Game ID: 22500117
Boston Celtics @ New Orleans Pelicans
Monday, October 27, 2025 at 8:00 PM ET
Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
NOP 26 28 24 12 90BOS 34 31 22 35 122
BOS @ NOP ScoutingBOS @ NOP Scouting
Welcome to the scouting desk. The coffee is cold, the film is play-by-play, and somebody has to explain what happened.
Every game has a hinge — a stretch where it was decided, usually while everyone was watching something else. Start where the evidence lives: the Lineups' face-offs say which five actually won their minutes; the Possessions ledger says who ran ahead of the night's own pace; the Shot Chart says where the points really came from, which is rarely where the highlights were. When all three agree, that is the story. When they don't — that is why this desk has a chair.
NOP availability going into 10/22 · season opener
full strength
NOP availability going into 10/24 · 1 day's rest
full strength
NOP availability going into 10/27 · 2 days' restOUT Peavy missed 2 since 10/22, returns tonight: 3 min (22% of 15)
NOP availability going into 10/29 · 1 day's restOUT Alexander missed 2 since 10/24, out tonight
BACK Peavy back 10/27 after 2, 3 min since (22% of 15)
NEW Poole 24 to 36 min over the last 3
NOP availability going into 10/31 · 1 day's restOUT Alexander missed 3 since 10/24, out tonight
BACK Peavy back 10/27 after 2, 6 min since (37% of 15)
NEW Poole 24 to 32 min over the last 4
NOP availability going into 11/02 · 1 day's restOUT Alexander missed 4 since 10/24, out tonight
BACK Peavy back 10/27 after 2, 6 min since (37% of 15)
NEW Poole 24 to 32 min over the last 5
NOP availability going into 11/04 · 1 day's restOUT Jordan missed 2 since 10/31, out tonight
OUT Alexander missed 5 since 10/24, out tonight
BACK Peavy back 10/27 after 2, 6 min since (40% of 15)
NEW Poole 24 to 31 min over the last 5
BOS availability going into 10/22 · season opener
full strength
BOS availability going into 10/24 · 1 day's rest
full strength
BOS availability going into 10/26 · 1 day's rest
full strength
BOS availability going into 10/27 · back-to-back
full strength
BOS availability going into 10/29 · 1 day's rest
full strength
BOS availability going into 10/31 · 1 day's restNEW Minott 16 to 22 min over the last 4
BOS availability going into 11/01 · back-to-backOUT Boucher missed 2 since 10/29, returns tonight: 13 min (122% of 10)
NEW Minott 16 to 24 min over the last 4
BOS availability going into 11/03 · 1 day's restBACK Boucher back 11/01 after 2, 13 min since (122% of 10)
NEW Minott 16 to 23 min over the last 5
10/22 @ MEM 122-128 — NOP notes
NOP lost 122-128. NOP took 18 more shots (98 to 80), fed by 17 offensive rebounds, but shot 46% to MEM's 51%, 10 of 27 from three, and got to the line 31 times to MEM's 43. Williamson led with 27 (10 of 21, 7 of 12 at the line); Jones added 17, Poole 17. Q2 was theirs, 37-29, but the other 3 periods went 99-85 against them. They led by as many as 15. Bey's -13 in 30 minutes was the worst on the floor.
10/24 vs SAS 116-120 — NOP notes
NOP lost 116-120 in 1 overtime. NOP shot 43% (42 of 97) to SAS's 46%, 10 of 32 from three. NOP turned it over 13 times to SAS's 18. The glass went 45-59 against them. Williamson led with 27 (8 of 18, 11 of 16 at the line); Murphy III added 24, Poole 21. Q2 was theirs, 31-27, turning a 3-point deficit into a 1-point lead, but the other 4 periods went 93-85 against them. Jones's -20 in 28 minutes was the worst on the floor.
