Celtics defeat the Nets by 50 points to enter an exclusive group.
In the penultimate game for both teams before the All-Star break, the Boston Celtics defeated the visiting Brooklyn Nets 136-86 on Wednesday. Derrick White finished with 27 points while Payton Pritchard came off the bench to score 28.
The major victory, according to ESPN, places Boston in exclusive company. The Boston Celtics are only the third NBA club in history to win more than 50 points in a single season. Given that it was Joe Mazzulla’s 100th game leading the Celtics, the victory held special significance for him.
Of his 16 efforts from the field, Pritchard made 11 of them, including 6 of his 9 attempts from beyond the 3-point arc. White made 10 of 16 field goals and 5 of 10 three-point tries. Boston made 22 of its 44 long-range attempts and shot 57.8 percent from the field.
For the Celtics, who rested their starters for the majority of the second half and won their sixth straight, Jayson Tatum finished with 20 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds.
In addition, Kristaps Porzingis, who hobbled off the court late in the first half and did not return, contributed 15 points and five rebounds to the Celtics.
After three quarters, the Celtics led 101-55 and increased their lead to 56 points in the fourth. Boston had defeated Brooklyn twice in as many nights. On Tuesday, the Celtics defeated the Nets 118-110 in New York.
With a team-high 15 points, Trendon Watford led the Nets, who shot 38.3 percent from the field. Mikal Bridges scored ten points to lead Brooklyn, who dropped its fifth straight game.
Ben Simmons was benched by Brooklyn in the second game of a back-to-back set. Al Horford (toe) and Jaylen Brown (shoulder) were not available for the Celtics to play.
At one quarter, the Celtics led 30–15, and at halftime, they were up 68–32. After Tatum’s 3-pointer with 4:39 left in the half, Boston scored the next 22 points to take a 52-17 lead, closing the half with Brooklyn behind 30-17. Boston has its biggest halftime advantage since 2010 at 36 points.
