The New Orleans Pelicans fell to the Boston Celtics 144-118 on Friday night at TD Garden.
Boston dominated from the start, jumping out to a 44-25 lead after the first quarter and extending it to 82-51 by halftime.
The Celtics tied an NBA/franchise record with 29 three-pointers made, led by Sam Hauser’s game-high 24 points (including 8 threes). Jaylen Brown added 23 points in just 29 minutes.
Boston (55-26) clinched the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 see with the victory.
The Pelicans struggled to keep pace but rookie guard Jeremiah Fears had a strong showing in the loss, leading New Orleans with 36 points (on 13-of-29 shooting) and adding 6 assists. This came on the heels of his franchise rookie-record 40-point game just days earlier against the Utah Jazz, continuing his impressive late-season surge as a first-year player.
New Orleans (26-55) closes out the season Sunday at Minnesota.