The Boston Celtics secured the first playoff berth of the season with a 127-112 victory over the Phoenix Suns during Thursday’s NBA action. This win highlights their standing as the league’s top team, driven by effective strategies and a distinctive team culture emphasized by coach Joe Mazzulla.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla has a team rule that everybody contests shots, even after the whistle. Players, coaches — everybody. So when Mazzulla sprinted to prevent Phoenix’s Royce O’Neale from dropping in a practice basket heading into a timeout, it didn’t shock Jayson Tatum.
“Just Joe being Joe,” the All-Star said.
Jaylen Brown led the scoring with 37 points, with Tatum adding 26, and Al Horford contributing 24 points, including six 3-pointers. This performance helped Boston match their season-high with 25 3-pointers, improving to an NBA-best 52-14 on the season.
“Just attacked my weaknesses,” Brown said regarding his focus on improving playmaking. “I feel like some of the things you said about me last year you can’t say about me this year.”
The Celtics’ prowess in 3-point shooting was again a crucial aspect of their win, with the team combining for 40 3-pointers over their two games against the Suns.
“They’re the best in the league at it,” Suns coach Frank Vogel said. “It’s tough to guard. You talk about all the ways you try to limit it. We did the best we can with it. But we didn’t do enough tonight.”
Despite missing Kristaps Porzingis due to a strained right hamstring, the Celtics showed depth and versatility. Tatum and Brown were particularly effective in the first half, combining for 43 points, while Tatum played a key role in limiting Kevin Durant to five points over the final three quarters.
Devin Booker led the Suns with 23 points, with Bradley Beal and Durant adding 22 and 20 points, respectively.
Looking ahead, the Suns are set to face the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, while the Celtics will play the Washington Wizards on Sunday.
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