Final: Suns 111, Celtics 103 -- Suns rally from 12-point deficit to upset C's

The shorthanded Celtics could not overcome issues on the defensive glass and decision making as the Phoenix Suns pulled off the 111-103 upset win at the TD Garden on Wednesday night. Boston was down three of its top big men (Al Horford, Marcus Morris, Aron Baynes) after Baynes suffered a broken left hand just minutes into the contest. Without the team's top defensive rebounders, the Suns feasted on the offensive glass (21 offensive rebounds) to recover from a 13-point first half deficit and pull off their fourth straight victory.

Kyrie Irving (29 points, 10 assists) paced the Celtics offense early to a tremendous start (37 first quarter points) but turnovers (16) and poor shooting sank the hosts' offense over the final three frames as they managed to score just 66 points against one of the worst defenses in the NBA. Jayson Tatum added 18 points but another ugly night from Jaylen Brown (6 points) helped keep Boston from keeping pace with big performances from Devin Booker (25 points) and DeAndre Ayton (23 points, 18 rebounds).

C's have now lost two straight games heading into Friday's nationally televised showdown with the Bucks. 

First Half Notes 

• Another red-hot start for the Celtics on offense, knocking down their first five shots of the night on their way to a 40-point first quarter.


• Aron Baynes was not a part of this offensive explosion after he hurt his left hand in the opening two minutes, sending him straight to the locker room. He'll undergo surgery for a broken left hand and is out indefinitely, according to the Celtics. Big minutes for Williams/Theis in his place with Horford, Morris and Yabusele all out.


• Kyrie Irving continues to be the fuel for the Celtics offense early on, posting 8 points and 6 assists in the first quarter alone. The team's offense continues to fall off a cliff without him on the floor.


• C's defense has been a bit sluggish over the past couple games but they've been exposed at times by an improving Suns squad that has all of its weapons running on all cylinders in Booker, Ayton and TJ Warren.


• Nine blocks in the first half for the Celtics as the rim protection has been solid but they've surrendered plenty of second chance points to balance out a subpar shooting night by Suns.


• Just one free throw attempt in the first 24 minutes by the game by the C's which really slowed down their offensive firepower in the second quarter, allowing the Suns to cut the deficit to three by halftime.

• Marcus Morris was a late scratch by the team due to left knee soreness.


• Al Horford will miss his sixth straight game with a sore left knee but is working back towards a potential return in the next week. He could practice as soon as tomorrow, according to head coach Brad Stevens.


• Jaylen Brown will play despite battling a bruised right hand that has been hampering him over the past couple games. He shot just 20 percent over the weekend in a couple rough performances against the Hawks and Pistons.


• New Suns addition Kelly Oubre Jr. will make his debut with the team on Wednesday night after being acquired in exchange for Trevor Ariza on Monday. The other player involved in the trade (Austin Rivers) has already been waived by the Suns after a buyout.


• Phoenix has nearly doubled their win total in the last week with a season-high three straight wins. Stevens is intrigued by the talent level as they start to get healthier. "They’re just talented. You look at Booker, Ayton and Warren, those guys have all been able to do it at a high level at a young age. It’s not a coincidence that now that Crawford is playing more, things are happening. He’s doing great things for whatever team he’s on," he said.