The Boston Celtics snapped their three-game losing streak and got back in the win column Friday afternoon against the red-hot Phoenix Suns at TD Garden, 123-110.
With the win the Celtics improved to 17-19, while the Suns fell to 27-8 on the campaign.
You can check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
After an abysmal 4-for-42 performance from beyond the arc Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers, Boston responded with one of its finest wins of the season so far. The Jayson Tatum-less Celtics controlled action from the jump against the league-leading Suns on New Year’s Eve.
Boston lately has built up leads but imploded in the second half. The Celtics built up a 26-point lead after the first 24 minutes and although at times they seemed poised to blow it once again, they did enough down the stretch to hold on and earn their 17th win of the season.
In the win, the Celtics shot 10-of-27 from three, including nine in the first half.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Robert Williams earned his first triple-double of his young career finishing the day with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to go along with four blocks. He dominated play early on and responded in a major way after iffy performances during the team’s losing streak.
— Jaylen Brown also responded after a subpar performance on Wednesday and finished the day with 24 points and 11 rebounds in 35 minutes of action.
— Marcus Smart returned to the lineup after missing a few games due to a hand laceration and had one of his best games of the season in the win, securing a stat line of 24 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
WAGER WATCH
If you had faith in the Celtics snapping their losing streak, it could’ve earned you some money Friday. Boston was 3.5-point underdogs against the Suns and the moneyline was set at +150 according to DraftKings Sportsbook. If you placed a $100 wager on the Celtics, it would have paid out $150 in profit.
UP NEXT
The Celtics will take New Year’s Day off but return to action Sunday night at home against the Orlando Magic with tip-off scheduled for 6 p.m. ET.
