December 9 – Derrick White scored a season-high 30 points, and Jayson Tatum added 25 to fuel the host Boston Celtics to a 133-123 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday.
White drained six 3-pointers and finished 10-for-16 from the floor overall and 4-for-4 from the foul line to eclipse his previous season-best point total, set in Boston’s 119-111 win over the Miami Heat on Oct. 27.
Kristaps Porzingis scored 21 points in his return from a four-game absence due to a low-grade strain in his left calf. He made his first seven shots against the team that selected him with the fourth overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft.
Boston’s Jaylen Brown scored 17 points before being ejected in the fourth quarter after arguing with an official from the bench.
Jrue Holiday had 16 points and Al Horford added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who improved to 10-0 at home after defeating New York for the third time in as many meetings this season.
Boston shot 52.7 percent from the floor (48 of 91) and 40.4 percent from 3-point range (19 of 47).
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Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett each scored 23 points, and Julius Randle added 20 for the Knicks, who have lost two in a row for the second time this season.
Porzingis started the game with a flourish, following up a dunk with a pair of 3-pointers to stake Boston to an 8-5 lead. The Celtics and Knicks played it close before Horford converted a three-point play and a 3-pointer on consecutive possessions to give the former a 74-65 lead at halftime.
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White sank a 3-pointer on consecutive possessions, and Brown joined Tatum with a dunk before capping a 13-2 surge by converting from beyond the arc with 5:10 left in the third.
Tatum’s 3-pointer extended Boston’s advantage to 106-86 with 2:41 remaining in the third quarter before New York scored nine straight points. Horford halted the run with a 3-pointer just before the buzzer.
Josh Hart drained a 3-pointer to bring the Knicks within seven at 119-112 with 5:57 remaining in the fourth quarter. White made a layup and two free throws to halt the momentum, and the Celtics kept a comfortable lead the rest of the way.