is less clear as he battles a mysterious “viral illness.” The center posted an update on social media during Monday’s game saying the Celtics “haven’t been able to fully identify” his ailment.
“I am recovering and getting better. But still working my way back to full (strength) to help this team,” said Porzinigs, who’s missed the last six games and seven of the last eight. “Thanks for support and I’m hoping for a healthy return soon.”
Originally Published: March 10, 2025 at 9:55 PM EDT