Final Score: Boston Celtics 97 | Phoenix Suns 81
Venue: Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2026 | 9:00 PM ET
Looking for the complete Boston Celtics vs Phoenix Suns match player stats from February 24, 2026? You are in the right place. Derrick White dropped 22 points, Neemias Queta put up a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double, and Sam Hauser added 16 off the bench as Boston dismantled a shorthanded Phoenix squad 97-81. The Celtics ran away with this one in the third quarter, and the numbers tell the full story right here.
Table of contents
- Final Score and Quarter-by-Quarter Breakdown
- Boston Celtics Player Stats
- Phoenix Suns Player Stats
- Head-to-Head Team Comparison
- Injury Report: Who Was Missing on Both Sides
- What Happened in This Game: The Real Story
- Derrick White’s Night: The Full Picture
- Neemias Queta Quietly Dominates the Glass
- Sam Hauser: The Bench Ace Delivers Again
- Phoenix Suns: Who Showed Up Without Booker and Brooks?
- Baylor Scheierman: The Double-Double Nobody Talks About Enough
- Team Context: Where Both Squads Stood at This Point in the Season
- What the Advanced Numbers Actually Say
- The 16-0 Run That Decided Everything
- Celtics Depth: The Real Story of the 2025-26 Season
- Final Analysis: What These Stats Tell You
Final Score and Quarter-by-Quarter Breakdown
| Quarter | Boston Celtics | Phoenix Suns |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 21 | 26 |
| Q2 | 29 | 20 |
| Q3 | 30 | 11 |
| Q4 | 17 | 24 |
| Final | 97 | 81 |
That third quarter is the whole game right there. Boston outscored Phoenix 30 to 11, including a devastating 16-0 run that stretched over six and a half minutes of clock. The Suns were held completely scoreless for more than six straight minutes during that stretch. When a team goes on a 16-0 run in a stretch like that, the final score stops being a mystery.
Boston Celtics Player Stats
Celtics Starters
| Player | POS | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG | 3PT | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derrick White | G | 22 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 9/18 (50%) | 4/11 (36.4%) | +20 |
| Baylor Scheierman | F | 11 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5/10 (50%) | 1/6 (16.7%) | +13 |
| Neemias Queta | C | 14 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5/10 (50%) | 0/0 | +29 |
| Ron Harper Jr. | G | 8 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3/10 (30%) | 2/7 (28.6%) | +25 |
| Nikola Vucevic | C | 8 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4/11 (36.4%) | 0/3 | -7 |
Celtics Bench
| Player | POS | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG | 3PT | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Hauser | F | 16 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6/14 (42.9%) | 4/10 (40%) | +12 |
| Payton Pritchard | G | 8 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2/13 (15.4%) | 0/5 | +11 |
| Jordan Walsh | G | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2/3 (66.7%) | 1/1 (100%) | +7 |
| Hugo Gonzalez | G | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1/1 (100%) | 0/0 | -6 |
| Luka Garza | C | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1/4 (25%) | 1/3 (33.3%) | -8 |
| John Tonje | G | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/1 | 0/1 | -8 |
| Dalano Banton | F | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | -8 |
Celtics Advanced Box Score
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| FG% | 40.0% |
| 3PT% | 27.7% |
| FT% | 88.9% (8/9) |
| Total Rebounds | 70 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 22 |
| Assists | 24 |
| Turnovers | 11 |
| Blocks | 7 |
| Bench Points | 26 |
| Points in the Paint | 38 |
| Fast Break Points | 11 |
| Second Chance Points | 15 |
| Points Off Turnovers | 13 |
| Biggest Lead | +28 |
| Offensive Rating | 110.3 |
| Defensive Rating | 96.8 |
| Assist to Turnover Ratio | 3.0 |
Phoenix Suns Player Stats
Suns Starters
| Player | POS | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG | 3PT | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grayson Allen | G | 14 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2/12 (16.7%) | 1/9 (11.1%) | -13 |
| Royce O’Neale | F | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3/6 (50%) | 3/4 (75%) | -19 |
| Ryan Dunn | F | 10 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4/6 (66.7%) | 2/2 (100%) | -3 |
| Oso Ighodaro | F | 4 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2/5 (40%) | 0/0 | +1 |
| Mark Williams | C | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1/3 (33.3%) | 0/0 | -23 |
