Boston Celtics vs Phoenix Suns box scores and game ratings

The Boston Celtics vs Phoenix Suns game on Saturday was the most eagerly awaited matchup of the day, pitting the Eastern Conference's top team against one of the Western Conference's strongest contenders.

Unfortunately, injuries have affected the lineup for this game. The Celtics were missing key big man Kristaps Porzingis, while the Suns had to do without Devin Booker. Still, the game was able to showcase star talent, with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown playing for the Celtics, and Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal active for the Suns.

The Celtics secured a 117-107 victory over the Suns. With the win, the Celtics improved their league-best record to 49-14, while the Suns dropped to a 37-27 record, maintaining sixth place in the Western Conference.

Despite a strong performance from Durant, who scored a season-high 45 points for the Suns, the Celtics maintained control for much of the game. The Suns managed to narrow the gap at times, coming within five points in the final three minutes.

However, key plays from Al Horford, including a crucial 3-pointer, and a decisive basket from Jayson Tatum helped the Celtics secure the win.

The league's best team got balanced contributions from its key players in the Boston Celtics vs Phoenix Suns. Jayson Tatum, who had only scored seven points in the first half, exploded for 22 points in the second half, finishing with a team-high 29 points, along with 10 rebounds and seven assists.

The rest of the Celtics' starting lineup also had very impressive performances. Brown contributed 27 points, Jrue Holiday added 15 points and six assists, Al Horford chipped in with nine points and 12 rebounds and Derrick White finished with 10 points and nine assists.

Off the bench, Luke Kornet and Payton Pritchard provided a spark, scoring 14 and 10 points respectively. For the Suns, Bradley Beal led the scoring with 25 points, while Bol Bol and Jusuf Nurkic contributed 13 and 11 points respectively.

The Celtics began to heat up towards the end of the first quarter and continued their strong play into the second quarter. They managed to establish a 15-point lead, which was reduced to 12 points by halftime, with the score at 62-50.

Brown and Durant showcased their star power early in the Boston Celtics vs Phoenix Suns game. Brown scored 18 points on 7-for-15 shooting in the first half, while Durant started strong with 20 points on 8-for-13 shooting.

Al Horford was a dominant force on the boards early in the Boston Celtics vs Phoenix Suns game, grabbing all of his rebounds in the first half.

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Boston Celtics vs Phoenix Suns player stats and box score

Boston Celtics box score

PLAYER	MIN	FGM	FGA	FG%	3PM	3PA	3P%	FTM	FTA	FT%	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS	+/-
Jaylen Brown	34:25	10	21	47.6	3	7	42.9	4	7	57.1	1	2	3	3	2	0	2	1	27	6
Jayson Tatum	42:16	11	28	39.3	5	9	55.6	2	2	100	3	7	10	7	1	0	4	0	29	4
Al Horford	32:11	4	12	33.3	1	7	14.3	0	0	0	3	9	12	3	1	0	1	4	9	0
Derrick White	34:32	5	8	62.5	0	3	0	0	0	0	2	3	5	9	0	1	2	3	10	1
Jrue Holiday	35:44	5	7	71.4	3	5	60	2	2	100	0	3	3	6	2	1	3	1	15	6
Sam Hauser	17:49	1	5	20	1	4	25	0	0	0	0	2	2	0	0	1	0	0	3	10
Luke Kornet	19:48	6	7	85.7	0	0	0	2	2	100	3	3	6	0	0	1	0	2	14	12
Payton Pritchard	22:31	4	6	66.7	2	4	50	0	0	0	1	1	2	1	1	0	0	0	10	13
JD Davison	0:22	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-1
Jaden Springer	0:22	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	-1

Phoenix Suns box score

PLAYER	MIN	FGM	FGA	FG%	3:00 PM	3PA	3P%	FTM	FTA	FT%	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS	+/-
Royce O'Neale	37:15	1	9	11.1	1	6	16.7	0	0	0	1	4	5	2	1	0	0	1	3	10
Kevin Durant	37:24	18	26	69.2	4	7	57.1	5	7	71.4	1	9	10	6	1	0	6	2	45	-1
Jusuf Nurkic	27:38	5	6	83.3	0	0	0	1	3	33.3	5	6	11	4	1	1	3	2	11	5
Grayson Allen	39:13	3	8	37.5	0	4	0	1	2	50	0	5	5	2	0	0	3	2	7	-16
Bradley Beal	37:44	10	20	50	3	5	60	2	2	100	0	1	1	4	3	0	1	4	25	1
Eric Gordon	29:09	0	3	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	-9
Saben Lee	4:24	0	3	0	0	2	0	1	2	50	1	0	1	1	0	0	1	1	1	-4
Drew Eubanks	10:45	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	-20
Bol Bol	10:14	6	7	85.7	1	2	50	0	0	0	1	3	4	0	0	0	0	0	13	-10
David Roddy	6:14	1	5	20	0	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	2	-6