Inglewood, California — The Boston Celtics edged out the Los Angeles Clippers 117-113 in an overtime showdown on Wednesday evening, despite both teams lacking significant players. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 25 points while Jayson Tatum contributed 24. Derrick White had a strong performance as well, adding 20 points, and Sam Hauser tied his season best with 15 points, including five successful three-pointers. The Celtics were missing key players Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis due to injuries.
On the other side, Derrick Jones Jr. emerged as the star for the Clippers, posting a career-high 29 points, with 17 of those points scored in the first quarter. Kevin Porter Jr. also performed notably, achieving a season-best 26 points, while Amir Coffey chipped in with 24 points. The Clippers notably played without star players Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Norman Powell, and Ivica Zubac, which put additional pressure on their bench players.
The game saw the Clippers trailing by seven points in the fourth quarter, but they clawed their way back into contention. Coffey executed a dunk, and moments later, Jones intercepted a pass from Brown and scored, tying the game at 103-103 with just 4.2 seconds left, leading to overtime.
In the extra period, the Celtics quickly established a lead with a trio of three-pointers from White, Tatum, and Brown, pushing the score to 112-105. The Clippers responded, narrowing the gap to just two points after Coffey’s impressive three-point play with 30 seconds remaining. However, the Celtics maintained their composure, and as the clock wound down, Neemias Queta scored underneath the basket to seal the victory.
Key elements of the game included the Celtics’ ability to recover in the fourth quarter after being down by six points. They experienced a surge, scoring 13 consecutive points aided by three three-pointers, two from White and one from Tatum.
The contest was characterized by an intense back-and-forth, featuring a remarkable 16 ties and 25 changes in the lead throughout the game.
Looking ahead, the Celtics are set to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night, while the Clippers will host the struggling Washington team, marking the finale of their second back-to-back series this week.
