Celtics Tie NBA 3-Point Record in Rout of Pelicans, Secure No. 2 Seed

The Boston Celtics defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 144-118 on Friday and in doing so tied an NBA record with 29 three-pointers made. The Celtics matched the mark they set against the Knicks on October 22, 2024, and joined the Memphis Grizzlies and Milwaukee Bucks as one of three teams to reach that number.

Sam Hauser led the way for Boston with 24 points on 8-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc. Payton Pritchard added 21 points, 10 assists, and five 3-pointers. Eight Celtics players combined to hit at least two threes in the game, with even 7-foot big man Neemias Queta making his first career three. His shot sparked a huge bench celebration and was later dubbed “Buttery” by Hauser.

With 1:20 left in the game, Hugo Gonzalez tied the record by making his fifth three of the night. The TD Garden crowd erupted in chants of “One more three!” as the Celtics had three chances to break the mark in the final minute. Luka Garza passed on a three, Baylor Scheierman missed a wing shot, and the final attempt was waved off with a shot clock violation.

Despite falling short of the record, the Celtics secured a key playoff seeding. At 55-26, Boston locked up the No. 2 seed in the East, a position many doubted they could reach after the departures of Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford and with Jayson Tatum sidelined for all but 16 games this season.

Pritchard reflected on the team’s growth and resilience following the win. “You set back and have an appreciation for the work that we’ve put in, and the growth that we’ve made this year to get to this point,” he said. “You take that in and now take a couple of days and get back to work. We’ve got something else to prove now.”

The Celtics will now turn their attention to the first round of the playoffs, where they will face the No. 7 seed Cleveland Cavaliers. Game 1 is scheduled for Wednesday night at TD Garden.