The Boston Celtics came within a single shot of etching their name into the NBA record books Friday night, but their 144-118 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans secured something far more critical: the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference for the upcoming playoffs.

In a dazzling display of modern basketball, the Celtics tied the NBA's single-game record by sinking 29 three-pointers, matching their own franchise mark set earlier this season and equaling performances by the Memphis Grizzlies and Milwaukee Bucks. The TD Garden atmosphere reached a fever pitch when Hugo Gonzalez's triple tied the record with just 1:20 left, sparking a thunderous, standing chant of "One more three!" from the home crowd.

"It’s easy to be aware of it when you hear the crowd and everything," guard Payton Pritchard said postgame, joking that perhaps silence would help them break it another day. The Celtics had three final chances in the last minute, but a passed-up attempt, a missed shot, and a final shot clock violation on coach Joe Mazzulla's orders left them one shy of the historic milestone.

The long-range assault was a true team effort, with eight different Celtics hitting at least two threes. The highlight was a "buttery" first career three-pointer from big man Neemias Queta, which sent the entire bench into a frenzy. Sam Hauser led the charge with a game-high 24 points, fueled by eight three-pointers.

While the record slipped away, the victory cemented a significant achievement. At 55-26, the Celtics have now secured at least 50 wins in each of coach Joe Mazzulla's first four seasons, a testament to the team's resilience and sustained excellence as they head into the postseason with momentum and a prime playoff position locked down.