Celtics starters were in a giving mood during Christmas Day win over Lakers
BOSTON -- It's the time of the year when it's better to give than to receive. The Boston Celtics were very much in a giving mood on Christmas Day.
Celtics starters shared the love -- and the ball -- throughout the team's 126-115 win over the Lakers in Los Angeles on Monday, accounting for 31 of the team's 29 assists in the victory. Derrick White led the charge with 11 dimes, while Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday each dished out seven helpers. Kristaps Porzingis and Jaylen Brown both added a pair of assists, as Boston displayed some incredible ball movement throughout the win.
White and Tatum both matched their season-high for assists, which helped Tatum have a positive impact despite shooting just 6-for-15 from the floor. Holiday, meanwhile, celebrated the Christmas holiday with his third straight game with at least seven assists.
Monday marked the first time in three seasons that the Celtics had three different players with at least seven assists in a game.
All of that passing made it pretty easy for the Celtics to score, too. All five starters finished with at least 18 points, with Porzingis leading the way with 28 points to go with his 11 rebounds and two blocks. He punished any switch or mismatch that went his way, with the Boston big man hitting 11 of his 19 shots from the floor. He scored 13 of his points in the third quarter, hitting four of his five shots as the C's outscored the Lakers 41-33 in the frame.
Tatum finished with 25 points to go with his seven assists and eight rebounds, while Holiday also flirted with a triple-double with 18 points, seven boards, and seven assists. (He also played some solid defense on LeBron James throughout the contest.) Brown put in 19 points along with five rebounds and three steals, while White scored 18 of his own to go with a pair of steals and blocks.
When Boston's starting five is playing at such a level, they're nearly impossible to beat. C's starters accounted for 108 of the team's 126 points on Monday, and overall, the squad had its third straight game with at least 31 assists. Boston is now 6-0 this season when the team hands out 30 or more assists in a game.
It's the season of giving, but the Celtics have taken that to heart all season. White (5.2), Holiday (4.9), and Tatum (4.3) are all averaging more than four assists per game, and Brown isn't far behind at a career-best 3.6 dimes per game. The Celtics are averaging 27 assists over 11 games in December, going 9-2 over that stretch.
Monday's assist-filled win over the Lakers ended a successful road trip for the Celtics, with Boston going 3-1 to improve to an NBA-best 23-6 on the season. They return home Thursday night to host the Detroit Pistons, a team that is currently riding a 26-game losing streak.