10/27 vs BOS 90-122 — NOP notes
NOP lost 90-122. NOP shot 33% (28 of 84) to BOS's 48%, 9 of 36 from three, and went to the line 28 times to BOS's 15 — 25 points from the stripe to their 12. The glass went 35-54 against them. Poole led with 22 (5 of 14, 3 of 8 from three, 9 of 9 at the line); Queen added 12, Bey 11. Q3 was theirs, 24-22, the deficit cut from 11 to 9, but the other 3 periods went 100-66 against them. Fears's -31 in 27 minutes was the worst on the floor.
11/02 @ OKC — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
OKC comes in 5-0 over its last five, scoring 119 a night and allowing 108, shooting 46 percent and 31 from three, 24 free throws a game; Gilgeous-Alexander at 34 and Holmgren at 21 a game. That is 5 straight wins. It has won the glass by 5 a night. Without Holmgren (2 straight). 2 days' rest. New Orleans comes in 0-5 over its last five, scoring 108 a night and allowing 124, shooting 42 percent and 33 from three, 29 free throws a game; Williamson at 24 and Poole at 20 a game. That is 5 straight losses. It has lost the glass by 8 a night. One day's rest.
So: OKC wins, and the game turns on the glass, where OKC has been plus-5 a night and New Orleans minus-8 and the defense, OKC allowing 108 a night to New Orleans's 124. Call it OKC 123, New Orleans 107, OKC by 16.
11/04 vs CHA — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
New Orleans comes in 0-5 over its last five, scoring 105 a night and allowing 125, shooting 41 percent and 34 from three, 29 free throws a game; Williamson at 22 and Poole at 19 a game. That is 5 straight losses. It has lost the glass by 10 a night. Without Jordan (2 straight). One day's rest. Charlotte comes in 2-3 over its last five, scoring 119 a night and allowing 121, shooting 47 percent and 37 from three, 25 free throws a game; Ball at 23 and Bridges at 23 a game. It has won the glass by 7 a night. Without Miller (5 straight). One day's rest.
So: Charlotte wins, on the road, and the game turns on the glass, where Charlotte has been plus-7 a night and New Orleans minus-10. Call it Charlotte 122, New Orleans 115.
10/22 vs PHI 116-117 — BOS notes
BOS lost 116-117. BOS shot 45% (41 of 91) to PHI's 46%, 11 of 43 from three. Brown led with 25 (9 of 18, 2 of 4 from three, 5 of 6 at the line); White added 25, Queta 17. Q3 was theirs, 35-18, turning a 6-point deficit into a 11-point lead, but the other 3 periods went 99-81 against them. They led by as many as 13.
10/24 @ NYK 95-105 — BOS notes
BOS lost 95-105. BOS shot 43% (35 of 82) to NYK's 38%, 15 of 44 from three, and got to the line 15 times to NYK's 25. The glass went 37-53 against them. Brown led with 23 (9 of 18, 3 of 7 from three); Hauser added 18, White 15. Q1 was theirs, 30-22, but the other 3 periods went 83-65 against them. Brown's -14 in 35 minutes was the worst on the floor.
10/26 @ DET 113-119 — BOS notes
BOS lost 113-119. BOS shot 43% (40 of 94) to DET's 42%, 15 of 45 from three, and got to the line 24 times to DET's 36. The glass went 38-55 against them. Brown led with 41 (12 of 25, 5 of 9 from three, 12 of 15 at the line); Pritchard added 21, White 15. Q1 was theirs, 33-24, but the other 3 periods went 95-80 against them. They led by as many as 17. Simons's -13 in 23 minutes was the worst on the floor.
10/27 @ NOP 122-90 — BOS notes
BOS won 122-90. BOS shot 48% (46 of 95) to NOP's 33%, 18 of 53 from three, and got to the line 15 times to NOP's 28. The glass went 54-35 for them. Simons led with 25 (9 of 17, 6 of 13 from three); Pritchard added 18, Garza 16. The hinge was Q4, 35-12: a lead of 9 became 32. Minott was the night's best plus/minus at +42.
