The Celtics dominated the second half against the Pelicans on Saturday and held off a late charge for a 104-92 win.
Here are the takeaways.
1. Celtics fans, is everyone a little more calm today?
The Pelicans were without Brandon Ingram, but they have been a good team in his absence this season (+5.3 points per 100 possessions, per Cleaning the Glass). The Celtics put together a dominant third quarter, allowing just 11 points on 4-for-23 shooting as they took a lead that stretched as high as 22. No one was overly dominant individually save for Kristaps Porzingis around the rim (four blocked shots, two steals, numerous shots altered), but the Celtics’ starters were all solid playing within their roles, and they shot 15-for-37 as a team from 3-point range.