The Boston Celtics defeated the Phoenix Suns 123-103 Friday night, setting the new NBA single-season 3-point record in the process. Boston is now 57-20 for the season.
Midway through the first quarter it looked as if the Suns were going to challenge the Celtics. In the blink of an eye, however, Boston raced ahead, ripping open a 23-point lead before halftime. From there, the Suns were unable to keep pace. All-Star Jaylen Brown was a big part of Boston's success, and his 31 points led all Celtics scorers. Six guys in green scored in double figures by the time the final horn sounded, punctuating what was a well-rounded and effective offensive showcase.
Here's a closer recap from Friday night at TD Garden and a 123-103 Celtics home victory.
First quarter
Brown had been listed as questionable prior to the game with a bone bruise in his knee, but the All-Star forward ended up suiting up for the Celtics. This meant Boston was at full strength, while Phoenix was without superstar Kevin Durant.
The Suns showed some fight early on, thanks to a scoring outburst from Devin Booker. He scored 37 points with 6 assists assists by the end of the night.
But once the Celtics got going, the team never looked back. Boston closed the quarter on a 9-0 run to pull ahead of Phoenix and capture a big lead heading into the second frame.
Second quarter
The Celtics continued to pour it on at this point in the game. Per usual, 3-point shooting was a major piece to the ...
