The decisive moment
Boston turned a competitive opening into a runaway by stretching the margin to 26 points in a 2025-26 season NBA Regular Season meeting. The Celtics' offense found a rhythm New Orleans simply could not match, and the Pelicans never mounted a serious response once the lead ballooned past 20.
By the numbers
- Final score: Boston Celtics 144, New Orleans Pelicans 118
- Margin of victory: 26 points
- Boston cleared 140 points despite missing Jayson Tatum (knee)
- New Orleans played without Dejounte Murray (hand), Karlo Matkovic (back), and Bryce McGowens (toe)
The Celtics' scoring output underscored just how deep their rotation has become, with the team comfortably crossing 140 points without their franchise cornerstone in uniform.
What it means
For Boston, the result is a reminder that the Celtics can win comfortably even when key pieces sit, a luxury few contenders enjoy. For New Orleans, the loss highlights the cumulative toll of injuries to a backcourt and frontcourt that have been thinned for stretches of the 2025-26 season. The 26-point gap, on the road, is the kind of margin that lingers in standings tiebreakers and net-rating conversations.
What to watch next
Tatum's return timeline from the knee issue remains the headline storyline in Boston, while New Orleans will hope to get Murray and Matkovic back into the lineup soon. Whether the Pelicans can stabilize their rotation before the schedule tightens will define their finishing stretch.