Boston built a 20-point lead (59-39) late in the first half but saw it nearly disappear. Still, the Celtics held on for a 110-103 win. Jaylen Brown led with 22 points, five rebounds, and eight assists, while Jayson Tatum added 16 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists.
By 5:15 p.m. ET, less than 90 minutes after the game ended at 3:45 p.m. ET, Boston announced a roster move.
“We have waived Anton Watson,” the Celtics wrote on social media.
Watson will become an unrestricted free agent if no NBA team claims him within the next 48 hours. The Celtics’ 2024 second-round pick (No. 54 overall) didn’t play on Sunday—and, in fact, hasn’t seen the court all season.
At around 7:04 p.m. ET on Sunday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the Celtics made another move to replace the 24-year-old rookie.
“The Boston Celtics are signing forward Miles Norris to a two-way NBA deal out of the NBA G League’s Memphis Hustle, agents Mike Silverman and Troy Payne of Equity Basketball tell ESPN,” Charania wrote. “Norris has averaged 17.1 points and 5 rebounds in G League.”
Former Boston Celtics forward Anton Watson (28) in the NBA Summer League.
© Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images
With Sunday’s win, Boston improved to 43-18 on the season and remained in second place in the Eastern Conference standings. It currently sits 7.5 games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for the No. 1 seed.
The Celtics will now have several days off before hosting the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
