Jan 26, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) and Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III (35) interact during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
It wasn’t the prettiest basketball the Celtics have ever played, but at the end of the day it goes down in the win column and they’ll move on to the next one.
Boston at one point in the second held a 23-point lead, and were on its way to an easy win. It didn’t go that way, and it’s ultimately a reminder that this Celtics team isn’t good enough to just sail to wins most nights.
Here are five takeaways from the Celtics 102-94 win…
Jrue Holiday returns to the Garden
Jan 26, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) talks with Portland Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday (5) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
When you’re forced to turnover almost half of your roster from the previous season, it sets up a lot of reunions. Monday night was the latest when Boston welcomed back 2024 NBA Champion Jrue Holiday to the parquet.
It wasn’t a dominating game from the veteran guard, but in many ways it was the quintessential Holiday game as he finished with 14 points, three assists, three steals and a block.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla had plenty of praise for Holiday’s impact as a Celtic, on and off the court.
"The biggest thing that stands out is who he is as a person,” Mazzulla said. “He's a guy who was a champion and an All-Star, and he comes in and accepts a completely different role with a smile on his face. And does it with a level of respect and professionalism and is willing to do whatever it takes to win every night."
White’s up and down night
It’s no secret that Derrick White hasn’t had his normal season shooting the ball, but on Monday he started to show some signs of life on that end. The guard scored 18 points on 7-for-15 shooting, and was 2-for-4 from deep.
White also came through when the Celtics really needed him with 10 points in the fourth, including a clutch triple in the final minute to seal the win.
On the other side of the coin are the seven turnovers that White committed on the night. That’s a number that is uncharacteristic for White and certainly not the norm, but when Portland is breathing down your neck for much of the second half it could have cost Boston a win it should have never had in doubt.
Amari Williams continues to get looks
Jan 26, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Amari Williams (77) blocks the shot of Portland Trail Blazers guard Caleb Love (2) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
It’s been a whirlwind couple days for Amari Williams.
The rookie forward went from morning shootaround in Maine on Friday morning to playing in overtime for Boston that night. On Saturday he received his first career start, and on Monday he played the best basketball of his young career in 25 minutes.
Williams finished with nine points, seven rebounds and two blocks, looking like he belongs with the pros in the NBA. He made multiple impact plays, including an inbound steal which he took the distance before getting to the line for a pair of free throws.
Williams' best sequence came in the first half when he rejected a shot on one end, and on the other end converted a contested layup for an and-one opportunity.
In the long run, Williams most likely returns to Maine and remains at the bottom of the forward rotation in Boston, especially if it adds at the deadline, but Williams certainly looks like a promising piece for the future.
By any means necessary
Jan 26, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) controls the ball while Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (33) defends during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Boston typically has a pretty standard formula that it follows in its wins. Shoot over 36% from three and score over 103 points and it’s a solid chance that the Celtics are walking out with the win.
That certainly wasn’t the case on Monday.
The Cs shot 42.9 % from the field and 38.2% from three-point land. Payton Pritchard was a big reason why that three point number is so high as the guard hit on 5-for-11 of his attempts.
Before Monday, the Celtics were 0-7 this season when scoring less than 103, and were also 2-8 in shooting less than 43% from the field.
While the film from this game probably won’t go over well in the film session tomorrow for Boston, it is a positive sign that it can win ugly. Because after how last year’s playoff run ended, when the threes don’t fall, the Celtics will have to find another way to win.
Pritchard leads the way
Pritchard was the bright spot in what was certainly not a memorable offensive performance for the Celtics. The guard was 5-for-11 from three with a game-high 23 points.
Boston went through long stretches of the game, specifically in the second and third quarters where the offense stalled — badly. More often than not, Pritchard was there to snap the dry spell and get the Celtics rolling again.
Pritchard also busted out his patented buzzer beaters on two separate occasions at the end of the first and second quarters.
