The Boston Celtics bounced back Saturday night, defeating the New Orleans Pelicans 104-92.
The Celtics started the game slow on the offensive side, with zero fast break points compared to the Pelicans' 10 points with 5:31 left to go in the first quarter. CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson were tough to guard, scoring 12 points apiece. The Pelicans outscored the Celtics 37-28 in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics made some defensive adjustments to disrupt McCollum and Williamson.
Williamson played nine minutes in the second quarter and scored only two points. McCollum scored zero.
Jayson Tatum and Derrick White sparked the Celtics on the offensive end, scoring nine points in the second quarter, with White scoring eight, punctuated by a buzzer-beater from deep to put the Celtics up for the first time in the game.
In the third quarter, the Celtics had their best defensive quarter of the season, only allowing 11 points. Williamson was shut down, scoring only one point in the frame, his lowest total against any team this season. The Celtics, on the other hand, scored 24 points.
In the fourth quarter, despite Williamson's 10 points, the Celtics' exceptional defense allowed them to maintain control and secure the win, even though they were outscored 24-21.
Tatum led the Celtics in points with 23. Each member of the starting five scored double digits, but Kristaps Porzingis was the game-star, finishing with 19 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks, four assists, and two steals. Jaylen Brown scored a respectable 17 points and finished with seven rebounds, six assists, a block, and a steal. White scored 15 points, and Jrue Holiday scored 13 points, with eight rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and one block.
Holiday and Porzingis were vital in shutting down Williamson in the second and third quarters of the game.
With the Celtics already clinching the number one seed in the Eastern Conference, it's good to see them bounce back with a great team win after losing to Atlanta twice.
The sky is the limit when the Celtics play as a team on both sides of the court.
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