By KYLE HIGHTOWER AP Sports Writer
BOSTON — The Clippers’ five-game winning streak came to an end against the defending NBA champions.
Jayson Tatum scored 20 points and the Boston Celtics made 22 3-pointers in a 126-94 win over the Clippers on Monday night. Payton Pritchard added with 20 points for Boston (15-3), which extended its season-high win streak to six games.
Kristaps Porzingis finished with 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting, to go along with six rebounds and two blocked shots in his season debut following offseason ankle surgery. He started and played 23 minutes with Al Horford (illness) and Luke Kornet (hamstring) out.
Ivica Zubac paced the Clippers (11-8) with 23 points and 10 rebounds, and James Harden flirted with a triple-double with 19 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.
The Celtics were just 4 for 17 from 3-point range in the first quarter, but they opened the second by connecting on 10 of their first 13 attempts from behind the arc. Boston finished the second quarter 12 for 17 from deep, tying the NBA record for 3-point field goals in a quarter. That helped stretch what had been a seven-point lead after the opening 12 minutes to 19 points.
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The Clippers made the game a little more interesting in the third quarter, using a 22-8 run to trim Boston’s lead to 14, but the Celtics made their next three 3-point shots to help push the margin back above 20.
The Clippers scored 58 points in the paint but made noticeable adjustments when the 7-foot-2 Porzingis was on the floor.
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The Clippers continue their four-game trip on Wednesday at 4 p.m. PT against the Washington Wizards.