By: EFE
By: EFE
The Celtics strongly dominated the Phoenix Suns by 123 – 108 in a game in which Boston’s, without Jayson Tatum , came to be 30 points up on the scoreboard and in which the local center , Robert Williams III, achieved the first triple-double of his career.
Williams III scored 10 points, 11 bounces and 10 assists, in addition to dispensing 5 blocks and getting 2 steals. Teammate Jaylen Brown doubled with 24 points and 11 Bounces and Marcus Smart 24 points, and 9 rebounds.
The best of the Suns was Devin Booker who despite having a gray performance with a shooting percentage of 26, 9%, ended up scoring 22 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Cameron Johnson contributed 20 points, 5 rebounds, 1 attendance and 2 robberies.
The Suns came to Boston being second in the Western Conference standings while the Celtics were in 10th position in the Eastern Conference and had lost the last 3 games in a row.
Before the game began, the TD Garden held a minute’s silence in honor of the historic Celtics point guard Sam Jones who died at the 88 years on Thursday night. Jones is the second most titled athlete in the NBA, with 10 rings and 5 times “All Star”.
The game began with an intoned Smart that rejoined Boston after a slight injury in a hand. The point guard went out to eat the court and scored 3 of 2 points in the first 2 minutes of the game.
During most of the 12 first minutes, the game remained even, with constant changes of leadership on the scoreboard. But in the final two minutes, the Celtics had a partial of 10 – 2 and left 32 – 19 on the scoreboard.
In the second quarter, the Boston team maintained control of the game and gradually increased their advantage.
With 4 minutes to end the second quarter, a basket from Josh Richardson, who until that moment had started the game from the bench 13 points, 3 rebounds, an assist and a steal, got an advantage of 19 points, 54- 35, for the Celtics.
The Celtics took a run and continued to increase their lead thanks to successive errors by the Suns and guard B ooker seemed gone.
Less than a minute from the end of the first half, Boston’s were leading Phoenix in 30 points, 67 – 37, with a sensational “alley oop” of Robert Williams III after a pass from Richardson. The first time ended 67 – 41.
After the break, the Suns began to improve led by Jalen Smith and Cameron Johnson. Meanwhile, a block from Robert Williams III in the first minutes of the period, humiliated a bewildered Booker who found it difficult to get into the game.
The third quarter ended 100-77 with a Robert Williams III’s triple when the horn sounded.
In the first minutes of the final quarter, a play by Brown, with several fantasy feints with which he got rid of 4 defenders and that ended in 2 points, lifted the TD spectators Garden of their seats.
5 minutes from the end, the Bostonians’ lead was narrowing again, 107 – 97, led by Suns point guard Chris Paul.
But the Celtics were determined not to lose this game at the last minute, and applied with an almost insurmountable defense and a festival of blocks that left the final score in 123 – 108.