BOSTON — Jaylen Brown contributed 31 points and made three long-range shots as the Boston Celtics shattered the NBA’s single-season record for three-pointers with their commanding 123-103 win against the Phoenix Suns on Friday (Saturday morning in Manila).
Boston hit 14 out of 39 three-point attempts, raising their season tally to 1,370. This surpassed the former record set by Golden State, which had 1,363 during the 2022-23 season. Following the end of their nine-game win streak in their last match, the Celtics cruised to this victory.
Jayson Tatum contributed with 23 points, along with eight rebounds and eight assists. Before leaving for the locker room early in the last quarter, holding a towel against his nose after being struck by an elbow from Phoenix’s Cody Martin during a drive towards the hoop, Kristaps Porzingis scored 15 points.
Porzingis lifted his hands above his head and gestured to the audience as he made his way towards the exit. He later rejoined the bench with an injury that needed stitching, according to the team’s statement.
Devin Booker topped the scoring for the Suns with 37 points. The team from Phoenix has now suffered five consecutive losses.
Early in the second quarter, Boston took a lead of over ten points thanks to Payton Pritchard's three-point shot. They extended this advantage to twenty points halfway through the period and went into halftime with a fourteen-point lead.
In Phoenix, Boston defeated the Suns by 30 points as part of their successful 6-0 road trip slightly more than a week back.
The Wizards: Bradley Beal came back after sitting out eight games due to a hamstring injury. However, he seemed off his game, scoring zero points despite attempting seven shots—including three from beyond the arc—and making only one of his two foul shots over the course of 30 minutes. ... Meanwhile, Kevin Durant missed another consecutive game because of an ankle issue.
The Celtics: Occasionally, Tatum, Brown, and Porzingis appear capable of taking turns putting points on the board against particular teams. Pritchard made a left-wing shot at the 8-minute mark of the second quarter, setting a new franchise record with their 1,364th three-point field goal in NBA history.
In the second half, the Celtics’ lead never dropped to single digits.
On Sunday, the Suns will play against the Knicks, and the Celtics will host the Wizards that evening. AP