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LOS ANGELES — It was Boston vs. Boston connected Wednesday night.
The Clippers were fortunate their mentation – successful the signifier of 20-year-old rookie Brandon Boston Jr. – helped them physique a buffer ample capable to withstand a spirited Celtics rally and their ain upland of mistakes for a 114-111 triumph astatine Staples Center.
Boston, the 51st wide draught prime retired of Chatsworth’s Sierra Canyon High School, scored 18 of his career-high and team-high 27 points successful the Clippers’ 39-point 2nd 4th – a midgame outpouring of which the Clippers needed each drop.
They led 112-111 with 9.3 seconds near earlier Ivica Zubac’s 2 escaped throws yet enactment distant a hard-fought win.
Paired with Monday’s triumph successful Portland, it’s the archetypal clip the Clippers (14-12) person won consecutive games since their seven-game winning streak that ended Nov. 14, earlier which their grounds was 8-4. Coach Tyronn Lue’s squad present is 6-8 since.
For Boston, the team, it was the 2nd nonaccomplishment astatine Staples Center successful arsenic galore nights; they’d stumbled against the Lakers, 117-102, successful the gathering connected Tuesday.
It was a heartening triumph for the Clippers, who were without their 2 champion players. Kawhi Leonard remains sidelined arsenic helium recovers from a torn ACL and Paul George was ruled retired soon earlier tipoff connected Wednesday due to the fact that of close elbow pain.
In their place, a caller prima shone.
Boston finished with 27 points connected 9-for-13 shooting, including making 5 of his 8 3-point attempts and each 4 of his escaped throws.
The youngster mixed it up with unabashed moxie, drafting a method foul for taunting Marcus Smart and a Flagrant 1 for clearing abstraction with his crisp elbows and sending Celtics defender Grant Williams to the deck.
Nicolas Batum played for the archetypal clip successful 9 games; ne'er caput that helium hadn’t played since Nov. 19, the savvy seasoned filled successful for George, starting successful his archetypal crippled back. He near the tribunal and returned to the locker country successful the 3rd play aft injuring his close ankle, but helium returned not agelong aft and finished without a constituent successful 15 calming minutes.
The Clippers’ pb ballooned to 21 points – 76-55 – with 7:17 near successful the 3rd quarter, astatine which constituent Jayson Tatum spearheaded an 18-2 Celtics tally that chopped the pb to a specified 5 points successful less than 5 minutes, getting the fractional of the 17,064-fan-strong assemblage comprised of Boston fans riled up.
Tatum scored 12 of his 29 points (on 9-for-20 shooting) successful the 3rd 4th arsenic the Celtics (13-13) entered the last play trailing 87-78.
The Celtics drew backmost wrong 5 points with 3:59 near successful the 4th quarter, 102-97. But consecutive 3-pointers from Reggie Jackson (17 points) and Luke Kennard (15 points) built the buffer backmost up to 8 points.
Celtics manager Ime Udoka successfully challenged an out-of-bounds call, giving his squad possession with 1:28 remaining and the Clippers ahead, 108-103. Dennis Schröder’s 3-point effort missed, but Tatum ripped the shot distant from Mann and muscled his mode to the rim to portion the borderline to 3 points.
Morris (20 points) knocked down his 2nd 3-pointer of the nighttime to marque it 111-105 earlier Tatum scored his last six points to trim the Clippers’ pb to one.
With George cheerleading connected the bench, Jackson was a needfully assertive shot-taker, putting up 22 shots – 1 shy of his season-high.
After a 15-game layoff to fortify his ailing knee, Marcus Morris Sr. continued to spot successful a bunch, finishing with 20 points – his 4th consecutive crippled scoring 17 oregon more.
In his archetypal commencement this season, Terance Mann turbo-started matters for the hosts. He scored 8 of his 10 points successful the archetypal quarter, erstwhile the third-year helping was 4 for 4 with 5 rebounds, an assistance and a steal. He finished with 10 rebounds successful 32 minutes.
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