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1. It’s uncommon, however typically you possibly can assign a win to a single participant. The Boston Celtics received their sixth straight sport by beating the Detroit Pistons on the highway. Many gamers contributed, but it surely appears like this was Jayson Tatum’s victory.
With Jaylen Brown, Al Horford and Malcolm Brogdon all becoming a member of Rob Williams on the sideline, Tatum carried Boston. The Celtics celebrity scored 15 factors within the first half, earlier than matching that complete within the third quarter. Tatum then added 13 extra factors within the fourth quarter, because the Celtics held off the Pistons.
Others will get their love on this area as we speak, however we’re beginning with Jayson Tatum. It could be disingenuous to begin wherever else.
2. Sadly, we couldn’t splice these two clips collectively, but it surely was one other a type of MVP sequences from Jayson Tatum. First, he takes on Saddiq Bey 1-on-1 in isolation. Tatum is as much as the duty and blocks the shot:
After the block, Tatum makes use of a hesitation dribble in transition and he’s off the rim for the and-1 alternative:
Tatum has all the time had the spin transfer, however this yr it appears like he’s put all the things along with that one. He’s utilizing his talent, quickness, size and delicate contact for at the very least a few finishes like this each sport:
We’re going to begin calling this the “Rock the Child” jumper. Tatum simply slowly rocks Bojan Bogdanovic to sleep with a sequence of managed crossovers after which he drills the jumper in his eye:
Typically Tatum doesn’t even want the dribble. Jalen Duren is large and he’s throughout this shot. However it doesn’t matter:
3. As a result of the Celtics wanted him to attain, it wasn’t a high-assist night time for Jayson Tatum. However he nonetheless had some actually good passes all through the sport. This was a lefty magnificence in transition to get the Celtics a 2-for-1 alternative:
A yr in the past, Tatum appeared off Grant Williams for a lob play. Everybody bought fun out of it when Tatum stated “I ain’t throwing no lob to no Grant. Rob and JB. That’s who I’ll throw lobs too.” Properly, with Rob Williams and Jaylen Brown out, Tatum had no alternative and Grant Williams delivered. Nice steal by Marcus Sensible to begin this play too:
4. Let’s follow Grant Williams. He’s been terrific this season. Williams is giving Boston no matter they want that given night time. Typically he’s a shooter, typically he focuses on shifting the ball and screening, different occasions he locks in on protection. With 19 factors, 10 rebounds and 4 assists on this one, Williams did a bit of little bit of all the things.
Williams’ confidence is so excessive proper now that he’s taking and making buzzer-beating photographs like this considerably usually:
Groups are beginning to catch onto the Celtics “stroll the canine” play the place they let the ball roll to preserve the shot-clock. When groups press up the ground to cease it, Boston is popping it into an improvised transition alternative. That is made potential as a result of the staff trusts Grant Williams to make the appropriate determination with the ball in his fingers:
5. Marcus Sensible is in full management of the Celtics offense proper now. He hit the 10-assist mark for the fourth time within the final 5 video games. And Sensible is making it occur with out being in a ball-dominant, pick-and-roll-heavy function.
This offensive rebound flows proper into an help to Blake Griffin in a single movement:
That is the Sensible combo. Steal adopted by a stunning dime to Jayson Tatum:
The DPOY nonetheless stands tall as the most effective brief rim protector within the NBA:
The Celtics chopping has gone up a few ranges this season. Flip your head and it’s a bucket:
In case your protection is out of place or late with assist, Sensible goes to choose you aside:
And the “cobra strike” continues to be alive and nicely, together with that magical lefthand:
6. With Al Horford out, Joe Mazzulla went to Blake Griffin within the beginning group. That was prone to preserve Luke Kornet within the reserve function, the place Kornet has grown snug. Griffin delivered 22 good minutes, however Kornet had some struggles with the Pistons velocity and physicality.
Mazzulla made a change and went to Noah Vonleh rather than Kornet, and Vonleh got here by. In 20 minutes, the veteran massive man had seven rebounds and performed some actually good protection. Vonleh was a greater match towards Detroit’s rugged type.
The Celtics depth behind Horford, Grant Williams and Rob Williams isn’t wonderful. However it’s useful and simply versatile sufficient to get by.
7. With Jaylen Brown and Malcolm Brogdon out, Derrick White needed to give Boston high quality minutes. He did his factor with 12 factors, three rebounds, 4 assists and two blocks. White is a artful shooter. This little bump to get the defender off him opened the scoring for the Celtics:
Regardless of being 0-for-4 from behind the arc at this level within the sport, White delivered the dagger to Detroit:
8. Boston is beginning to take higher care of the ball. Very quietly, they’re committing the second-fewest turnovers within the NBA at 12.8 giveaways per sport. By way of turnover charge (which is adjusted for possessions), Boston is fourth-best within the league.
The capturing will most likely finally cool off some, however taking good care of the ball will make the Celtics very laborious to beat. Opponents are going to must hope for a high-turnover or cold-shooting sport, or possibly each, to get wins.
9. Consistent with the turnovers happening is the ball motion hitting new ranges. Even on an evening once they weren’t making all the things, the Celtics tallied 27 assists on 39 baskets.
Good additional passes like this one from Marcus Sensible to Grant Williams are commonplace now:
Noah Vonleh doesn’t get to shoot very a lot (and he took a nasty shot later within the sport from this similar spot), however he doesn’t get egocentric right here. Further go equals Payton Pritchard splash:
Grant Williams likes to work from the nook workplace. The good factor about this play is that the ball finds vitality when it strikes the appropriate manner. Kick, swing, swing again, additional go and money it in from the nook:
10. Boston now travels again residence for a Monday night time matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Celtics are driving excessive on a six-game win streak, whereas the Thunder will likely be on a back-to-back. Thankfully for OKC, they’re taking part in a matinee in New York previous to heading as much as Boston vs the standard back-to-back sort of set.
Very similar to the Pistons sport, that is the kind of sport the Celtics ought to win. Often, Boston is displaying the expansion from the second half of final season has carried over. The trouble is there each night time and the staff’s mindset of team-ball and taking part in collectively has taken them to a brand new degree offensively. The protection is beginning to present indicators of coming round too.
With video games on the Atlanta Hawks and New Orleans Pelicans later within the week, getting issues began off nicely towards the Thunder is essential. We’ll see if the Celtics can stretch the win streak to seven on Monday.
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