The Boston Celtics have struggled in crunch time this season, but that wasn’t the case on Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers.

After comfortably leading by double digits for most of the game, the well-rested Celtics suddenly found themselves in a nailbiter late in the fourth quarter. A torrid second half by James Harden turned a potential blowout into a one-possession game for several tense minutes, which has been Boston’s Achilles heel over the last few weeks.

Coming into Sunday’s game, the Celtics were 2-5 with a minus-37.2 net rating in clutch games this season, which the NBA defines as a game where the score is within five points during the final five minutes.

Boston improved those troubling numbers on Sunday, however, holding off the Clippers’ late comeback for a thrilling

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