Jayson Tatum’s 30-point game, featuring five 3-pointers, played a pivotal role in the Boston Celtics’ commanding 126-97 victory over the Utah Jazz during Friday night’s NBA action.
The Celtics led from start to finish, reaching a massive 36-point lead in the first half and impressively sinking 17 three-pointers. This win marks the Celtics’ seventh in their last eight games, underscoring their status as leaders in the Eastern Conference.
Tatum’s performance marked his 14th game this season, scoring 30 points or more. Teammates Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday also scored 19 and 14 points, respectively. The Celtics have been on an offensive roll, scoring 120 or more points in their last nine games.
Porzingis attributed their offensive success to the team’s inherent talent and better integration into their roles. He highlighted Tatum’s adaptability to Utah’s double teams, creating significant advantages for the team.
“I think it’s just the talent, honestly,” Porzingis said. “Us settling in a little bit to our roles and into our ways of playing. And we’re just that talented, to be honest. Tonight, they were doubling JT, and he was willing to make the right pass and the right play. That’s an automatic, huge advantage for us.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, Utah Jazz Updates
Meanwhile, the loss ended a three-game winning streak for the Jazz, who are currently on a challenging road trip against the top three teams in the Eastern Conference, with games against Philadelphia and Milwaukee up next. On Monday, The Jazz will return home to face the defending NBA champions, Denver.
Utah, which had tied a franchise record with 154 points in an overtime win against Detroit, struggled against the Celtics. They faced challenges with their shooting, hitting season lows of 36% from the field and 18% from the 3-point line. Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz with 17 points, five rebounds, and five assists. However, Utah’s 18 turnovers, which Boston converted into 26 points, highlighted their struggles.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, Utah Jazz Updates
Jazz coach Will Hardy acknowledged their lack of offensive physicality, which was exploited by the Celtics’ strong defense. The loss further accentuated Utah’s struggles on the road, where they have a 5-15 record.
“We just looked timid around the basket early in the game,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “I think we were pretty unphysical on the offensive end. We’ve been talking a lot about our physicality defensively. Tonight, I think our lack of physicality on the offensive end was exposed by a very good defensive team.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, Utah Jazz Updates
The Celtics set the tone early in the game, scoring the first 10 points. Utah missed their first nine shots, allowing Boston to build a 12-2 lead. The Celtics ended the first quarter with a 30-15 lead, capped off by Holiday’s 28-foot buzzer-beater. Utah managed only 18% shooting in the quarter. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla commended his team’s effort in neutralizing Utah’s speed with physical and off-ball defense.
“Tonight’s game was about taking away their speed with our physicality and our off-ball defense, and I thought we did that,” Mazzulla said.
Looking ahead, the Jazz will continue their road trip against the Philadelphia 76ers while the Celtics face the Indiana Pacers in back-to-back games.
