Kristaps Porzingis compiled 27 points, 10 rebounds and six assists as the Boston Celtics posted a 121-99 victory over the Utah Jazz on Friday in Salt Lake City.
Jayson Tatum added 26 points for Boston (51-19), which has won four games in a row and nine of the past 10. Reserves Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser scored 18 and 14 points, respectively, for the Celtics.
Collin Sexton led Utah (16-55) with 30 points, while Keyonte George followed with 19 and Johnny Juzang put up 11. Walker Kessler tallied eight points, 11 rebounds and six assists for the Jazz, who have dropped 11 of 12.
After Utah trailed by as many as 17 points in the first half, Sexton’s pull-up 3-pointer cut the deficit to 69-65 with less than eight minutes left in the third.
George’s trey later sliced Boston’s lead to two before Tatum’s 3-pointer began an 13-0 Celtics run that built an 84-69 lead.
Pritchard’s triple stamped the quarter’s scoring and pushed the Celtics’ advantage to 14 entering the final quarter.
After Brice Sensabaugh’s layup pulled Utah within 10, Jrue Holiday hit a jumper and two straight Pritchard baskets followed, extending the Celtics’ edge to 17 with less than eight minutes remaining. Boston reserve Jordan Walsh capped the game’s scoring with a pair of dunks.
Sexton scored the contest’s initial five points before Tatum’s 14 first-quarter points and Porzingis’ 10 gave the Celtics a 35-21 lead entering the second.
Porzingis’ turnaround jumper put Boston ahead 39-28, but Juzang’s three-point play and a free throw from Kyle Filipowski pulled Utah within seven early in the second quarter.
Porzingis and Pritchard’s 3-pointers pushed Boston’s advantage to 16. Al Horford’s dunk later gave the Celtics a 55-41 lead, but inside hoops from Kessler and Cody Williams followed by Sensabaugh’s 3-pointer cut the Jazz’s deficit to 55-48. Porzingis’ putback layup sent the Celtics into halftime with a 60-51 edge.
Porzingis’ 21 first-half points led all scorers, when Tatum had 17. Sexton paced Utah with 16 at the break.
–Field Level Media
