Boston gets a scare but bounces back against the Clippers

The Celtics came very close to dropping another late-game win, but held on in the final minute against the Clippers’ comeback on Sunday (121-118). It wasn’t easy for Joe Mazzula’s men, and Los Angeles believed in it until the end.

Boston starts fast, quickly leads 11-2, while the Clippers have to wait four minutes for their first basket, the only one James Harden scored in the entire first period… Tyronn Lue’s players fall behind in defensive rotations, Payton Pritchard etc Derrick White sanction behind the arc. Pritchard has 3 points with four successes in the first nine minutes and increases the deficit to 16 points (32-16).

The Celtics don’t give up…

Los Angeles is rebooting its bullpen, with an outfield address for the veteran duo Brooke Lopez – Nicholas Batumand boldness of two-way contracts Jordan Miller etc Kobe Sanders. Batum is known for his activity in saving balls, blocking Jordan Walsh from behind or deflecting offensive rebounds from volleys. Quite the opposite of the Boston replacements, in great difficulty.

The return to work of carriers changes everything. Jailen Brown has fun with the opposing defense in transition or mid-range. The sector in which Derrick White also had a very good night, and in less than four minutes, the comeback of the Clippers was erased, from 43-37 to 59-41. The second quarter got a little worse for the visitors with an apparently serious knee injury Derrick Jones Jr. Trailing by 14 points at halftime, Los Angeles looks on the verge of a blowout.

Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. had to be carried off the court after suffering an apparent knee injury following a collision with Jaylen Brown.

Prayers for DJJ pic.twitter.com/khnb2V3pbk

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 16, 2025

James Harden very close to turning everything around at the end of the match

And the trend is confirmed after returning from the dressing room. Pritchard continues his one-man show on set. This time the leader of the Celtics needs only three minutes to add four three-point shots to his total! Boston leads by 24 points and seems to be in complete control of the match. The moment Joe Macula chose to let Brown go… And the Clippers come alive again! Guests find their game with Harden and Ivica Zubac to maneuver. Los Angeles goes 23-7 and imposes its style with 11/12 free throws for its main duo. James Harden with a big step back brings his team to just five points at the end of the third quarter.

The Clippers have the ball to tie the game early in the fourth quarter, but they don’t use it. And in doing so, Jalen Brown punished them with his first 3-point shot of the night, and then with 2+1. The wing is in boss mode in the fourth quarter and looks to put away Boston (106-93). But the guests are holding on thanks to James Harden, found after returning from the locker room.

Until the end, the Celtics could not close out the match, even when Derrick White gave them a ten-point lead with 79 seconds left. Harden cut this mattress to three units with 22 seconds left, two lengths at 8″5, and then just one with two seconds to go at the buzzer! He’s on the verge of equalizing at the buzzer, but his last-ditch effort is too short, and Boston can breathe a sigh of relief.

WHAT TO REMEMBER

– The clutch is definitely not working for these Celtics. In difficulties in the last minutes of matches since the beginning of the season, Boston once again almost did the irreparable. The Clippers didn’t lead for a single second of the game and still had a shot to send the game into overtime. That was due to numerous missed shots at the rim, while James Harden returned all the sensations with 32 of his 37 points in the second period. That does not prevent the Celtics from returning to 50 percent of the season with this seventh success of the season.

– Brown recovers, Prithcard and White confirm. Jailen Brown, who has struggled more with scoring and skill in his last three outings, regained his offensive aggressiveness with 33 points but 14/33 shooting. To find good percentages, we had to look to the Boston side of Peyton Pritchard and Derrick White. As against Memphis on Wednesday, the duo was successful from behind the arc with 4/8 for White (22 points) and especially 8/13 for Pritchard (30 points).

– The carnage continues for the Clippers with Derrick Jones Jr. In a seemingly innocuous action and a poorly controlled dribble by Jaylen Brown, the Celtics wing collided with the knee of “DJJ”, his leg extended, as he fell. The wing immediately writhed in pain and got out without being able to put any weight on the injured leg. Enough to fear the worst when Kawhi Leonard and Bradley Beal are already out. On top of that, Jordan Miller was unable to play in the second period, still bothered by a hamstring injury.

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How to read statistics? Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / attempt 3 points; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive jump; T = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Difference of points when the player is on the field; Points = Points; Rating: player rating calculated based on positive actions – negative actions.