As good because the Celtics have been final season, they proved to be maddeningly irritating at sure instances.
Both within the common season and playoffs, they routinely misplaced video games they shouldn’t. They made a behavior of enjoying all the way down to inferior opponents.
Monday evening in Washington, D.C., would have been a main instance. After two thrilling, high-profile victories in opposition to the Knicks and Heat to begin the season, final season’s Celtics could have suffered a letdown in opposition to the rebuilding Wizards.
Not a lot this time.
In what could also be an indication of the Celtics’ improved maturity, they dealt with enterprise simply. Jaylen Brown scored 36 factors and Jayson Tatum had 33 – each in simply three quarters – because the C’s blitzed the Wizards from the opening tip and by no means regarded again in a dominant 126-107 victory.
The Celtics have been on fireplace from the bounce. They led 37-11 at one stage within the first quarter, scored 77 factors within the first half and led by as many as 37 factors late within the third quarter as they’d completely no drawback in opposition to the Wizards’ porous protection. Leading by 33 coming into the fourth, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla pulled his starters.
Mazzulla acknowledged that these letdowns from final season have been one thing they addressed, however cautioned that it was nonetheless one sport.
“Just because it’s a sign of growth now doesn’t mean it may not happen at some point,” Mazzulla informed reporters in Washington. “We’re positively conscious of that and one thing we predict we will management is the best way we come out and begin video games. We simply have too many good gamers and now we have an opportunity, so I believe we’re actually making an attempt to verify we come out with the precise mindset each single sport. …
“It doesn’t mean it’s going to go our way, but I really liked our approach to the game throughout the majority of it.”
The C’s are actually 3-0, marking the primary time they’ve had such a begin in back-to-back seasons since 1976 and 1977.
“It’s important that we get off to a good start to the season,” Brown informed reporters. “Mindset, mentality is something that we’ve all been preaching, Joe has made sure that he’s emphasizing that. As a leader on the team, I’ve been making sure we’ve been emphasizing that. We gotta run through the finish line. It’s nights like tonight where it’s easy to take your foot off the gas, but if you want to do what you say you want to do, you gotta come out and play the game the right way.”
Some takeaways from the Celtics’ victory:
– Brown was criticized for a less-than-stellar season-opening efficiency, when he scored simply 11 factors and didn’t take a shot within the fourth quarter. But Mazzulla praised him for having the precise mindset, staying engaged and making some profitable performs. The Celtics knew that with how loaded their roster is, that huge nights will inevitably come for every of their stars.
Brown responded with a 27-point evening in opposition to the Heat. On Monday, it was clear that Brown had the recent hand once more. The Celtics rightfully fed him. Brown scored 27 factors within the first half, together with tying a Celtics file with seven 3-pointers. At one level, he had 25 factors in simply 17 minutes performed. While Brown pressured photographs and made a number of unhealthy choice within the season opener, he’s righted the ship during the last two video games with sensible and assured performances.
“(He’s) patient, getting to his spot, good shot selection,” Mazzulla mentioned of Brown. “Not even the last two games, but what I’ve seen from him since the preseason is a dedication to defense regardless of how his offense is going, and so that to me is huge for us when a guy like him can play defensively regardless of how it’s going and then he’s really picking and choosing his spots well. He’s gotta continue to stay in that mind frame.”
– One sequence within the first quarter could have summed up the evening.
The Celtics have been already main comfortably when Wizards guard Jordan Poole had the ball in transition. With Kristaps Porzingis in his path, Poole turned his again after which put up a wildly informal turnaround 3-pointer. But Porzingis was throughout him, blocked the shot after which ran the ground, the place he put in one other straightforward basket.
Porzingis, who performed the final two seasons in Washington earlier than his commerce to Boston this summer season, returned and feasted on a simple matchup in opposition to the small Wizards, who began Kyle Kuzma at heart. The Celtics huge man scored 10 factors within the first quarter as a part of the workforce’s dominant offensive begin that noticed them make 10 of their first 12 photographs and shoot 64 p.c within the opening interval.
– The Celtics’ starters, unsurprisingly, have taken up the majority of the scoring manufacturing. For a second consecutive sport, they mixed to attain 100-plus factors on Monday. But they haven’t received a lot from their bench to this point. The bench scored simply eight factors in opposition to the Heat, and even with the good thing about the starters being pulled for the fourth quarter, solely mixed for 26 on Monday. Payton Pritchard went 0-for-8, together with 0-for-6 from 3-point vary, and the bench scored simply 18 factors within the fourth because the Wizards reduce their deficit to 16 late.
Most nights, it gained’t matter, as a result of the Celtics’ prime six is so proficient. But there might be instances when a bench participant must step up, and the C’s would profit from having one other trusted depth scoring possibility. It’s actually nonetheless early, nevertheless it’s one thing to look at for because the season progresses.
– Despite their dominance on Monday, ball safety remained a problem for the Celtics as they dedicated 18 turnovers. It’s an early, regarding theme after they dedicated 13 and 15 turnovers in opposition to the Knicks and Heat, respectively.
Source: www.bostonherald.com