WASHINGTON – Jaylen Brown scored 32 points and Jayson Tatum added 27 as Boston remained unbeaten at home, defeating Houston 145-113 on Jan 13 in their former coach Ime Udoka’s return to TD Garden.
The Celtics improved to a National Basketball Association-best 30-9 overall – the league’s only undefeated club at home stretching their team-record streak to start a season to 19-0.
Brown, who scored 21 points in the third quarter when the Celtics pulled away, hit 11 of 15 shots from the floor, four of six from three-point range, and added six rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocked shots.
“Being aggressive. A lot of times defence gets you going,” he said of his third-period success. “I get it on the run and when we play like that in transition we’re tough to beat.”
Udoka guided the Celtics to the 2022 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors. But he was suspended just before the start of the 2022-23 season training camp over an improper relationship with a staff member.
The 46-year-old was eventually dropped and replaced by former assistant Joe Mazzulla on a permanent basis last February.
“I’m glad to see Ime back coaching on the sidelines,” Brown said. “I’m glad to see a lot of the staff we spent time with over there in Houston. I wish those guys the best of luck.”
Asked how he reflected on his departure, Udoka said: “Job not finished. The relationships you build and the people you impact, so that would be the biggest thing.”
He was equally matter-of-fact when it came to his regrets.
“The biggest thing I’d say overall is letting some people down, for sure,” Udoka said. “But we’ve talked it out and I’ve seen a lot of these people throughout the summer and talk regularly and so we move past it.”
Mazzulla played down the impact of Udoka’s return with the Rockets, who hired him as coach last April.
“The fact Ime is back is great,” he said. “But I don’t think that really has anything to do with winning or losing.”
The victory was important to the Celtics, after being thumped 135-102 at Milwaukee on Jan 11.
“Last game we didn’t feel like we were at our best,” Brown said. “We wanted to come out and make sure we stayed undefeated on the home court.”
Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder jumped into a share of the Western Conference lead, as No. 3 on the NBA scoring charts Shai Gilgeous-Alexander netted 37 points to lead the hosts over Orlando 112-100.
Said Magic coach Jamahl Mosley: “Shai is a tough guard. You put multiple defenders on him. By the time you send a double team, he’s looking to turn the corner. And that’s what makes him a great player.”
The Thunder, with a 27-11 record, stretched their win streak to four games and matched the Minnesota Timberwolves atop the West.
At Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 33 points, Damian Lillard added 27 and Khris Middleton netted 24 with 10 assists to lead the Bucks (27-12) over visiting Golden State 129-118.
Jonathan Kuminga scored 28 off the bench to lead the Warriors (18-21), who rested star guard Stephen Curry.
Rookie Jordan Hawkins scored a season-best 34 points to lead the New Orleans Pelicans over hosts Dallas 118-108. He hit 11 of 19 shots from the floor, including six of 12 from three-point range.
Kyrie Irving’s 33 points led the Mavericks (23-17), who were without Luka Doncic due to an ankle injury.
Chicago’s Nikola Vucevic had 24 points and 16 rebounds, while Ayo Dosunmu added 21 points to lead the Bulls (19-22) over hosts San Antonio 122-116.
Tre Jones scored 30 points to lead the Spurs (7-31), who were without French rookie star Victor Wembanyama, who is playing restricted minutes due to an ankle injury.
In Atlanta, Kyle Kuzma scored 29 points and the Washington Wizards (7-31) snapped a six-game losing streak with a 127-99 victory over the hosts Hawks.
The Utah Jazz, fuelled by 29 points, nine rebounds and five assists from Lauri Markkanen, beat the Los Angeles Lakers 132-125.
Lakers star Anthony Davis had a triple-double of 15 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists, but with LeBron James sidelined by a left ankle injury it was not enough.
The Jazz scored 27 fast-break points to the Lakers’ 14 and parlayed 12 Lakers turnovers into 23 points. AFP
