Jayson Tatum leads Boston Celtics' easy win over Utah Jazz

NEW DELHI: Jayson Tatum led the Boston Celtics to a dominant 126-97 victory over the Utah Jazz, scoring 30 points, grabbing nine rebounds, and dishing out five assists in just 25 minutes of play. The Celtics extended their home record to 17-0 with the win.

Tatum was highly efficient, making 13 of his 14 free throw attempts and contributing 23 points in the first half alone. Boston established control early in the game, scoring the first 10 points and building a 30-15 lead after the first quarter. The lead continued to grow, reaching as much as 36 points in the second quarter.

Kristaps Porzingis added 19 points for the Celtics, while Jrue Holiday scored 14, and both Jaylen Brown and Sam Hauser contributed 13 points each. Derrick White rounded out the balanced scoring effort with 10 points and seven rebounds.

The Jazz struggled with their shooting, making only 36.2 percent of their field goal attempts and 17.6 percent from behind the three-point arc. Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz with 17 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Collin Sexton added 13 points, and John Collins posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

The Celtics, now on a nine-game streak of scoring at least 120 points, tied a franchise record. The victory came as Boston rested center Al Horford, a common practice on back-to-back game nights.

The Celtics will look to continue their strong performance as they play against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night.

(With Reuters inputs)

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