Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 38 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Boston Celtics fended off the visiting New Orleans Pelicans 120-119 Sunday night.
C.J. McCollum missed a layup in traffic just before the final buzzer that would have handed the Pelicans the victory.
McCollum connected on two free throws to pull New Orleans within a point with 6.6 seconds left, the Celtics called a timeout but were then whistled for a five-second violation before they were able to inbound the ball. McCollum’s final shot bounced high off the backboard and hit the front of the rim before falling out.
Kristaps Porzingis added 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics, who had lost two of their previous three games. Boston also received 16 points, eight rebounds and seven assists from Jaylen Brown.
Trey Murphy returned after missing three games with an ankle injury to score 30 points for the Pelicans. Dejounte Murray had 26 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for New Orleans, which was 17 of 37 on 3-point attempts.
Boston was 13 of 44 from behind the 3-point arc, but blocked seven shots. The Celtics have won seven straight games against New Orleans, which entered the contest with three victories in its last five games.
Zion Williamson returned from a one-game suspension and had 16 points, seven rebounds and five steals for New Orleans.
The Pelicans led 35-29 after one quarter, but the Celtics held a 62-61 advantage at halftime. Murray was 5 of 6 from 3-point range in the opening quarter and scored 17 points. New Orleans had a 26-15 lead — its largest lead of the half — with 4:10 remaining in the first.
A dunk by Luke Kornet capped an 11-2 run that handed Boston a 51-47 lead with 5:23 left in the half. New Orleans responded with an 8-0 run to go up by four, but the Celtics carried a one-point lead into the third quarter.
It remained close throughout the third. Boston outscored New Orleans 28-27 in the quarter and had a 90-88 edge entering the fourth.
–Field Level Media
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