The Boston Celtics gained some key separation in the third quarter after a back-and-forth first half to notch a 117-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns in an NBA restart scrimmage in Orlando on Sunday afternoon.
The Celtics (43-21 regular-season record) were outplayed on both ends of the floor over the first 12 minutes by the Suns (26-39 regular-season record), which rang up 32 points while limiting Boston to 29. However, coach Brad Stevens’ squad turned the game around during the middle periods, when they outscored Phoenix by a 65-49 margin. The expansion of a four-point halftime advantage to 13 points by the end of the third quarter gave the Celtics the breathing room they needed to notch the double-digit win, one in which they outshot their opponent by a 48.8 percent-38.9 percent margin.
Devin Booker led the way for the Suns with 17 points, adding nine assists and four rebounds. Mikal Bridges followed with 16 points and also furnished five boards, one assist and three blocks. Cameron Johnson supplied 13 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal. Dario Saric turned in 12 points, eight boards and two assists. DeAndre Ayton registered 11 points, seven rebounds and two steals. Ricky Rubio made his scrimmage debut and totaled six points, four assists, two rebounds and one steal.
Jaylen Brown paced the Celtics with a game-high 21 points on 7-for-13 shooting, including a 3-for-6 tally from three-point range. Gordon Hayward delivered 17 points, six boards, three assists and one block. Jayson Tatum finished with 16 points, nine rebounds, two assists and one steal. Marcus Smart led the second unit with 10 points, five rebounds and five assists. Kemba Walker, who’s been battling knee soreness, was able to log nine minutes of action and record six points and one rebound.
Both teams return to the floor Tuesday for their final scrimmages, with the Suns battling the Toronto Raptors in a matinee affair and the Celtics facing the Houston Rockets in the evening.