11/03 vs UTA — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Boston comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 114 a night and allowing 110, shooting 43 percent and 34 from three, 16 free throws a game; Brown at 26 and Pritchard at 16 a game. One day's rest. Utah comes in 1-4 over its last five, scoring 115 a night and allowing 124, shooting 42 percent and 30 from three, 33 free throws a game; Markkanen at 36 and George at 23 a game. That is 3 straight losses. It has won the glass by 7 a night. Without Tshiebwe (6 straight). Second night of a back-to-back.
So: Boston wins, and the game turns on the line, where Utah takes 33 free throws a game to Boston's 16 and the turnovers, Utah giving it away 18 times a game to Boston's 10. Call it Boston 120, Utah 111.
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
BrMiPrQuWh 5 17 +12 4 5 80 2 5 40 1 2 50 1 6 4 0 2 0 1
BOS Brown, Minott, Pritchard, Queta, White
in Brown, Minott, Pritchard, Queta, White
out ---
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
FeJoMiIiPo 5 5 -12 1 5 20 1 4 25 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 1 2
NOP Fears, Jones, Missi, Murphy III, Poole
in Fears, Jones, Missi, Murphy III, Poole
out ---
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
BrGaHaPrSi 2 7 0 1 1 100 1 2 50 2 4 50 1 2 1 0 1 0 2
BOS Brown, Garza, Hauser, Pritchard, Simons
in Garza, Hauser, Simons
out Minott, Queta, White
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
AlBeJoPoQu 1 3 -1 0 2 0 1 1 100 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
NOP Alvarado, Bey, Jones, Poole, Queen
in Queen
out Missi
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
GaHaScSiWh 1 2 -3 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 2 100 0 0 0 0 0 2 1
BOS Garza, Hauser, Scheierman, Simons, White
in White
out Pritchard
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
AlBeIiPoQu 4 12 +5 2 3 67 0 1 0 7 8 88 0 3 0 2 0 0 2
NOP Alvarado, Bey, Murphy III, Poole, Queen
in Murphy III
out Jones
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
HaScSiTiWh 2 8 +2 1 1 100 2 4 50 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 3
BOS Hauser, Scheierman, Simons, Tillman, White
in Tillman
out Garza
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
AlBeIiPoQu 4 12 +5 2 3 67 0 1 0 7 8 88 0 3 0 2 0 0 2
NOP Alvarado, Bey, Murphy III, Poole, Queen
in Murphy III
out Jones
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
BoBrQuSiWh 3 0 -6 0 3 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 3 3 0 0 0 2 3
BOS Boucher, Brown, Queta, Simons, White
in Boucher, Brown, Queta
out Hauser, Scheierman, Tillman
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
FeHaJoIiQu 3 6 +6 3 4 75 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 3 3 0 0 0 0
NOP Fears, Hawkins, Jordan, Murphy III, Queen
in Fears, Jordan
out Alvarado, Bey
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
BrMiPrQuWh 2 7 +2 2 4 50 1 3 33 0 0 0 3 2 3 0 1 0 2
BOS Brown, Minott, Pritchard, Queta, White
in Minott, Pritchard
out Boucher, Simons
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
FeHaJoMiIi 2 0 -5 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
NOP Fears, Hawkins, Jordan, Missi, Murphy III
in Missi
out Queen
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
BrGaHaMiPr 2 7 +7 2 4 50 1 1 100 0 0 0 2 1 1 1 0 0 1
BOS Brown, Garza, Hauser, Minott, Pritchard
in Garza, Hauser
out Queta, White
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
BeFeJoJoPo 2 5 -4 1 2 50 0 2 0 3 3 100 1 0 0 0 0 1 0
NOP Bey, Fears, Jones, Jordan, Poole
in Bey, Jones, Poole
out Hawkins, Missi, Murphy III
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
