After their worst start to a season in a dozen years, the 2025-26 Celtics finally secured their first victory Monday night in New Orleans.
After their worst start to a season in a dozen years, the 2025-26 Celtics finally secured their first victory Monday night in New Orleans.
Boston rode a well-rounded scoring effort and a dominant fourth quarter to a 122-90 win over a Pelicans team that was playing without injured star Zion Williamson.
Six Celtics players scored in double figures, led by Anfernee Simons’ 25 off the bench on 9-of-17 shooting (6-for-13 from 3-point range). Josh Minott (15 points, nine rebounds) was an all-around difference-maker in his first career start, with Boston outscoring New Orleans by a whopping 42 points across his 28 minutes.
The 1-3 Celtics will return home to host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night at TD Garden.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla trotted out his third different starting lineup of the season, inserting Minott alongside consistent starters Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Jaylen Brown and Neemias Queta.
Minott was a DNP-CD last Friday night in New York, but he gave the Celtics some strong minutes off the bench on Sunday. His 10 points and two steals in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter helped spark an ill-fated late-game rally in Detroit.
