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BOSTON – In Sport 2 in opposition to the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday evening, the Boston Celtics as soon as once more confirmed off their versatility. Defensively, this meant holding the Hawks to simply 106 factors with an exquisite mixture of inside dominance and forcing turnovers. Offensively, it was their means to combine in three-point capturing with a forceful paint assault.
However as an entire, it was about their depth.
Jayson Tatum nonetheless led the staff in scoring, and Robert Williams nonetheless supplied an emphatic block, however your complete staff stepped up and overwhelmed Atlanta as a gaggle.
“Assured in regards to the depth. Assured in regards to the lineups and the totally different lineups we are able to play,” stated Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla. “Once I talked about depth, I discussed the variety of gamers, however I additionally talked about the totally different ways in which we are able to play with the identical guys.”
In all places the Hawks turned, one other Boston participant was there to close them down or nail a shot on the offensive finish. Every participant took on a barely totally different function, offering vitality the place the Celtics wanted it.
For Derrick White, that function was that of a secondary scorer. He took over for lengthy parts of the sport, notably within the 4th quarter when he scored 14 of the the Celtics’ 29 factors, cleansing up Boston’s mess and getting anyplace he wished on the offensive finish.
The Celtics guard even earned MVP chants from the TD Backyard crowd – an incidence normally saved for Tatum or Jaylen Brown.
“I used to be comfortable for him,” Tatum stated of White’s MVP chants. “He’s been enjoying his a** off these final two video games. Clearly, an enormous, huge purpose why we’ve gained these final two video games. We’d like him to proceed to play at this stage, and he can. So, I used to be comfortable to listen to that. We talked about [the chants] after the sport. He was like, ‘that’s what it looks like?’ And I used to be like, ‘Yeah, I suppose.”
White completed the sport with 26 factors, second to solely Tatum’s 29, in addition to seven rebounds, two assists, one steal, and three blocks. White shot 11-of-16 from the sector and 2-of-5 from three-point land.
The Celtics’ huge males additionally performed enormous roles in Sport 2. Williams’ and Al Horford’s influence will at all times be felt on protection — they recorded two and three blocks, respectively — however in addition they introduced it on the alternative finish.
Williams took cost on offense within the third half, calling for the ball when he felt he had a mismatch and ending across the rim. He additionally cleaned up a miss utilizing his nice contact.
In the meantime, Horford performed his ordinary function behind the arc, nailing huge pictures when Boston wanted it most. He drained two huge threes for the Celtics.
Each have taken on no matter function the staff wants them to, and Williams, specifically, has needed to make an enormous psychological shift as he’s now coming off the bench. However he hasn’t thought twice about it.
“We’ve got a bunch of fellows that don’t actually care [about whether they start],” Mazzulla stated earlier than the sport. “They wish to win. It is a very well-connected locker room that has a whole lot of expertise. That has seen a whole lot of successes and failures, and we’re in a window now the place all people’s keen to place every part apart to wish to win.”
Shifting down the road, Malcolm Brogdon bounced again in Sport 2 after a shaky Sport 1 efficiency. He gave Boston just a little little bit of every part, piling up 13 factors, seven rebounds, and eight assists.
Even Sam Hauser gave the Celtics a small enhance. The second-year ahead solely hit one three, however he additionally corralled three boards and remained regular on the defensive finish. Trae Younger and the Hawks constantly attacked him, however he didn’t budge.
At each flip, Boston had a participant able to assault the Hawks. Tatum and Brown performed like their regular selves, and Atlanta ought to count on that stage of play. However with what number of gamers there on the Celtics roster able to taking up, they have been engulfed in inexperienced.
“That’s the fantastic thing about being on a fantastic staff,” stated Brown. “To have the ability to have a number of threats on the market. To have the ability to play the sport in numerous methods and win in numerous methods. Tonight was an instance of that. D-White simply exploded. And on any given evening, it may very well be anyone. So, we simply bought to encourage that.”
Heading out on the street, the Celtics will look to proceed their dominance. And primarily based on the primary two video games, one of the best ways to try this might be by using their depth.
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