Jayson Tatum scored a career-high 41 points in three quarters of play as the Boston Celtics crushed the visiting New Orleans Pelicans 140-105 on Saturday night.

Tatum shot 16 of 22 from the field with a career-best six 3-pointers as the Celtics snapped a season-long three-game losing streak. Enes Kanter added season highs of 22 points and 19 rebounds.

Frank Jackson had a team-high 22 points off the bench for the Pelicans, who lost for just the third time in their last 10 games. Rookie Jaxson Hayes scored a career-high 20 points, and Lonzo Ball (10 points, 13 rebounds) fell an assist shy of a triple-double.

The Celtics had 14 steals compared to four for the Pelicans. New Orleans was outscored 74-42 in the paint.

The Celtics used a 19-3 run on their way to their first double-digit lead, 30-18, on a Gordon Hayward three-point play with 2:44 remaining in the first quarter. Boston led 41-24 after one, its most points scored in a quarter this season.

The Celtics grabbed their first 20-point advantage early in the second quarter and took their largest lead of the half at 57-35 on a Tatum 3-pointer with 7:42 to go. New Orleans got within 14, 64-50, with 3:02 left, but Tatum answered with a pair of 3s as Boston led 72-57 at the break.

Tatum led all scorers with 22 points -- 11 apiece in the first and second quarter. Jackson paced the Pelicans with 14.

The Celtics began the third with a 21-9 surge and led 93-66 at the midway point of the quarter. Tatum eclipsed 30 points on the night with a layup with 4:37 left in the quarter, and he followed with a 3 as Boston grabbed its first 30-point lead, 101-71.

Tatum drained his sixth trey less than a minute later, and he surpassed his previous career high of 39 points on a bucket in the paint with 1:04 to go as the Celtics carried a 114-82 lead into the fourth quarter. Tatum sat out the final 12 minutes.

--Field Level Media