Celtics (23-14), Pelicans (14-24)
BOSTON – New Orleans provided a seemingly excellent omen to open its season-long five-game road trip by grabbing a 10-point first-half lead on Saturday, but from there Boston put together a dominant stretch. Behind a 36-20 third quarter, the Celtics broke open what had been a tightly contested matchup, building a 93-73 lead. The hosts were sparked by a couple semi-surprising sources, with fill-in starter Marcus Smart enjoying a prolific first three quarters (22 points) and Gerald Green (15 points on 7 shots) emerging off the bench as a problem for the New Orleans defense.