Jazz Vs. Celtics: Game Night
Feb 9, 2021, 8:19 PM | Updated: 10:55 pm

Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz drives into Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics during a game at Vivint Smart Home Arena on February 26, 2020 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Welcome to KSL Sports Game Night as the Utah Jazz will host the Boston Celtics in the first game of a four-game homestand.
The Jazz have won 15 of their last 16 games, and nine straight at home as the Celtics come into town.
Boston meanwhile is on the final stop of a five-game road trip. The Celtics are 2-2 on the trip including wins over the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers and losses to the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Clippers.
Follow this page throughout the night for updates on pregame quotes starting lineups, and thoughts and highlights throughout the game.
The @utahJazz will look to make it 10 straight wins at home when they face the @celtics tomorrow night. #TakeNote https://t.co/LlHSn0ou7v
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 8, 2021
Pregame Availability
The Boston Celtics will have Jaylen Brown available after missing the last two games with a knee injury. The forward is averaging 26.4 points while shooting 51 percent from the floor and 42 percent from three in his breakout season.
“Jalen is good to go tonight,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. “Should be full strength and didn’t miss, obviously, much time.”
When asked about the Jazz, Stevens made a flattering comparison for the team ahead of Tuesday’s game.
Brad Stevens says the @utahjazz are the closest thing to the 2014 Spurs that they have faced thanks to their ball movement and speed in decision making.
That Spurs team went 62-20 and won the Championship.
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) February 10, 2021
“I think it’s the closest team to the ’14 spurs that we’ve played,” Steven said. “With the way the ball moves, and how quickly the right decision is made, the ball doesn’t stick.”
Jazz coach Quin Snyder also discussed his team’s level of play 24 games into the season.
“There’s a lot of things we need to get better at, and we need to keep doing the things that that we’re having success with and stay committed to them,” Snyder said. “As people try to take those things away we have to be determined to try to play the way we want to play.”
Starting Lineups
Starting lineups for the @utahjazz and @celtics. pic.twitter.com/5OnzBTeLnq
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) February 10, 2021
First Quarter
- Fun start to the game between Jaylen Brown and Donovan Mitchell who are off to good starts. Brown hit three straight threes to open the game, while Mitchell has two easy finishes at the rim and a tough three.
Fun start to the game between the @utahjazz and the @celtics.
Jaylen Brown has 9 points for the Celtics and Donovan Mitchell has 7 points with 6:42 left in the first quarter.
Celtics lead the Jazz 15-13. #takenote
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 10, 2021
- The Celtics have started the game 6-7 from three.
- No opponent has made more threes than the Jazz over the last 16 games, and only three have shot a better percentage in a game.
- Derrick Favors had a productive few minutes but took an elbow to the face and went to the locker room.
The @celtics open the game red-hot from three, and have made 7-9 deep balls in the first quarter.
They lead the @utahjazz 27-19 with 1:47 left in the quarter.
Jazz just 3-13 from three to open the game. #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/SsiQzdaxe3
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 10, 2021
- At the end of the first quarter the Celtics lead the Jazz 27-24, good quarter for the Jazz considering how well Boston shot.
Second Quarter
- Extremely good basketball being played by both teams right now, but Gobert and the Jazz defense has been solid.
- Miye Oni is a full-blown NBA player, he needs to find his way into the rotation.
- Celtics open the second quarter just 2-11 from the floor thanks to Gobert’s D. Several easy misses at the rim because they’re thinking about where Rudy is rather than shooting.
The @utahjazz retake the lead over the @celtics on a Joe Ingles three.
Jazz lead 39-38 with 3:57 left until the half.
Both teams playing really hard on both ends of the floor, this feels like playoff basketball. #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/0zKE8Jm4b2
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 10, 2021
- Donovan Mitchell has gotten caught up a little bit trying to exploit a mismatch with Tristan Thompson but hasn’t had a ton of success and could do a little more kicking the ball out to other Jazz shooters.
- However, the Jazz are just 7-23 from deep despite some good looks.
- Jazz are going to need some more from Bogdanovic and Clarkson who have just 8 combined points at the half.
At the half the @utahjazz lead the @celtics 48-47.
Jaylen Brown had a huge first half for Boston and leads all scorers with 20 points.
Donovan Mitchell leads the Jazz with 12. #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/GRCzpkkcUS
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 10, 2021
Third Quarter
- Jazz get a nice post up for Bogdanovic over Theis. He needs to get going for the Jazz to win this game. They’re going to need more scoring outside of Mithell. He’s got 6 points.
- The Jazz stars are taking this game over exactly the way they’re supposed to. Gobert is absolutely erasing everything in the paint and the Celtics offense is flustered.
- Meanwhile, Mitchell has 10 points in the first six minutes of the half including a four-point play and some great isolation moves.
.@spidadmitchell x Bogey 🔥🔥
The duo gave the @utahjazz a double digit lead.#TakeNote https://t.co/RX4BOPJDhQ
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 10, 2021
- Joe Ingles might be the second-best pick and roll initiator in Jazz history. He’s so nuanced in his reads when he’s clicked in and his size gives him a huge advantage.
- The MOST Jordan Clarkson thing to do is start a game 0-6 from three then hit one running full speed into the corner falling out of bounds while you get fouled. He also has 5 assists.
Seven quick points from Jordan Clarkson gives the @utahjazz a 90-79 lead over the @celtics heading into the fourth quarter.
14 third quarter points gives Donovan Mitchell 26 points for the game to lead all scorers.
Fun finish ahead. #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/sT8zaXfOl6
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 10, 2021
Fourth Quarter
- Daniel Theis has hit five really important threes in this game to keep the Jazz from pulling away. It goes back to the understanding though that an NBA defense can’t take away everything the opposition wants to do.
- Jazz are doing most things well on the defense end, but as a result Theis is getting open looks.
- Tatum is heating up against non-Oni Jazz defenders.
The @utahjazz get a stop but Rudy Gobert and Joe Ingles fight for a rebound and drop it out of bounds.
The lead is down to 6 and @celtics forward Jayson Tatum has 7 points in the first 6 minutes of the fourth quarter.
101-95, 7:13 left.#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/yA8JJ2KiHT
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 10, 2021
- Theis fouls out, Gobert is going to have to make some free-throws in this game. Don’t be surprised if the Celtics start hacking him to get back into this game.
- The foul calls in this game continue to be questionable.
The @utahjazz win over the @celtics tied the 1996-97 team for the best start to the season in franchise history.#TakeNote https://t.co/GMIxoohZUV
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 10, 2021