Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum both had double-doubles as the Boston Celtics won their ninth consecutive game, beating the host New Orleans Pelicans 117-109 on Friday night.
Brown had 27 points and 10 rebounds, Tatum had 19 points and 10 assists, Derrick White scored 26 points, Al Horford added 18 and Grant Williams had 12.
Brandon Ingram finished with 25 points and seven assists, CJ McCollum added 18 points, Herbert Jones 17, Larry Nance Jr. 16 and Jonas Valanciunas and Jose Alvarado 10 each for the Pelicans, who played their third consecutive game without leading scorer Zion Williamson (bruised foot).
The Celtics scored the first five points of the third quarter to increase their lead to 15, and they extended it to 19 later in the quarter.
Naji Marshall scored five points as the Pelicans finished on a 10-2 run to trim their deficit to 89-78 at the end of the third quarter.
Williams’ floater started the fourth-quarter scoring, and Boston twice led by 13 points.
Jones made consecutive baskets and Ingram hit a 3-pointer to get New Orleans within 98-92.
Williams answered with a 3-pointer and Horford added a dunk to give the Celtics an 11-point lead midway through the period.
The Pelicans got within seven points four times down the stretch, but Boston had an answer each time.
Horford started the Celtics’ scoring with a 3-pointer and he made two more and Brown and Tatum both made two apiece as Boston built a 29-19 lead.
The Celtics took their biggest lead of the quarter at the end as White scored the final eight points for a 40-25 lead.
Horford finished the quarter with 12 points and Tatum scored 10 as Boston made 10 of 16 3-pointers.
Malcolm Brogdon’s 3-pointer started the second-quarter scoring, and the Celtics led by 18 points twice.
McCollum scored four points during an 8-0 run that pulled the Pelicans within 10, and his 3-pointer a few minutes later got them within five.
Boston rebuilt the lead to as much as 14 points before taking a 67-57 halftime lead.
–Field Level Media