GaHaMiPrSi 1 3 +2 0 0 0 1 2 50 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 1
BOS Garza, Hauser, Minott, Pritchard, Simons
in Simons
out Brown
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
AlBeJoMiPo 1 1 -2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0
NOP Alvarado, Bey, Jones, Missi, Poole
in Alvarado, Missi
out Fears, Jordan
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
BrGaHaMiSi 1 2 -2 1 2 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1
BOS Brown, Garza, Hauser, Minott, Simons
in Brown
out Pritchard
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
AlJoMiIiPo 2 11 +4 0 0 0 2 3 67 3 4 75 0 1 1 1 0 0 1
NOP Alvarado, Jones, Missi, Murphy III, Poole
in Murphy III
out Bey
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
HaPrSiTiWh 2 7 +2 1 1 100 1 2 50 2 2 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
BOS Hauser, Pritchard, Simons, Tillman, White
in White
out Brown
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
AlBeMiIiPo 1 5 0 0 1 0 1 2 50 3 3 100 1 1 1 0 0 1 1
NOP Alvarado, Bey, Missi, Murphy III, Poole
in Bey
out Jones
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
BrMiPrQuWh 6 10 -2 4 6 67 0 4 0 2 2 100 1 4 2 1 2 1 0
BOS Brown, Minott, Pritchard, Queta, White
in Brown, Minott, Queta
out Hauser, Simons, Tillman
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
FeJoMiIiPo 1 4 +2 2 4 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1
NOP Fears, Jones, Missi, Murphy III, Poole
in Fears, Jones
out Alvarado, Bey
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
BrMiPrQuWh 6 10 -2 4 6 67 0 4 0 2 2 100 1 4 2 1 2 1 0
BOS Brown, Minott, Pritchard, Queta, White
in Brown, Minott, Queta
out Hauser, Simons, Tillman
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
BeFeMiIiPo 5 11 +3 1 5 20 2 4 50 0 0 0 0 2 3 1 0 2 2
NOP Bey, Fears, Missi, Murphy III, Poole
in Bey
out Jones
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
GaHaPrScSi 3 6 -2 0 0 0 2 6 33 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 1
BOS Garza, Hauser, Pritchard, Scheierman, Simons
in Garza, Hauser, Scheierman, Simons
out Brown, Minott, Queta, White
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
AlBeHaIiQu 5 5 -5 2 6 33 1 3 33 0 0 0 1 4 2 1 0 2 1
NOP Alvarado, Bey, Hawkins, Murphy III, Queen
in Alvarado, Hawkins, Queen
out Fears, Missi, Poole
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
HaPrQuScSi 2 4 +2 2 4 50 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 4 1 0 0 1 0
BOS Hauser, Pritchard, Queta, Scheierman, Simons
in Queta
out Garza
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
AlBeHaIiQu 5 5 -5 2 6 33 1 3 33 0 0 0 1 4 2 1 0 2 1
NOP Alvarado, Bey, Hawkins, Murphy III, Queen
in Alvarado, Hawkins, Queen
out Fears, Missi, Poole
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
HaMiQuSiWh 2 8 +5 1 1 100 2 4 50 0 0 0 1 3 2 0 1 1 1
BOS Hauser, Minott, Queta, Simons, White
in Minott
out Brown
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
AlJoJoPoQu 3 5 -5 0 2 0 1 4 25 5 5 100 2 1 0 0 0 0 1
NOP Alvarado, Jones, Jordan, Poole, Queen
in Jones, Jordan
out Bey, Hawkins
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
GaHaMiSiWh 3 11 +9 1 1 100 3 4 75 0 0 0 0 4 2 1 0 1 0
BOS Garza, Hauser, Minott, Simons, White
in Garza
out Queta
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
FeJoIiPoQu 3 2 -9 1 3 33 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0
NOP Fears, Jones, Murphy III, Poole, Queen
in Fears, Murphy III
out Alvarado, Jordan
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
GaMiPrSiWh 1 3 +3 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
BOS Garza, Minott, Pritchard, Simons, White
