When the Celtics misplaced to the Warriors final month in San Francisco, they’d a few sizable absences.
Al Horford was lacking his third consecutive sport in well being and security protocols, and Robert Williams wasn’t fairly able to return from left knee surgical procedure. The Celtics have been pressured to start out Blake Griffin in opposition to the defending champions and their frontcourt drawback was obvious. The Warriors gained the rebounding battle and had a transparent benefit inside of their blowout win.
On Thursday, the Celtics flipped the script and issued a reminder of why they’re arguably the hardest matchup within the league. For the primary time this season, their beginning 5 from final season’s run to the NBA Finals of Horford, Williams, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart opened the sport and their measurement and physicality made a important distinction of their wild 121-118 time beyond regulation victory.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr made a curious resolution to start out a smaller unit they usually paid the value. Horford, motivated by his first rematch in opposition to Golden State, set the tone. He scored 10 factors within the first quarter on dominant drives and had a spotlight block on Jordan Poole. Horford had arguably his greatest sport of the season. Down the stretch, he made two enormous blocks and drained a few huge 3-pointers to assist the C’s seal their comeback.
“I joked with Al, he came up and looked like he was 25 today,” Tatum mentioned. “Two days off, I said he needed more two days in a row because he came out and set the tone. He really did. And we all kind of followed behind that the rest of the night.”
As the Celtics struggled by way of a tough capturing evening, Horford and Williams have been dominant to assist them hold round. Williams, who completed with seven offensive rebounds, scored 9 factors over the ultimate three minutes of the primary half and he contributed to a number of second-chance alternatives to maintain the C’s afloat within the second half.
The Celtics gained the rebounding battle 63-47 – which included 18 offensive boards – and outscored the Warriors 52-30 within the paint. They additionally had 22 second-chance factors, which was in the end an enormous distinction.
“It’s one of the things that makes them so tough,” Kerr mentioned. “The size at every position. It’s not just the two bigs. It’s Marcus as a point guard. He has great size and Defensive Player of the Year, and you have two enormous wings, so they’re a massive team. So, one of the reasons they have the best record in the league. These guys are big and physical and excellent on both ends.”
No relaxation for Tatum
Tatum actually wasn’t planning on taking part in 48 minutes in Thursday’s win, so when Celtics interim head coach Joe Mazzulla got here to the huddle earlier than the start of the fourth quarter – which is usually his relaxation interval – after taking part in the complete second and third quarters, he was shocked when he realized he wasn’t popping out.
“It was funny, I normally play the whole second and third, so I come out and I put my warm-up on, and he comes back to the huddle and he’s drawing up a play and I heard my name,” Tatum mentioned. “I was like, ‘Oh (expletive), I’m still in the game. And he asked me with like nine or eight minutes left in the fourth, he’s like, ‘You want to come out?’ And at that point, any time if you ever ask me do I want to come out, I’m not gonna say, ‘No.’ ”
Tatum performed the ultimate 41 minutes of the sport – together with the five-minute time beyond regulation – as he set a career-high with 19 rebounds. He additionally dedicated seven turnovers and shot 9-for-27, however Mazzulla thought his presence on the courtroom was required.
“I just feel like that’s what the game needed at the time,” Mazzulla mentioned. “I felt like we were in a good spot, I felt like he was in a good spot. I felt like regardless of whether he was in or out of the game, he was competing at a high level on both ends. And I just thought that’s what the game needed at that time.”
As it seems, Tatum will get some additional relaxation following his 48-minute effort. The Celtics dominated him out for Saturday’s sport in Toronto in opposition to the Raptors as a consequence of left wrist soreness. It’s the identical wrist he suffered a small fracture within the playoffs final season and has continued to handle this season.
Traffic jam
Boston site visitors was so dangerous earlier than Thursday’s sport that members of each groups have been late to TD Garden. Kerr was quarter-hour late to his pregame press convention and Brown took to Twitter on Friday to disclose he was late, too.
“It took almost 2hrs to get to the game yesterday I live 15 minutes away Boston traffic was so bad I’m still traumatized and felt the need to tweet this lol,” Brown tweeted.
Brown additionally mentioned he missed his pregame capturing time and didn’t heat up earlier than the sport. It confirmed. In his return from an adductor pressure, Brown began the sport 2-for-12 capturing earlier than hit some huge pictures late, together with the game-tying 3-pointer within the closing minute that despatched the sport to time beyond regulation.
“No way I wasn’t shooting it,” Brown mentioned. “Coming back off of injury, just trying to get a rhythm. As the game went on, I kept feeling better and better. When it came down to the last possession, I got an open look and I knew it was going in.”
Odds & ends
Through the primary half of the season, Tatum has the seventh-highest promoting jersey within the NBA, in keeping with the league. Steph Curry has the highest-selling jersey. …
Sam Hauser didn’t play in a sport for the primary time this season in Thursday’s win as he fell out of the rotation. Hauser continues to be in a severe droop, capturing 28.8 % from 3 for the reason that begin of December, and his minutes have dwindled currently with the Celtics nearer to full power.
Source: www.bostonherald.com