Tatum finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds and Jaylen Brown scored 28 points for the Celtics, who forced 20 New Orleans turnovers. Trey Murphy erupted for 40 points for the Pelicans, who were without Zion Williamson (illness), Brandon Ingram (ankle), Herbert Jones (shoulder), Daniel Theis (thumb), and Jordan Hawkins (illness).

Jayson Tatum’s jumper with 0.7 seconds left gave the Boston Celtics a 118-116 victory over the short-handed New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night.

Tatum had 22 points through three quarters before being held in check for much of the fourth. But the Celtics went to him after CJ McCollum’s tying basket with 24 seconds left, and he hit the eventual winner over McCollum from the left wing.

After winning five of six games, the New Orleans Pelicans have lost four consecutive games and now head into one of their toughest tests of the season. The Pelicans host the Boston Celtics on Friday, bringing the defending champs into Smoothie King Center.

Zion Williamson sat out the New Orleans Pelicans' game against the Boston Celtics on Friday night because of a stomach illness. Williamson has missed 36 of the Pelicans’ 49 games this season. He averaged 24.

He became eligible for a contract extension worth up to $208 million over four years last summer, but the Pelicans have not been

Butler was suspended indefinitely without pay. The Miami Heat are actively looking to make a trade for Butler before next Thursday’s deadline. NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the New Orleans Pelicans have shown interest in acquiring Butler via trade.