Kemba Walker, Celtics Hold off Paul George, Clippers in Win

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

Kemba Walker scored 25 points en route to hitting 6-of-12 three-pointers as the Boston Celtics earned a 117-112 home win over the shorthanded Los Angeles Clippers, who played without Kawhi Leonard (back spasms).

Both teams played well offensively. The C’s shot 48.8 percent from the field and made 16-of-32 three-pointers, and the Clippers made 49.4 percent of their field goals while going 18-of-38 from deep. L.A. committed just nine turnovers, while Boston had eight.

A 9-0 Celtics run proved to be the difference, however. It began with a Robert Williams’ alley-oop dunk.

That bucket eventually led to seven straight Jayson Tatum points, leading to a 111-100 advantage with 4:23 left in regulation.

The Clippers chopped away at the lead and cut the deficit to 114-112 with 10.9 seconds remaining following a Paul George corner three-pointer.

However, Celtics big man Daniel Theis nailed two free throws to put Boston up four, and the Clips’ next possession resulted George missing a three-pointer. Walker hit 1-of-2 free throws to end the scoring.

Jaylen Brown added 18 points, and Tatum and Payton Pritchard pitched in 14 apiece for Boston.

Reggie Jackson started in place of Leonard, who was originally in the starting lineup before becoming a late scratch. Jackson finished with 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting (5-of-6 from three-point range). Paul George led all scorers with 32 points.

The 18-17 C’s have won three straight, and the 24-13 Clippers have lost three of their last four games.

Notable Performances

Clippers F Paul George: 32 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists

Clippers G Reggie Jackson: 25 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds

Clippers G Lou Williams: 12 points, 4 assists

Clippers C Ivica Zubac: 8 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists

Celtics G Kemba Walker: 25 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds

Celtics G/F Jaylen Brown: 18 points, 5 rebounds

Celtics F Jayson Tatum: 14 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals

Celtics C Robert Williams: 13 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks

What’s Next?

Both teams will play on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.

The C’s will host the Toronto Raptors, and the Clippers will visit the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena.

This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.

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