Suns Bench
| Player | POS | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG | 3PT | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collin Gillespie | G | 15 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6/11 (54.5%) | 3/6 (50%) | -5 |
| Amir Coffey | G-F | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3/6 (50%) | 0/0 | +5 |
| Rasheer Fleming | F | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/3 | 0/3 | +4 |
| Khaman Maluach | C | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2/3 (66.7%) | 1/1 (100%) | +6 |
| Koby Brea | G | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1/2 (50%) | 1/1 (100%) | +6 |
Suns Advanced Box Score
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| FG% | 36.7% |
| 3PT% | 33.3% |
| FT% | 84.6% (11/13) |
| Total Rebounds | 40 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 9 |
| Assists | 18 |
| Turnovers | 8 |
| Blocks | 5 |
| Bench Points | 32 |
| Points in the Paint | 20 |
| Fast Break Points | 7 |
| Second Chance Points | 12 |
| Points Off Turnovers | 10 |
| Biggest Lead | +11 |
| Offensive Rating | 96.8 |
| Defensive Rating | 110.3 |
| Assist to Turnover Ratio | 2.25 |
Head-to-Head Team Comparison
| Category | Boston Celtics | Phoenix Suns | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 97 | 81 | BOS +16 |
| FG Made/Att | 38/95 | 29/79 | BOS |
| FG% | 40.0% | 36.7% | BOS |
| 3PT Made | 13 | 12 | BOS |
| 3PT Attempts | 47 | 36 | BOS |
| FT Made/Att | 8/9 | 11/13 | PHX |
| Total Rebounds | 70 | 40 | BOS +30 |
| Off. Rebounds | 22 | 9 | BOS +13 |
| Assists | 24 | 18 | BOS |
| Blocks | 7 | 5 | BOS |
| Turnovers | 11 | 8 | PHX |
| Points in Paint | 38 | 20 | BOS +18 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 15 | 12 | BOS |
| Fast Break Pts | 11 | 7 | BOS |
| Effective FG% | 46.8% | 44.3% | BOS |
| True Shooting% | 49.0% | 47.8% | BOS |
Boston won this game in the margins. The rebounding gap alone (70 to 40) is borderline absurd. The Celtics grabbed 22 offensive rebounds, turned those into 15 second-chance points, and built a lead that even a motivated fourth-quarter Suns run could not dent. For more deep-dive game-by-game NBA player stat comparisons, matchvsplayerstats.com tracks this data across the whole season.
Injury Report: Who Was Missing on Both Sides
This game featured two rosters that were far from full strength. Understanding the absences is important context when reading these Boston Celtics vs Phoenix Suns match player stats.
Boston Celtics (OUT):
- Jayson Tatum | Torn Achilles (season-ending)
- Jaylen Brown | Right knee contusion (one-game rest on back-to-back)
Phoenix Suns (OUT):
- Devin Booker | Right hip strain (averaging 24.7 PPG)
- Dillon Brooks | Left hand fracture (averaging 20.9 PPG)
Combined, the Suns were missing nearly 46 points per game from their top two scorers. That context matters. But Boston was also missing their All-Star Jaylen Brown on the first night of a back-to-back, so neither team had a full deck. The difference was the Celtics depth held firm. The Suns’ depth did not.
What Happened in This Game: The Real Story
First Quarter: Suns Actually Led
Phoenix came out with something to prove. Royce O’Neale opened 3-for-3 from three-point range in the first half, spacing the floor and forcing Boston’s second unit to extend its coverage. Collin Gillespie knocked down multiple threes off the bench. At the end of the first quarter, the Suns led 26-21, and there was a real game on here.
What the box score doesn’t show is that Phoenix forced Boston into some uncomfortable possessions early, using a pace that tested the visiting Celtics. The game felt genuinely competitive.
Second Quarter: Boston Flips the Script
The Celtics buried the Suns with a 50-11 run that stretched from midway through the second quarter until late in the third. By halftime, Boston had clawed back to a 50-46 lead. The run had already started.
Payton Pritchard, who had been one of the hottest players in the league heading into this game, was held to just 2-of-13 shooting on the night. But his plus-minus still finished at +11 across his 34 minutes. That tells you how thoroughly the team covered for his off night.
Third Quarter: The Kill Shot
This is where the game ended. The Celtics took control by outscoring the Suns 30-11 in the third quarter, including a 16-0 run.
They held Phoenix scoreless for more than six straight minutes. Harper delivered the loudest defensive play when he sprinted back to block a transition layup, drawing such a strong reaction from his teammates that Scheierman gave him a high-five while the ball was still in play.
It was 80-57 heading into the fourth. Game over.
