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Halftime Report
Only two more quarters stand between the Celtics and the win they were favored to collect coming into this evening. They have jumped out to a 65-60 lead against the Suns.
The Celtics entered the contest having won three straight and they’re just two quarters away from another. Will they make it four, or will the Suns step up and spoil it? We’ll know soon.
Who’s Playing
Phoenix Suns @ Boston Celtics
Current Records: Phoenix 38-27, Boston 51-14
How To Watch
- When: Thursday, March 14, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. ET
- Where: TD Garden — Boston, Massachusetts
- TV: TNT
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Ticket Cost: $140.65
What to Know
After five games on the road, the Celtics are heading back home. They will take on the Phoenix Suns at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday. The Celtics have been getting the ball to fall more lately as they’ve increased their point totals each of their last four games.
Last Tuesday, Boston strolled past the Jazz with points to spare, taking the game 123-107. The over/under was set at 230 points, so nice work oddsmakers; you were right on the money.
The Celtics’ victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jayson Tatum, who scored 38 points along with six rebounds. Tatum is on a roll when it comes to points, as he’s now scored 26 or more in the last three games he’s played.
Meanwhile, even if it wasn’t a dominant performance, Phoenix beat the Cavaliers 117-111 on Monday. The victory was all the more spectacular given the Suns were down 19 points with 4:50 left in the second quarter.
The Suns’ win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Kevin Durant, who scored 37 points along with eight rebounds and six assists. Durant hasn’t dropped below 35 points for four straight games. Another player making a difference was Devin Booker, who scored 27 points along with seven assists and six rebounds.
Boston is on a roll lately: they’ve won 14 of their last 16 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 51-14 record this season. As for Phoenix, their victory bumped their record up to 38-27.
Going forward, the Celtics are the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by six points. This contest will be their 28th straight as the favorites (so far over this stretch they are 15-11-1 against the spread).
Thursday’s match is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: The Celtics just can’t miss this season, having made 48.6% of their shots per game. However, it’s not like the Suns (currently ranked fifth in field goal percentage) struggle in that department as they’ve made 49.5% of their shots this season. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Odds
Boston is a solid 6-point favorite against Phoenix, according to the latest NBA odds.
The line has drifted a bit towards the Celtics, as the game opened with the Celtics as a 4.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 227.5 points.
See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Boston and Phoenix both have 5 wins in their last 10 games.
- Mar 09, 2024 – Boston 117 vs. Phoenix 107
- Feb 03, 2023 – Phoenix 106 vs. Boston 94
- Dec 07, 2022 – Boston 125 vs. Phoenix 98
- Dec 31, 2021 – Boston 123 vs. Phoenix 108
- Dec 10, 2021 – Phoenix 111 vs. Boston 90
- Apr 22, 2021 – Boston 99 vs. Phoenix 86
- Feb 07, 2021 – Phoenix 100 vs. Boston 91
- Jan 18, 2020 – Phoenix 123 vs. Boston 119
- Nov 18, 2019 – Boston 99 vs. Phoenix 85
- Dec 19, 2018 – Phoenix 111 vs. Boston 103
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