The Celtics have confirmed early this season that they’ll win video games with out a number of of their key gamers. But they ventured into some uncharted territory with out Jayson Tatum on Sunday night time.
Surely, the seemingly immortal Celtics would battle even just a bit with out their MVP frontrunner, proper?
Think once more.
With Tatum sitting on the finish of the bench in common garments, the Celtics didn’t miss a beat. In yet one more testomony to their league-leading offense that’s on a historic trajectory, the C’s confirmed that their star’s absence wasn’t an excessive amount of to deal with. Jaylen Brown scored a season-high 36 factors to tempo seven Celtics who completed in double figures as they beat the Wizards, 130-121, at TD Garden in a sport far more lopsided than the ultimate rating indicated.
Malcolm Brogdon scored 17 factors off the bench and Derrick White had 13 because the Celtics improved to 16-4 and provided maybe their most emphatic instance but this season of how harmful they’re. The Celtics shot 55 p.c from the sphere – their third-best output of the season – and 47.1 p.c from 3 and had been by no means really threatened regardless of a late Wizards run.
“It was fun just coming out and playing basketball with our teammates,” Brown stated. “That’s what the season is about. It’s gonna be guys in, guys out. So being able to maintain our level of play without our leader, our big dog, not being in the rotation, it was fun. It comes out, it challenges everybody, it allows everybody to step up in their role.”
Some takeaways from the win:
– The Celtics led by as many as 26 within the third quarter and by 25 after three quarters as they took a 113-88 benefit into the ultimate interval. With one other sport on Monday night time, it was the right alternative for Joe Mazzulla to relaxation a few of his regulars with a lopsided lead, however he finally needed to put a couple of of his starters again into the sport because the Wizards reduce the result in 12 halfway by means of the fourth.
With 5:52 left within the sport, Mazzulla inserted Brown and Marcus Smart again within the sport and the Celtics quickly regained management. White hit a 3 to place the C’s again up 15 and Brown’s and-one with 2:04 to go put them up 16 and successfully sealed the victory. It was one other studying lesson for Mazzulla, who left his starters in later than he ought to have in final week’s win over the Bulls.
“I don’t think there’s ever a right answer in any part of the game,” Mazzulla stated. “I thought we just adapted to what kind of Washington was doing, and it just looked like they were trying to put the pressure on us and go for the win. We just try to do the same.”
– The Celtics’ bench has been one of many crew’s best strengths by means of 20 video games, and even with out Tatum, they continued to thrive.
Tatum usually performs with the Celtics’ second unit however they had been simply advantageous with out him on Sunday.
From the purpose when the primary batch of bench gamers – Malcolm Brogdon, Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet – checked into the sport with about 4 minutes left within the first quarter till early within the second quarter, the Celtics went on a 28-14 run to take command of the sport. Even with out Brown, the Celtics did simply advantageous with a unit of Payton Pritchard, Grant Williams, Brogdon, Hauser and Kornet. Pritchard contributed once more with a 3-pointer on his first play.
The Celtics’ bench outscored the Wizards’ bench, 40-14 by means of three quarters as there continued to be little drop-off from the beginning unit to the second unit, and Brogdon has observed a shift. The guard stated opponents have modified their rotations and left starters within the sport longer due to how profitable the Celtics’ bench has been.
“I think they’re taking our bench super serious,” Brogdon stated. “We’re as effective as a lot of first units in the league as far as our efficiency on both ends. So they’re taking (us) serious, they’re scouting us hard – more than I think they do on most second teams – and we’ve got to keep playing at the level we’re playing at.”
The Celtics have a transparent benefit on most nights due to their bench. With White, Williams and Brogdon, they boast a number of gamers who’ve incessantly come off the bench for the Celtics however are greater than able to beginning.
“We have starters coming off the bench,” Brogdon stated. “Me, Grant, Derrick, I think we’d be starting on a lot of teams, and that’s the beauty of this team. We adapt and we have guys that embrace that depth and come in with, I think, humility and just really want to win. I think that’s what everybody here is in it for. We want to win a championship, so guys are willing to sacrifice to do that.”
– Kornet’s streak of consecutive made discipline targets ended at 16 – he beforehand hadn’t missed a shot since Nov. 11 – when he missed a 3-pointer late within the first quarter, however the backup middle nonetheless made important contributions off the bench – on each ends. He completed with 12 factors, 4 rebounds (all offensive) and a pair of blocks in 22 minutes as he continued to indicate that even when Rob Williams ultimately returns, he’s deserving and able to backup minutes.
Source: www.bostonherald.com