Kemba Walker’s hot shooting leads Boston Celtics to 99-86 win over Phoenix Suns

BOSTON — The first half saw the Celtics and Suns trading runs, keeping the score competitive. Phoenix tried to make it a game late, but the C’s ran away in a 99-86 win Thursday at TD Garden.

Boston has won seven of its last eight games, improving to 32-27 to keep pace with the rest of the jam-packed Eastern Conference. The Suns defeated the Bucks and 76ers in back-to-back games but fell to the Celtics on their East Coast trip.

Kemba Walker looked like the best player on the floor, leading all scorers with 32 points on 11-for-17 shooting. Jayson Tatum flirted with a second-straight triple-double, finishing with 15 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, though he again struggled from the floor at 3 for 17. Tristan Thompson had nine points and 12 rebounds.

Boston was again shorthanded without Jaylen Brown, Robert Williams III and Evan Fournier. Despite missing three rotation pieces, the C’s cruised to a comfortable win over the Suns.

The Celtics travel to face the Nets at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Barclays Center in another tough game. There’s a chance Kevin Durant returns for the shorthanded Nets.

Here are four takeaways from Boston’s win over Phoenix:

Walker rounding into form: This is the Walker that looked dominant in the first half of the playoffs in the bubble last season. While the faulty knee has slowed him significantly this season, Walker looked like his All-Star self Thursday night. Walker scored 19 of his 32 points in the first half, missing only one shot by the halftime break. The 3-pointers were going in at 5-of-11 and Walker was getting to the bucket. It’s a great sign for the Celtics with the regular season winding down — this version of Walker is a difference-maker in the playoffs.

C’s defense wore down the Suns: Phoenix looked sluggish all night; that was courtesy of Boston’s defense. The Suns shot 40.9% overall as they never looked comfortable Thursday. Devin Booker weathered a frustrating night before fouling out, which included four offensive fouls. Booker finished with 15 points and four rebounds, shooting 6-for-13 in 26 minutes. Chris Paul scored 22 points, along with eight assists and eight rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to lead Phoenix to victory.

Turnovers are still a concern: While there were plenty of positives for the Celtics, they still gave away the ball too often throughout Thursday’s game. They finished with 23 turnovers, including 14 in the first half. While the defense was able to limit the Suns in transition, it’s an unwise gamble for the C’s to cough up so many turnovers consistently every game.

Brooklyn could be healthier: The Nets are fighting for the top playoff seed in the Eastern Conference, but much like the Celtics, Brooklyn’s looking to get all its players back first. The first step of that could be Friday’s game, with Kevin Durant upgraded to questionable for the Nets. James Harden is expected to miss nearly the rest of the regular season, so getting back Durant is a huge boost for the often-shorthanded Nets. Brooklyn is on a three-game losing streak going into Friday as it’s been vulnerable recently because of the depth issues.

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