BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 33 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, while Payton Pritchard added 30 points as the Boston Celtics held off the Los Angeles Clippers for a 121-118 victory on Sunday.
Derrick White contributed 22 points along with nine assists and seven rebounds, and Neemias Queta chipped in 14 points and nine boards for Boston. The Celtics, playing for the first time since a 37-point home win against Memphis on Wednesday, nearly blew a 24-point, third-quarter lead but never trailed en route to their second straight victory.
James Harden, coming off his 82nd career triple-double with 41 points in a double-overtime win at Dallas on Friday, scored 32 of his 37 points in the second half to lead the Clippers. Ivica Zubac added 16 points and 12 rebounds. Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. left the game in the second quarter after a collision left him grabbing his right knee; he did not return.
Los Angeles cut the deficit to 119-118 following Harden’s 3-pointer with two seconds remaining. However, Pritchard was subsequently fouled and sank two free throws. Harden had an open look at a potential tying three-pointer at the buzzer, but the shot rimmed out as time expired.
After Los Angeles narrowed the score to 90-85 at the end of the third quarter, Brown responded by scoring 11 of Boston’s first 16 points in the final period. He showcased a mix of a 3-pointer, a conventional three-point play, and a couple of mid-range jumpers to keep the Celtics in control.
Boston had built a commanding 76-52 lead midway through the third quarter, fueled by two 3-pointers from Pritchard, who finished 8 of 13 overall from beyond the arc. The Clippers then mounted a 12-4 run capped by Harden’s left-wing three-pointer with 2.4 seconds left in the third.
Up next, the Clippers will face the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday in the third game of a seven-game road trip. The Celtics will travel to Brooklyn for a matchup on Tuesday.
https://whdh.com/sports/jaylen-brown-scores-33-payton-pritchard-30-as-celtics-hold-off-clippers-121-118/