By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Boston Celtics survived a sluggish start and turned things around late in the game to dispose the New Orleans Pelicans, 104-92, in the ongoing NBA regular season on March 31, 2024.
After suffering back-to-back demoralizing losses at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks, the Celtics entered the matchup with a fire inside but an early New Orleans avalanche led by CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson looked to spoil Boston’s ultimate goal.
However, Boston’s quick defensive adjustments turned the tables around in the second quarter after only limiting the Pelicans to just 20 points.
From there, the Celtics snatched away the lead heading into the second half and continued their defensive masterclass in the third frame.
With their mixed zone and paint protection, the Celtics put the clamps on New Orleans and held them to one of their worst quarter scoring performances in franchise history with just 11 points.
Kristaps Porzingis then spearheaded Boston’s final rally and capped off the convincing victory with 19 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks, three assists, and two steals.
Aside from Porzingis’ efficient all-around performance, the Celtics received a balanced scoring effort from Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Jrue Holiday who all entered double-digit scoring.
Tatum backstopped Porzingis with 23 points, nine rebounds, and four assists while Brown contributed 17 markers, seven rebounds, and six dimes.
Despite a 49-point combined effort from the duo of Williamson and McCollum, the 1-2 punch needed more help as they got outscored in the second half and slowed down defensively.
The Celtics will look to mount another winning streak on April 2, 2024, as they take on the Charlotte Hornets in an Eastern Conference showdown.
