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Key Moment
A 21-point deficit for Boston dropped all the way down to five with 3:59 remaining in regulation Wednesday night in LA. The Clippers then drained two straight shots from long range that gave them just enough breathing room to pull out a victory.
Reggie Jackson canned the first from straight away at the 3:30 mark of the quarter. Luke Kennard then drained one 50 seconds later to bump LA’s lead up to 108-97 with 2:40 left on the clock. Credit to the Clippers for hitting those shots, but Boston failed to contest either of the attempts.
Boston eventually clawed back to within one point during the final 10 seconds, but it wasn’t able to get any closer than that. That fact only underscores the importance of those back-to-back 3-pointers by Jackson and Kennard, which provided the Clippers with just enough cushion to hold on for the 114-111 win.
Key Player
Marcus Smart has been really, really good this season, and he was really, really good Wednesday night in LA.
Smart stuffed the stat score with 16 points, seven rebounds, six assists and four steals on the night. Those four steals tied Brandon Boston Jr. of the Clippers for the game’s top mark.
Smart was extremely efficient from inside the 3-point arc during this game, as he dropped in six of his 10 attempts from that area of the floor. The versatile guard was one of only four Celtics who avoided a negative plus/minus rating on the night.
Box Score Nuggets
- Jayson Tatum made (nine) and attempted (10) the most free throws of any player in the game.
- LA scored 33 points off of Boston's 23 turnovers.
- Brandon Boston Jr. led all reserves with 27 points.
- Tatum led the game with 29 points.
- LA scored 39 points during the third quarter.
- Josh Richardson came off the bench to score 17 points and canned three of his six 3-pointers.
- Both teams shot between 47 percent and 48 percent from the field.
- Both teams attempted 32 shots from long distance, with LA making 14 and Boston making 10.
- Dennis Schroder dished out a game-high eight assists.
- Tatum logged a double-double with his 29 points to go along with 10 rebounds.
Quote of the Night
Ime Udoka on Boston's 23 turnovers