Fourth Quarter: Mazzulla Empties the Bench
With the game settled, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla used the fourth quarter to get some reserve minutes in. Mazzulla emptied his bench with four minutes remaining, sending in rookie John Tonje for his NBA debut and veteran Dalano Banton for his first minutes as a Celtic this season. The Suns did open the fourth with a 9-0 run to make it look a little cleaner on the scoreboard, but a quick three from Harper, a White and-one, and another Scheierman three ended that conversation.
Derrick White’s Night: The Full Picture
White was everywhere in this one. The numbers read 22 points and 8 assists, but the stat line that really matters:
| Derrick White | Feb 24 vs PHX |
|---|---|
| Points | 22 |
| Rebounds | 8 |
| Assists | 8 |
| Steals | 1 |
| Blocks | 3 |
| Turnovers | 1 |
| FG% | 50.0% |
| 3PT | 4/11 |
| +/- | +20 |
| Offensive Rating | 146.6 |
| Defensive Rating | 93.8 |
Three blocks from a guard is notable. His defensive rating of 93.8 for the game puts him in a different category. White is not the loudest story on this team, but on nights like this he absolutely controls the game on both ends.
Neemias Queta Quietly Dominates the Glass
The Portuguese center continues to make the argument that he belongs in a rotation that no longer has Al Horford or Kristaps Porzingis. His Feb 24 line:
| Neemias Queta | Feb 24 vs PHX |
|---|---|
| Points | 14 |
| Total Rebounds | 13 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 6 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 7 |
| Assists | 3 |
| Blocks | 2 |
| FG% | 50.0% |
| FT% | 100% (4/4) |
| Second Chance Points | 6 |
| +/- | +29 |
A plus-29 in a game that ended with a 16-point margin tells you Queta was on the floor for all the right stretches. Six offensive rebounds and six second-chance points are the numbers of a player who outworks the opposition on every possession. His offensive rebounding rate for the game was 22.9%, meaning he grabbed nearly one in every four available offensive boards.
Sam Hauser: The Bench Ace Delivers Again
Coming off the bench in a game where Pritchard shot 2-for-13, Hauser picked up the slack without hesitation.
| Sam Hauser | Feb 24 vs PHX |
|---|---|
| Points | 16 |
| Rebounds | 3 |
| Assists | 4 |
| 3PT Made | 4 |
| 3PT% | 40.0% (4/10) |
| FG% | 42.9% (6/14) |
| +/- | +12 |
| Offensive Rating | 152.3 |
Hauser’s four assists alongside 16 points show he wasn’t just off-ball hunting catch-and-shoot opportunities. He was making reads and moving the ball when defense collapsed on him.
Phoenix Suns: Who Showed Up Without Booker and Brooks?
The Suns were working with a skeleton roster but a few players made real cases for themselves.
Collin Gillespie (15 PTS, 3 AST, 54.5% FG) was the most efficient Suns player on the night. He shot 6-for-11 from the floor, went 3-for-6 from three, and had a 3.0 assist-to-turnover ratio. In a game this lopsided, keeping that kind of efficiency is legitimate.
Ryan Dunn (10 PTS, 6 REB, 66.7% FG) was one of only two Suns to hit double figures in points. His 2-for-2 shooting from three-point range on limited attempts showed confident decision-making in a tough context.
Grayson Allen (14 PTS) led the team in scoring but did most of his damage at the free throw line, going 9-for-10. His field goal shooting was rough at 2-for-12 (16.7%) and his plus-minus of -13 reflected how much the team leaked on his possessions.
Mark Williams (-23) had the toughest night of any Suns player. The center finished with just 2 points on 1-of-3 shooting, two turnovers, and a plus-minus of -23 across his minutes. Queta outplayed him decisively on both ends.
Baylor Scheierman: The Double-Double Nobody Talks About Enough
| Baylor Scheierman | Feb 24 vs PHX |
|---|---|
| Points | 11 |
| Total Rebounds | 11 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 3 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 8 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Steals | 1 |
| Turnovers | 2 |
| FG% | 50.0% |
| +/- | +13 |
Scheierman was playing through a fractured thumb during this stretch of the season, per reporting ahead of the game. He logged an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double regardless. His defensive rebounding percentage of 25.2% for the game was elite. He was also the player who killed Phoenix’s fourth-quarter run with a three-pointer that buried any remaining Suns hope.
Team Context: Where Both Squads Stood at This Point in the Season
Boston Celtics Record After This Win: 38-19
Key context heading in and out of this game:
- Of the five players who started against Phoenix, only White had been a full-time NBA starter before this season.
