The NBA’s hottest teams will clash Monday night as the Boston Celtics host the Los Angeles Clippers.
Both teams enter the matchup riding five-game winning streaks. The victor will claim the league’s longest active winning streak.
Each team is playing its second game in as many days. Boston extended its streak with a 107-105 win over Minnesota on Sunday.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 29 points, improving their home record to 6-2. Brown was efficient, shooting 10 of 18 from the floor and 7 of 10 from 3-point range, scoring Boston’s first 15 points on five 3-pointers. Coach Joe Mazzulla also commended Brown for his defensive effort, particularly against Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards on the game’s final possession.
The Clippers secured a 125-99 victory over Philadelphia on Sunday night, with James Harden contributing 23 points and eight assists. Ivica Zubac added 16 points and 12 rebounds, helping the Clippers improve their road record to 4-3. Los Angeles has held its last four opponents—Golden State, Orlando, Sacramento, and Philadelphia—under 100 points, boasting a 6-0 record when doing so.
Norman Powell, the Clippers’ leading scorer at 23.3 points per game, missed his third consecutive game due to a sore hamstring.
Boston center Luke Kornet didn’t play Sunday due to a hamstring injury. Al Horford, who did play against Minnesota, is likely to sit out Monday’s game as he typically does not play in both games of back-to-back sets.
