Porzingis scores 27 and Celtics rout Jazz 121-99 for 4th straight win

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Kristaps Porzingis scored 27 points and Jayson Tatum added 26 to lead the Boston Celtics to a 121-99 victory over the Utah Jazz on Friday night.

Porzingis added 10 rebounds and six assists, and Tatum chipped in six boards, six assists, and three steals as Boston won its four straight and ninth in its last 10 games.

Collin Sexton led Utah with 30 points on 12-of-15 shooting. Keyonte George added 19 points and seven assists as the Jazz lost for the seventh time in their last eight games.

Six of Boston’s first seven baskets were 3-pointers, opening the door for the Celtics to seize control early. The Celtics led 35-18 in the final minute of the first quarter. Tatum powered Boston’s first-quarter offense, scoring six baskets and assisting three others.

Sexton heated up after halftime, sparking a Utah rally. He made three 3-pointers early in the third quarter to trim the deficit to single digits. George added a fourth outside basket that cut Boston’s lead to 71-69.

Tatum answered George with a 3-pointer, sparking a 13-0 run that put Boston back in control.

Takeaways

Celtics: Boston made 17 3-pointers. Four players chipped in three or more outside baskets for the Celtics, led by Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser with four apiece.

Jazz: This was Sexton’s second game of the season with 12 made field goals.

Key moment

After George made it a one-possession game, Tatum countered with a stepback three 19 seconds later to spark a 13-0 run that put the Celtics up 84-69 with 3:27 left in the third.

Key stat

Boston outscored Utah 26-5 in points off turnovers.

Up next

Both teams are back in action on Sunday. Boston is at Portland while Utah hosts Cleveland.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba