BOSTON – Within the first minute of play, the Los Angeles Clippers had a six-zip lead on the Boston Celtics.
And as the game wore on, things only got worst.
The Celtics find themselves in the deepest of holes at the half which ended with the Clippers ahead 68-47.
The 68 points scored by the Clippers were the most points given up by the Celtics in the first half of a game this season.
This was a half that was dominated on all levels by the Clippers who come into tonight’s game with a six game winning streak – the longest current win streak in the league.
And it didn’t take long to see why, either.
Offensively, they got contributions from all their starters. And their bench which has been up and down this season, was off to a strong start on Sunday.
Boston Celtics
Meanwhile, Boston struggled to score despite having a decent amount of good looks at the rim.
Boston will be hard-pressed to get back in the game let alone rally for a victory.
Here are three takeaways from the first half:
J.J. Redick
He doesn’t get nearly as much attention as his all-star brethren, but he is one of the many reasons why the Clippers are the hottest team in the NBA. He scored 19 first-half points and appears on pace for a new career-high which is currently 33 points.
3-point shooting
The Celtics have not shot the ball well from 3-point range lately, so it wasn’t all that surprising to see them struggle in the first half despite getting lots of really good looks at the rim. At the half, Boston was 4-for-18 on 3s.
DeAndre’s world
The Celtics were going to have their hands full with DeAndre Jordan because of his length, defensive acumen and ability to play above the rim. At the half, he had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.