The 2023-24 Boston Celtics have been historically great. The 2023-24 Washington Wizards have been historically bad. When these two squads met on St. Patrick's Day, something crazy was bound to happen.
Although they were down three starters on Sunday night, the C's prevailed 130-104 in record-breaking fashion. Boston sharpshooter Sam Hauser hit a career-high 10 triples for a career-high 30 points. The C's had 24 3-pointers overall, which put them in rarified air, per NBC Sports Boston statistician Dick Lipe.
Sunday marked just the second time in NBA history a team has made 20 or more 3-pointers in three consecutive games. The Green Team went 3-0 in that stretch and beat each of their opponents by at least 15 points.
The Celtics history didn't end there though. Hauser hit 10 triples in a single outing faster than any other player in league history. He went 10-for-13 from beyond the arc in just 22 minutes and 49 seconds. The previous record was held by Memphis Grizzlies shooting guard Luke Kennard, who cashed 10 triples in 24 minutes versus the Houston Rockets last year, via the NBC Sports Boston broadcast.
SAM HAUSER HAS 10 THREES EARLY IN THE 3RD QUARTER 🤯
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 17, 2024
Unfortunately, Hauser's night didn't have a happy ending. The 26-year-old sprained his ankle near the Washington bench in the third quarter. He never returned after that, as the Celtics had no reason to try and rush him back while up big.
Celtics star Jayson Tatum also reached 30 points in a hurry, doing so in just 27 minutes. The five-time All-Star dominated the first half in the absence of fellow starters Derrick White, Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis.
Jayson Tatum pulls it from another area code 🔥
— Celtics Nation (@CelticsNationCP) March 17, 2024
With the win, Boston improves to a stellar 53-14 overall. The Celtics are in first place in the Eastern Conference and they even became the first team to clinch a playoff berth last Thursday.
Conversely, the Wizards are an NBA-worst 11-57 overall. They sit at the bottom of the East and are already eliminated from postseason contention.
The Celtics will get right back to work on Monday, as they travel back home to take on the Detroit Pistons as part of the second leg of a back-to-back. The lowly Pistons are just one game ahead of the Wizards, yet the last time they played at TD Garden in December, they nearly snapped their historic 27-game losing streak.
Boston eventually roared back and won in overtime, and it will aim to continue a streak of its own with a chance for an eighth consecutive victory against Detroit.
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