The Boston Celtics’ third West Coast road trip against the Phoenix Suns, which the Boston Celtics won 97-81.
progresifjaya.co.id, JAKARTA – The Boston Celtics didn’t play their best shooting in their third West Coast road trip. However, that didn’t prevent the Celtics from defeating the Phoenix Suns at home at PHX Arena, Phoenix, 97-81 on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, morning WIB.
The Boston Celtics secured this victory by dominating defense, grabbing 22 offensive rebounds, and a stellar performance from Boston Celtics guard number 9, Derrick White. Jaylen Brown did not play in the game, joining superstar Jayson Tatum on the injured list.
With two star players out, Boston Celtics Head Coach Joe Mazzulla ultimately decided to field a starting lineup of Derrick White, Ron Harper Jr., Baylor Scheierman, Sam Hauser, and Neemias Queta to face the Phoenix Suns, who currently sit in seventh place in the Western Conference standings.
Meanwhile, with a longer injury list of Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks, Jordan Goodwin, Haywood Highsmith, and Cole Anthony, the Phoenix Suns finally fielded a starting lineup of Collin Gillespie, Jalen Green, Royce O’Neale, Ryan Dunn, and Mark Williams to face the 18-time NBA champions currently sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference standings.
The game, frankly, started very slowly for the Boston Celtics from three-point range. They only managed 2 of 10 attempts. Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns scored 10 unanswered points to take a 15-10 lead. Ron Harper Jr. grabbed 3 rebounds for the Boston Celtics, but he started the game shooting just 1 of 6 from the field.
Joe Mazzulla then made major substitutions at halftime, bringing on Payton Pritchard, Nikola Vucevic, Jordan Walsh, and Hugo Gonzalez, along with Sam Hauser.
The quarter wasn’t great for the Boston Celtics. They grabbed nine offensive rebounds, but only shot 9/28 from the field and 3/15 from three-point range. They fell behind the Phoenix Suns, 26-21. Derrick White led the Boston Celtics with five points, while Nikola Vucevic scored four off the bench.
Admittedly, the Boston Celtics struggled to build offense in the first half. But a Derrick White three-pointer and a Neemias Queta dunk forced the Phoenix Suns to call a timeout. Phoenix still led 41-37, but the rejuvenated Boston Celtics launched an offensive comeback and scored points, signaling a possible victory.
The Boston Celtics outscored the Phoenix Suns by halftime, 50-46. The first half wasn’t a great offensive period for Boston: 50 points on 38% shooting from the field and 25% from three-point range. However, their offensive rebounding and defense got the job done over the 24 minutes. Derrick White led the Boston Celtics with 18 points, while Neemias Queta had 10 points and 5 rebounds.
Entering the third quarter, the Boston Celtics dominated the Phoenix Suns. Sam Hauser was brilliant from the three-point line, hitting 3 three-pointers in the quarter and scoring 13 points. Baylor Scheierman had 6 rebounds and a 19-pointer in the quarter. But it was the Boston Celtics’ defense that dominated the quarter. Boston outrebounded the Suns 30-11 in the third quarter. Phoenix shot just 18% from the field and 11% from three-point range—a dominant performance by Boston’s defense. Phoenix did miss some good opportunities, but Boston dominated on the defensive end. The Boston Celtics also outrebounded the Phoenix Suns 21-6 in the quarter. Ron Harper Jr.’s block was the most memorable moment of the quarter.
The Boston Celtics led 80-57 at the end of the third quarter. Derrick White led the team with 18 points, while Hauser scored 16 and Neemias Queta had 14.
The fourth quarter started differently. The Phoenix Suns fought back into the game, scoring the first seven points of the period, forcing Mazzulla to call a timeout before the two-minute mark.
The Boston Celtics regained control thanks to two baskets by Derrick White and key three-pointers by Harper Jr. and Baylor Scheierman. An 8-2 run put the Celtics back up by 22 points.
Scheierman recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. The second half was again dominant for the Boston Celtics, who crushed the Phoenix Suns on their home court.
Derrick White was outstanding, scoring 22 points, grabbing eight rebounds, and dishing out eight assists. Meanwhile, Neemias Queta scored 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. The Celtics won 97-81.
Boston shot 40% from the field and 28% from three-point range, while the Suns shot 37% from the field and 33% from three-point range. This game also marked the Boston Celtics’ third consecutive road win.
The Green Machine will next play their fourth West Coast road trip against the 4th-ranked Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on Wednesday, February 25th, 2026. (Bembo)
