The Celtics are the favorites to win the championship once they’re entire, however they’re persevering with to indicate they will nonetheless put up dominant performances when their greatest items are out.
And they’re proving that dangerous losses like Tuesday in opposition to the Warriors are an anomaly to their torrid begin to the season.
The Celtics didn’t have Kristaps Porzingis, they usually didn’t know they might have Jayson Tatum till an hour earlier than tip. It didn’t matter in opposition to one of many NBA’s hottest groups. Tatum scored 30 factors in his return from a one-game absence, and the C’s regarded like they needed to show a degree with an emphatic 145-108 victory over the Clippers on Saturday afternoon in entrance of a Boston-heavy crowd in Los Angeles.
Jaylen Brown added 24 factors, Jrue Holiday produced one other massive efficiency with 20 factors and 7 assists, and Neemias Queta continued a formidable stretch in his prolonged alternative with 14 factors and 12 rebounds because the Celtics blew the doorways off of the Clippers, who have been with out Kawhi Leonard and whose six-game residence profitable streak was snapped.
The Celtics struggled down the stretch with out Porzingis in Tuesday’s loss to the Warriors however had no hassle on Saturday. They outworked the growing older Clippers on the boards. And for a second consecutive sport, they have been unstoppable offensively. After scoring 145 factors with out Tatum in Wednesday’s win over the Kings, they went an absurd 25-53 for 3-point vary in Saturday’s win as they generated 33 assists.
The C’s made one other assertion with these two wins – in opposition to two superb Western Conference groups – that have been each not often doubtful. Tatum scored 21 factors earlier than halftime, and the Celtics cruised within the second half as they led by as many as 39.
Source: www.bostonherald.com