Kristaps Porzingis recorded 30 points and eight returns and Jaylen Brown added 24 points to help Boston Celtics roll to a 132-102 dismantling of the host Phoenix Suns on Wednesday evening.
Porzingis and Brown each made four 3 points while playing only three blocks and Boston matched one season best with their seventh straight victory. Celtics (54-19) has won 12 of its last 13 matches and is 4-0 on a six-match road trip.
Boston cruised despite the fact that all-Star Jayson Tatum sat out with a first-woven left ankle.
Al Horford had 16 points and 10 returns, Derrick White added 16 points and seven assists and Jrue Holiday also received 16 points for Celtics, which has won 14 of their last 15 away competitions. Boston tracks the first place Cleveland Cavaliers with 4 1/2 matches in the Eastern Conference race.
Kevin Durant got 30 points in three blocks for Suns, who had a winning line with four games stopped in the final in a five-game home. Phoenix (35-38) is tied with Dallas for the last Western Conference playground. Sacramento Kings is half a game before Suns and Mavericks.
Devin Booker added 14 points, 10 assists and seven returns and Nick Richards received 10 points for Suns, who played without Bradley Beal (strained left hamstring) for the fifth straight game.
Boston made 22 out of 52 3-point attempts (42.3 percent) and shot 50.6 percent in total. Sam Hauser made 11 from the bench for Celtics.
Phoenix joined 41.4 percent of his shots and was 13 out of 41 (31.7 percent) behind the bow.
Celtics didn’t miss tatum when they never dragged. Boston beat down seven 3 points during the first 4:11 of the game for a 21-9 lead, and Celtics finished with 10 Treys during the period. Holiday net Boston’s first 2-point basket with four minutes left in the quarter.
Durant received 16 points during the period to help the Phoenix Trail 42-38.
Celtics used a 27-6 run during the second quarter to open a 25-point lead. Boston made 15 straight to end Burst with Porzingi’s Layup which made it 73-48 with 1:41 left in half.
Boston led 73-54 at the break behind 17 points from Porzingis. Durant made 20 in half for Suns.
Phoenix struck 77-61 after a basket by Durant with 9:26 left in the third quarter before Celtics received 19 of the next 25 points. Luke Kornet’s dunk culminated the driving to make it 96-67 with 4:47 left.
Porzingis dropped a 3-pointer and added a short jumper to increase Boston’s lead to 106-72 by 2:45 left in the third, and Celtics continued to lead comfortably.
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