Celtics edge past Clippers, 117-112

Kawhi Leonard was a late scratch with back spasms, and still this one didn’t miss a beat.

The Celtics shot 49.4 percent – 50 percent  from downtown – the Clippers shot 50 percent overall, and by the time the gasoline fumes cleared the Celtics had pulled out their third straight with a 117-112 win over the Clippers.-

You also wouldn’t have known Leonard was absent by the way the Clippers managed to harass Jayson Tatum with a varied cast of defenders. The Celtics star didn’t score his eighth point until the fourth quarter, but launched from there with a 14-point, 5-for-16 performance.

The Celtics, with Kemba Walker leading the way with 25 points, held off the Clippers despite 32 points from Paul George.

Tatum, struggling against a swarm all night, drained a right corner 3-pointer with 5:36 left. It was his most open look of the night – Clippers coach Ty Lue immediately called timeout – and good for a 109-100 lead that was the Celtics’ biggest of the night.

George missed twice leading up to Tatum’s post-up off a Rob Williams feed, and Patrick Beverley cut the Celtics lead to 111-103 with a 3-pointer.

George then put back his own miss, cutting the Celtics lead to six points. Daniel Theis, fouled, hit twice to push the edge back to eight with three minutes left.

Reggie Jackson buried a 3-pointer, Ojeleye missed from the corner, and Beverley cut the Celtics lead to four with two free throws.

But Tatum drove the baseline again, got fouled by George, and had the call overturned by Lue’s challenge. Rob Williams beat Serge Ibaka to the ensuing jump ball, rebounded an Ojeleye miss, only for Tatum to lose the ball.

But George missed a jumper, Tatum was called for a charge, and with 282 seconds left the Clippers took possession. Brad Stevens’ challenge on the Tatum play was unsuccessful and the Celtics were charged with a timeout.

George missed from downtown and Rob Williams went high for the rebound. He was also fouled with 23.6 seconds left, front-rimmed his first attempt, and hit the second for a 114-109 lead.

George hit a corner three with 10.9 seconds left.

Tatum inbounded to Theis, who hit twice with 10.2 seconds left for a four-point lead.

George got the ball at the top of the circle but missed off the front of the rim.

Lou Williams’ late 3-pointer gave the Clippers an 89-88 lead at the end of the third quarter. Every Celtic except for Tatum (seven points, 3-for-11) had found the proper range over the first three quarters, with George’s 27-point performance over the same stretch keeping the Clippers a hair ahead.

Tatum came out for the start of the fourth, and immediately assisted on Payton Pritchard’s go-ahead trey. Lou Williams answered from downtown, and Tatum assisted on another bomb, this one from Semi Ojeleye.

Rob Williams touch-banked a lob from Pritchard for a 96-92 Celtics lead, and the next time down hit the second of two free throws for a five-point edge.

Despite some Clipper inroads, Jeff Teague hit a three, this time for a 100-94 edge, though LA kept threatening, cutting the Celtics lead to 100-98 on an Ivica Zubac dunk.

Teague came out of a timeout with a layup, but fouled Lou Williams down the other end. The Clippers sniper naturally hit both, but Rob Williams dunked a Walker lob.

George lost the ball under the basket, and Tatum was fouled leading the break. Tatum missed the first and hit the second for his first point of the second half and then, following a Nic Batum miss, drained a 3-pointer from the right corner that was his most open look of the night.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3bZEINQ