NBA: Rookie’s big night boosts Celtics past Nets
Boston Celtics’ Baylor Scheierman reacts after making a 3-pointer during second half of an NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Rookie Baylor Scheierman came off the bench to toss in a career-high 20 points and Kristaps Porzingis finished with a team-high 25 to help the short-handed Boston Celtics defeat the visiting Brooklyn Nets 104-96 on Tuesday in the NBA.
Scheierman made 7 of 8 shots from the field, including 6 of 7 attempts from 3-point territory. The six treys were also a career best. Porzingis collected a game-high 13 rebounds and blocked three shots.
Boston (50-19) had a 98-88 lead — the first double-digit margin for either team — following a Porzingis basket with 1:37 remaining. Brooklyn (23-46) trimmed its deficit to four points on a Ziaire Williams 3-pointer with 47.4 seconds left, but the Celtics led 102-96 after a Porzingis dunk with 38.6 seconds to play.
READ: NBA: Porzingis finally shakes off mysterious illness in Celtics return
CELTICS GET 50th WIN OF THE SEASON ☘️
Porziņģis: 25 pts , 13 reb, 3 blk
Scheierman: 20 pts (career high), 6 3pm, 2 stlBoston's 4th-straight season of 50+ wins! pic.twitter.com/RHpCbpmEdV
— NBA (@NBA) March 19, 2025
Derrick White (18 points), Jrue Holiday (12) and Payton Pritchard (10) also scored in double figures for Boston, which was without Jayson Tatum (knee) and Jaylen Brown (knee). Tatum leads the team in scoring (27.1), rebounding (8.7) and assists (5.9). Brown is averaging 22.8 points per game.
D’Angelo Russell led Brooklyn with 18 points. Williams scored 15, Keon Johnson added 13, and Cameron Johnson and Trendon Watford had 11 apiece.
A Keon Johnson 3-pointer cut Boston’s lead to 92-88 with 4:10 left, but the Celtics scored the next six points to seemingly take control.
The Celtics earned a second straight victory over the Nets, having prevailed 115-113 on Saturday in Brooklyn. Boston has won eight of its past nine games overall.
READ: NBA: Sam Hauser becomes fourth Celtics player with 9 3s in a game
The Nets, who have lost four of their past five, led 26-21 at the end of one quarter and 49-44 at halftime. Boston shot 35.9 percent from the field (14 of 39) in the first half.
A Pritchard 3-pointer gave the Celtics a 65-62 lead with 4:43 left in the third quarter, and Boston was up 71-70 after Scheierman made a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the period.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Scheierman gave the Celtics an 84-80 advantage with 6:37 to play, and he made another 3-pointer to put Boston up 89-82.
The Celtics won all four meetings against the Nets this season.
