The Boston Celtics hosted the Utah Jazz with more than just a win on their agenda for the night, with the outcome critical for Boston to avoid a risk of sliding to the East’s third seed as much as keeping hopes alive of overtaking the first-place Milwaukee Bucks. And the Celtics managed to do all the above as well as exact a modicum of revenge against a weaker team that stole a win from Boston not so long ago.
Big nights from Jayson Tatum (39 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals), Malcolm Brogdon (19 points, 7 assists), and Derrick White (17 points) carried the day, with solid outings from Marcus Smart (14 points) and Grant Williams (13 points, 5 boards) on a night where Jaylen Brown (12 points on 5-of-19 shooting) struggled a bit from the floor.
