In his lone season as head coach of the Celtics, Ime Udoka guided Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to the subsequent step of their careers as they led the C’s to the NBA Finals. In his return to Boston, Udoka made certain to take some credit score for that development.
“Little things that I might have imparted some wisdom as far as that and just their growth in general,” Udoka mentioned earlier than Saturday’s matchup. “It’s a pure development so far as that, changing into the All-NBA guys they’re. I believe, for essentially the most half, they’re going to be perennial year-to-year. Happy for them. Not stunned by their development or success. …
“Just natural steps for them, especially with them being leaders now. … So as I tried to preach to them, I think they’ve taken those to heart and continue to get better and better.”
Tatum and Brown have continued to take large steps to new heights of their pursuit of main the Celtics to the championship they couldn’t seize with Udoka. They welcomed their previous coach again to Boston by displaying them how.
After getting blown out by the Bucks in a uncommon no-show on Thursday evening, the Celtics responded the precise approach, as they acquired again to regular. Brown scored 32 factors and Tatum had 27 earlier than being ejected within the fourth quarter, because the Celtics overwhelmed Udoka’s Rockets in a cushty 145-113 victory at TD Garden.
The Celtics, two nights after their 33-point loss to the Bucks in Joe Mazzulla rested his starters within the second, regarded recent and rejuvenated as they took care of enterprise in opposition to the drained Rockets, who had been on the second evening of a back-to-back after barely holding off the Pistons on Friday evening. Kristaps Porzingis added 17 factors and Payton Pritchard had 19 factors off the bench because the C’s placed on an offensive clinic by making 24 3-pointers. They improved to a franchise-best 19-0 at dwelling.
Tatum led the best way within the first half with one among his finest halves of the season. Udoka despatched double groups within the Celtics star’s path all through the primary half, and whereas which will have bothered him two seasons in the past when Udoka was the coach, it was yet one more instance of Tatum’s development and maturity.
Tatum barely flinched as he continued to make the precise learn time and again. He scored 22 factors within the first half on 8-for-11 capturing as he discovered lanes to the basket or pulled up for 3-pointers. He completed 4-for-7 from deep, together with a number of pull-up triples as his rediscovered capturing contact continued. And when the doubles got here, he was simply superb with making the precise move as Boston’s open shooters continued to knock them down.
Tatum had 4 assists within the first half, which included an ideal move within the nook to Al Horford who drained a triple that gave the Celtics a cushion. Tatum didn’t commit a turnover till he was doubled on the ultimate play of the primary half when he threw a lazy move, however the Celtics had constructed an 11-point lead.
Then, Brown took the Celtics dwelling.
Boston has struggled within the third quarter of late, however Brown made certain that wasn’t the case on Saturday evening.
The Celtics started the third interval on a 7-0 run behind a pair of baskets from Brown, who continued to set the tone on each ends. Brown scored 14 factors within the first six minutes of the third interval en path to 21 within the quarter because the Celtics torched the Rockets with 43 factors. They held a 15-point edge within the interval and by no means regarded again.
Tatum was ejected early within the fourth quarter after he was blocked on a dunk try by Cam Whitmore. Feeling he acquired fouled, Tatum continued to complain to the officers and was assessed two fast technical fouls to finish his evening early.
But it didn’t matter. The Celtics had been in full management at that time and completed this win simply with out him. Boston led by as many as 36 within the fourth.
Source: www.bostonherald.com