in Pritchard
out Hauser
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
BeFeJoIiPo 1 0 -3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 4
NOP Bey, Fears, Jones, Murphy III, Poole
in Bey
out Queen
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
GaMiPrScSi 2 7 +5 3 3 100 1 1 100 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0
BOS Garza, Minott, Pritchard, Scheierman, Simons
in Scheierman
out White
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
FeHaMaMcPe 3 2 -9 1 3 33 0 5 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 0
NOP Fears, Hawkins, Matković, McGowens, Peavy
in Hawkins, Matković, McGowens, Peavy
out Bey, Jones, Murphy III, Poole
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
JrMiScTiWa 1 4 +4 2 2 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 1
BOS Harper Jr., Minott, Scheierman, Tillman, Walsh
in Harper Jr., Tillman, Walsh
out Garza, Pritchard, Simons
Lineup MIN PTS PM 2PM 2PA 2P% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% OR DR AST STL BLK TO PF
FeHaMaMcPe 3 2 -9 1 3 33 0 5 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 0
NOP Fears, Hawkins, Matković, McGowens, Peavy
in Hawkins, Matković, McGowens, Peavy
out Bey, Jones, Murphy III, Poole
Who is who
the initials in the Players column
BOSAS A. Simons
BS B. Scheierman
CB C. Boucher
DW D. White
JB J. Brown
JM J. Minott
LG L. Garza
NQ N. Queta
PP P. Pritchard
SH S. Hauser
XT X. Tillman
NOPBM B. McGowens
DJ D. Jordan
DQ D. Queen
HJ H. Jones
JA J. Alvarado
JF J. Fears
JH J. Hawkins
JP J. Poole
KM K. Matković
MP M. Peavy
SB S. Bey
TM T. Murphy III
YM Y. Missi
BOS/NOP the team itself, not a player
-- the feed named nobody
What
What happened
the codes in the Events column
M2 / M3 made 2 / made 3
X2 / X3 missed 2 / missed 3
FT / X1 free throw made / missed
AST assist
OR / DR offensive / defensive rebound
STL steal
BLK block
TO turnover
FL foul
OF offensive foul — ends the possession
VIOL violation
JUMP jump ball
TM timeout
IR instant replay
HE heave at the buzzer, filed to the team
END the clock ran out, ball in hand
Where
Where a shot came from
the middle field of M3.LW.25
RM at the rim inside 4 ft
RC right corner
RW right wing
SO straight on
LW left wing
LC left corner
M3.LW.25 made 3, left wing, 25 ft
X2.RM.01 missed 2, at the rim, 1 ft
When
When it happened
the Offset column
one number per event, in the Events order:
whole seconds from the start of the
possession to that event
Events FL X3.RC.23 OR M2.RM.01
Offset 0 18 22 24
the foul opens the possession at 0s;
the putback ends it at 24s, which is
the possession's own Dur
Simons scores 25 points as the Celtics earn their first victory by beating the Pelicans 122-90
NEW ORLEANS -- — Anfernee Simons made six 3-pointers and scored 25 points, and the Boston Celtics earned their first victory over the season by pulling away to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 122-90 on Monday night.
Payton Pritchard added 18 points for the Celtics, who outscored the Pelicans 31-4 in the final 9:14 after they led by just five.
Simons scored 12 in the fourth quarter for Boston, which had dropped its first three games. Luka Garza had 16 points, while Jaylen Brown and Josh Minott finished with 15 apiece.
Jordan Poole scored 22 points for the Pelicans, who played without Zion Williamson and fell to 0-3. Rookie Derik Queen had 12 points.
Williamson missed his first game of the season with a left foot bone bruise. He had scored 27 points in both of the first two games.
Poole's 3-pointer cut it to 91-86 early in the fourth quarter before Simons made three 3-pointers and Sam Hauser had two in Boston's powerful finish.