PHOENIX, ARIZONA – MARCH 26: Kristaps Porzingis #8 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket against Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half at PHX Arena on March 26, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
Celtics-Suns takeaways: Porzingis leads 132-102 rout without Tatum originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
- The Celtics did not have Jayson Tatum after the star forward rolled his ankle in Monday’s win in Sacramento.
- Kristaps Porzingis took the mantle in the scoring column, tying the game high alongside Suns star Kevin Durant.
- Jaylen Brown delivered a bounce-back performance following a quiet night last time out.
- Boston’s prolific 3-point shooting proved to be too much for Phoenix, which endured a dry spell in the second quarter and couldn’t maintain pace.
The Boston Celtics outscorched the Suns in Phoenix to make it seven straight wins after a 132-102 result Wednesday night.
Without Jayson Tatum (ankle), the Celtics jumped off to a hot start, leading 21-9 before taking a 42-38 lead after one. Boston drilled its triples early on, nailing 10 of 17 with seven of the eight players who played making at least one. Kristaps Porzingis went 3-for-3 from deep while Jrue Holiday also added nine points, but not all via distance.
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Keeping Phoenix in it was Kevin Durant, who led all scorers after one with 16 points on 6 of 8 shooting. No other Sun recorded more than five points (Devin Booker, Collin Gillespie).
Boston then turned it up multiple notches in the second, leading by as much as 25 points with the 3-point disparity continuing to show. The Celtics increased its made triples to 14, while the Suns went a cold 0-for-9 from beyond the arc in the period. Four Boston starters eclipsed double-digit points, led by Porzingis’ 17. Durant pushed his point total to 20, but no other Sun had more than nine (Booker) as Boston led 73-54.
A few notches later in the third, Boston bumped its largest lead to 34 as its stellar shooting continued. Porzingis moved to 30 points while Jaylen Brown followed with 24. Durant still carried Phoenix with 30, but Booker’s 13 remained the second most as the side’s 3-point woes persisted.
The final quarter was just about getting through unscathed without injuries, and Boston did just that as Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard got to add to their stats, as did Neemias Queta.
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With the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, here are three takeaways from the Celtics’ blowout win over the Suns:
Porzingis’ health has been a frequent question mark, but tonight was one of those games where he exhibited his best version. The 29-year-old finished tied for a game-high 30 points on a hot 10 of 15 clip overall, including making 4 of 5 triples.
He added eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks to his stat line in 29 minutes, not playing in the fourth quarter with the game wrapped up. If Joe Mazzulla can continue to manage Porzingis’ minutes properly, he can win the team some playoff games singlehandedly.
After a quiet game against the Sacramento Kings on Monday despite 4 of 5 shooting, Brown made sure to step up in Tatum’s absence.
The 28-year-old recorded 24 points, second on the team, with a 7 of 15 clip from the field (4 of 9 from deep) while converting all six free-throw attempts. He added five assists, three rebounds and a steal to his stat sheet in 28 minutes, also not needing to play in the fourth.
Sometimes the modern NBA is simple: Just make more 3-pointers than your opponent. Boston found a rhythm early with 10 first-quarter triples made. Phoenix kept within distance with four, but missed nine attempts in the second quarter without a make and fell behind permanently.
Boston finished the game making 22 of 52 3-point attempts, a clip good for 42.3% on extremely high volume. Phoenix, on the other hand, ended up 13 of 41 from distance, only 31.7%. While Durant went 3 of 4, Booker went 1 of 6 and Cody Martin went 1 of 7, to name a few.
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It was a stark difference to the Celtics, with Al Horford being the worst starter from distance (2 of 7). Porzingis, Brown and Derrick White all made at least four triples, with Sam Hauser going 3 of 4 off the bench. Pritchard struggled, however, mustering just a 1 of 8 clip on the night. Still, he totaled seven points, six rebounds, four assists and a steal to help see off the game in the fourth.
Boston’s second and final regular-season matchup vs. Phoenix will be at home on Friday, April 4. Tip-off time is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET.