- The Celtics are 5-1 in games Brown has missed this season, with wins by 16, 16, 19, 21 and 45 points.
- This was the Celtics’ fourth consecutive win, all by double digits, extending a stretch of nine wins in their last ten games.
- Boston was on a four-game West Coast road trip at the time.
Phoenix Suns Record: 33-26
- The Suns lost for the fourth time in their last five games.
- Both Booker and Brooks were out, removing roughly 46 combined points per game from the lineup.
- Phoenix had also lost 92-77 to Portland just before this game.
What the Advanced Numbers Actually Say
The raw box score tells one story. The advanced stats tell you exactly why Boston won and how comfortable the margin really was.
| Metric | Boston | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive Rating | 110.3 | 96.8 |
| Defensive Rating | 96.8 | 110.3 |
| Net Rating | +13.5 | -13.5 |
| Points Per Possession (Off) | 1.10 | 0.97 |
| Points Per Possession (Def) | 0.92 | 1.16 |
| Effective FG% | 46.8% | 44.3% |
| True Shooting% | 49.0% | 47.8% |
| Total Possessions | 87.96 | 83.72 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 22 | 9 |
| Team Turnovers | 3 | 0 |
| Player Turnovers | 8 | 8 |
Boston’s true advantage in this game was not three-point shooting (they shot 27.7% from deep, which is below average). Their edge came from offensive rebounding and second-chance scoring. Twenty-two offensive boards against a team that was ranked among the league’s best at forcing turnovers (third-most in the NBA) shows just how physically dominant the Celtics were in this particular matchup. You can cross-reference Derrick White’s season-long advanced splits and Boston’s team rebounding trends on StatMuse to see how this performance stacks up across the full 2025-26 schedule.
The 16-0 Run That Decided Everything
The moment this game was over happened in the third quarter. Here is how it played out:
Boston started the third quarter trailing or roughly tied, then the Celtics locked in defensively. They held Phoenix scoreless for over six straight minutes. The 16-0 run pushed the lead from a handful of points all the way to 75-52. By the time the Suns scored again, there was nothing left to fight for.
Ron Harper Jr. had a block during that run that drew a reaction from the whole Celtics bench. Hugo Gonzalez converted a Eurostep layup to push it to 75-52. The Suns did not score until it was effectively a different game.
Celtics Depth: The Real Story of the 2025-26 Season
The Celtics have compensated for the loss of Tatum and 2024 title team members Al Horford, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis with a career year from reigning Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard and veteran Derrick White.
The roster that played in Phoenix on February 24 featured:
- A guard (White) having arguably his best professional season
- A center (Queta) who was considered a depth piece at the start of the year
- A forward (Scheierman) playing through a broken thumb
- A bench shooter (Hauser) covering for the team’s best scorer being held out
That group beat a 33-26 Suns team by 16. It speaks to organizational depth that goes well beyond what most people expected from Boston this season.
Coach Joe Mazzulla put it plainly: “The story’s not done. We haven’t done anything. All we’ve done is stick to the process of winning on both ends of the floor.”
Final Analysis: What These Stats Tell You
A few things stand out when you step back from the individual Boston Celtics vs Phoenix Suns match player stats and look at the full picture.
Boston dominated the areas that matter most.
The Celtics won the rebounding battle 70-40, a margin so wide it almost looks like a typo. They grabbed 22 offensive boards and turned those into 15 second-chance points. That is not luck. That is a team that outworks the opponent every single possession.
The third quarter is where this game was decided.
A 30-11 quarter with a 16-0 run embedded inside it is not a momentum shift. It is a statement. The Suns, already missing their two best scorers, had no answer once Boston locked in defensively.
Derrick White is playing like a legit second option.
22 points, 8 assists, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, 1 turnover. That kind of complete game from a guard does not happen by accident. He was the best player on the floor on this night.
The Suns are in a tough stretch.
Without Booker and Brooks, there is simply not enough firepower to compete with teams of Boston’s caliber. Gillespie and Dunn showed they belong in the league, but 15 and 10 points from your two best performers is not a path to winning against a 38-win squad.
Boston’s depth is genuinely concerning for the rest of the league.
They are 5-1 without Jaylen Brown. They are rolling at 38-19 without Jayson Tatum for the season. A team that was supposed to be in rebuilding mode is instead one of the best records in the Eastern Conference.
For the complete, up-to-date Boston Celtics vs Phoenix Suns match player stats and every other NBA head-to-head breakdown this season, matchvsplayerstats.com has the full database.
