The Celtics and Suns entered the game with identical records, but only one could emerge victorious.
In the end, Phoenix topped Boston 100-91 in the Sunday matinee at Talking Stick Resort Arena.
The C’s were a bit shorthanded with Marcus Smart (left calf tear) and Jaylen Brown (left knee soreness) out of commission. And it showed, especially on offense.
Jayson Tatum wasn’t his sharpest, but he did put up 23 points and seven assists in the loss. Kemba Walker struggled to find a rhythm, too, but posted 12 points.
Grant Williams looked good, too, with 10 points and three rebounds of his own. Daniel Theis (12), Payton Pritchard (12) and Jeff Teague (10) scored double figures, as well.
The Celtics dipped to 12-10 while the Suns climbed to 13-9.
Here’s how it all went down:
STARTING FIVE
PF: Jayson Tatum
SF: Grant Williams
SG: Carsen Edwards
PG: Kemba Walker
C: Tristan Thompson
SUNS START HOT
Phoenix took control early in this one.
Things remained relatively quiet through the first half of the quarter. The Suns slowly built a solid lead, even opening a 13-point lead on Boston with 4:12 on the clock.
Luckily, the C’s stayed within striking distance. But it certainly wasn’t pretty.
Boston hit a measly seven of 26 shots (26.9%) from the field, thanks partly to Tatum’s early struggles. The star forward sank just three of 10 shots (33%) but scored more than half of the team’s first-quarter points.
Walker went 0-for-4 and racked up two personal fouls.
Phoenix, meanwhile, hit 11-of 17 (64.7%). The Suns took a 27-19 lead into the second quarter.
BOSTON BATTLES BACK
The C’s shooting woes didn’t fade in the second, but somehow, they kept themselves in contention.
Despite shooting 52.5% in the first half, Phoenix’s offense slowed considerably in the second quarter. The C’s capitalized on this and chipped away at the Suns’ lead in the latter portion of the half.
Boston even tied the game at 44 thanks to a nifty Williams layup with 1:54 on the clock. Williams hit four of his six first-half shots for a sold 10 points.
Phoenix got a couple of quick buckets to take the lead back heading into halftime, but their lead sat at just three.
Tatum collected a team-high 12 points despite shooting 4-for-12 from the field, including two 3 pointers.
FIRST THEY’RE SOUR, THEN THEY’RE SWEET
It seemed like the Celtics would maintain their growing momentum, but that didn’t last long.
Boston’s ball-handling was excellent exiting halftime. But the Suns quickly regained their footing and opened up a 14-point lead midway through the quarter.
Phoenix’s solid defense prevented the C’s from gaining more momentum, too. Boston’s shooting woes continued, too, with just seven of 22 shots going down in the third.
An 8-0 run helped the Celtics cut back on what once was a 17-point lead for the Suns. Phoenix’s lead was down to nine entering the final frame.
CLOSE ONLY COUNTS IN HORSESHOES
Try as they might, the C’s simply couldn’t complete the comeback.
Both teams came out strong in the fourth, though the Suns had a bit of an edge. Phoenix’s lead hovered around nine points for much of the quarter.
Boston’s willpower was on full display the team tried to rally back from its double-figure third-quarter deficit. The Celtics made it a six-point game on three separate occasions late in the fourth before Pritchard finally made it a three-point ball game with 1:04 left.
But a Devin Booker triple and a foul on Cameron Johnson sealed Boston’s fate.
The Suns ultimately beat the Celtics 100-91.
PLAY OF THE GAME
And BOOM goes the dynamite.
UP NEXT
The C’s will head to Utah to play the Jazz on Tuesday night at 10 p.m. ET.
