The desert was the perfect place for the Boston Celtics to stay red-hot.
Even without Jayson Tatum, who was sidelined due to a left ankle sprain, the Celtics still made easy work of the Phoenix Suns to earn a 132-102 on Wednesday night at PHX Arena. It was Boston’s seventh straight win, which tied its longest winning streak of the season, and 12th victory in its last 13 games to improve to 54-19.
The Celtics launched early and often from 3-point range, hitting 22-of-52 (42.3%) attempts from beyond the arc as they led wire-to-wire. They really left the Suns behind and opened up the game with a 20-2 run in the second quarter and led by as many as 34 points in the third quarter.
Here are three studs and three duds from the Celtics roasting the Suns:
STUDSKristaps PorzingisA healthy Porzingis producing at a high level is a very welcomed sight for the Celtics. Porzingis continued to play well after missing eight games due to a mysterious illness as he notched a team-high 30 points — his second-highest output of the season — on 10-for-15 shooting. The Suns had no answer for Porzingis stretching the floor as he hit 4-of-5 3-pointers while recording eight rebounds and two blocks.
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Jaylen BrownBrown, like he is known to do, set the tone for the Celtics with his running mate out. Brown knocked down back-to-back triples to begin the game and went on to score 24 points on 7-for-15 shooting. He also chipped in with five assists. The Celtics star had a strong sequence midway through the third quarter when he threw down an emphatic, highlight-reel dunk and then on the ensuing possession swished a step-back 3-pointer.
Al HorfordThere’s a reason why Horford is viewed as a consummate pro. He just does his job game in, game out. Horford contributed in several areas as he put together a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds to go along with five assists and two blocks. Not bad at all from the 18-year vet.
DUDSSuns defenseFor all the talent the Suns have, they are absolutely atrocious on the defensive end. After all, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker aren’t exactly known for their defensive capabilities. The Celtics met little to no opposition in the half court, playing with so much space they got whatever they wanted. No wonder the Suns are fifth-worst in the league in defensive rating, trailing only the Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans. That’s not a good group to be associated with.
Oso IghodaroThe young Suns center got taught a lesson by both Horford and Luke Kornet. Each took turns rejecting Ighodaro at the rim on dunks attempts in the first half. It was a tough look for Ighodaro, who finished with just six points with a minus-12 rating.
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Payton PritchardNearly everyone on the Celtics had their shots falling consistently besides for Pritchard. He made just 3-for-10 shots, including going 1-for-8 from downtown to score seven points. Pritchard did add four assists, but his shooting is a little streaky.