Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) blows a kiss to fans after hitting a 3-pointer against the Utah Jazz during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 23, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
BOSTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum scored 11 of his 26 points during Boston’s nearly perfect first quarter to help the Celtics roll to a 125-97 victory over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night.
Jaylen Brown also added 26 points and Marcus Smart finished with a career-high 13 assists as Boston recorded its fifth straight victory to improve its chances for one of the Eastern Conference’s top four seeds.
Donovan Mitchell scored 37 points but Utah has lost consecutive games for the first time since the end of January, a span of 21 games.
Boston hit its first 10 shots of the game, including six 3-pointers, on the way to jumping out to a 28-12 lead. Its first miss didn’t come until the 4:05 mark of the opening quarter when a layup by Brown rolled off the rim.
It was one of the few miscues for the Celtics, who ended the period with a 39-24 lead. They went 15 of 19 from the field, 7 of 9 from beyond the arc and held a 12-2 rebounding edge.
The lead grew as high as 30 in the second quarter and Boston took a 68-45 advantage into halftime. Smart ended the half with 10 assists in just 15 minutes of action.
The Jazz tried their best to keep pace, but simply couldn’t get enough shots to fall. They particularly struggled from the outside, going 8 of 36 from the 3-point line. Utah also had only 13 assists on 35 made baskets.
Utah never got closer than 18 in the second half.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Had only seven assists on 17 field goals in the first half. … Udoka Azubuike (right ankle sprain), Bojan Bogdanovic (left calf sprain), Danuel House (left knee bruise) all sat out.
Celtics: It was the 18th consecutive game Tatum has scored at least 20 points. … Had 13 assists in the first quarter. …
UP NEXT
Jazz: Continue six-game road trip at Charlotte on Friday.
Celtics: Host Minnesota on Sunday.
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