[ad_1]
1. It’s Championship Week within the NCAA, as faculty groups compete in convention tournaments hoping for a berth within the NCAA Event. For the Boston Celtics, this was assertion week.
And the Celtics let the remainder of the NBA know they’ve arrived.
Boston’s final three wins have all come over groups which can be presently within the postseason image. The Celtics beat the Atlanta Hawks behind an enormous second half. They pulled away from the Memphis Grizzlies late in a serious win on Thursday. And Sunday, behind Jayson Tatum’s monster afternoon, Boston beat the Brooklyn Nets.
That final one felt like a press release win in a press release week, given all of the historical past between the Celtics and Nets. After getting run out of final season’s playoffs with out a lot bother, Boston let Brooklyn know that this isn’t final season anymore. These are the brand new Celtics, and they’re right here to battle.
2. Jayson Tatum tied Larry Chicken’s franchise document for single-game factors with 60 in a win over the San Antonio Spurs final season. On Sunday, Tatum tied Larry Chicken’s franchise document for video games with 50 or extra factors, together with his fourth such effort. And this 54-point outing might have been even higher than the 60-point sport final yr.
Oddly sufficient, the day began with Tatum operating one among Boston’s favourite opening units to get Robert Williams going:
You would inform Tatum is likely to be in for large scoring sport when this putback was adopted by a lot emotion:
We’ll get again to some extra scoring in a bit, however Tatum introduced it on each ends. Sure, Kevin Durant had 37 factors. However he’s KD. You simply wish to make him work. That’s what Tatum does right here. In the course of the clip, when Durant walks it again, take a look at Tatum unfold his arms to his full wingspan. He’s like a pterodactyl spreading its wings:
Again to offense…Tatum makes use of his energy, quickness and size for this end right here:
It may possibly’t be emphasised sufficient how properly Tatum is seeing the ground. He reads that he’s drawn two defenders right here. Andre Drummond has to cheat center to maintain Robert Williams from getting the clear roll to the rim. That half-step and cut up second is all Tatum must ship an extremely troublesome move to Al Horford:
Hitting lengthy jumpers over Kyrie Irving simply feels higher than hitting them over anybody else:
That is Tatum fairly deep in his bag right here for this herky-jerky dribble-drive for the layup:
This was Tatum’s finest end of the night time. It seems to be like Tatum goes to separate the defenders, however he crosses over to go by them, then it’s straight energy and energy for the layup:
54 factors on 16-of-30 capturing, together with 8-of-15 from behind the arc. And 14-of-17 from the free throw line. In a sport that includes Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum was one of the best participant on the ground on Sunday afternoon.
3. It may possibly’t get misplaced in Jayson Tatum’s nice day that Jaylen Brown was actually good too. A number of instances all through the sport, Brown made positive to get Tatum the ball, when Brown most likely might have taken it himself. However when Brown did take himself, the outcomes had been fairly good too!
It is a good play, as a result of Brown doesn’t accept the three-pointer. He drives it arduous and explodes for the end:
Brown misses his preliminary shot right here, however sticks with it and will get Marcus Sensible a four-point play:
It is a nice play by Brown to maintain his head up and never drive the drive. That allowed him to seek out Robert Williams for the dunk:
Whereas Tatum carried the scoring load, Brown made the largest shot of the sport. That is large poise with the shot-clock operating down:
4. Al Horford’s return to Boston couldn’t presumably be going any higher. He’s been massive for the Celtics all yr lengthy on each ends of the ground. A number of instances on this sport, Horford picked up Brooklyn guards on switches, together with Kyrie Irving, and held his personal towards them. And his passing means for an enormous man stays top-tier stuff:
5. The Nets shot over 50% on this sport. That’s not nice, however they’re some of the dynamic offenses within the league, after they have each Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. That’s not as worrisome as Boston’s rebounding was.
Permitting 12 offensive boards to a group that shot over 50% is regarding. Brooklyn can also be solely a middle-of-the-pack offensive rebounding group. Simply one thing to keep watch over shifting ahead.
6. Marcus Sensible spent his birthday controlling the tempo of the sport for the Celtics. He had 9 assists and regularly created attractiveness for his teammates.
If the massive creeps up even slightly bit too far, Sensible goes excessive with the lob:
This hook move to the other nook on the drive-and-kick is one all good level guards should have:
When it’s your birthday, why not put slightly further on it?
However perpetually, what is going to outline Marcus Sensible is his hustle. Quickest the ball virtually at all times wins:
7. 25 assists on 40 baskets tells us the Celtics once more had the ball shifting very well. Regardless that Jayson Tatum had it going, he nonetheless makes the additional move right here to get Marcus Sensible a triple:
Drive, kick, swing, splash:
8. Goran Dragic is excessive on the listing of all-time Celtics Killers. He’s tormented Boston for years. However this is the reason you commerce for Derrick White. That is excellent transition protection towards one of many craftier finishers within the NBA:
9. Ime Udoka made slightly tweak on Sunday. He went with a nine-man rotation, versus the eight-man group he’s run for months now. Grant Williams, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard all bought their regular run, however Daniel Theis was in for 10 minutes, as properly. That may have been pushed by Al Horford choosing up two early fouls, however Theis earned his time. He was lively on each ends. Regardless of not recording a single discipline objective try, Theis took eight free throws.
Free throws usually had been an enormous a part of the story. Tatum was glorious, drawing 17 freebies himself. However Boston had Brooklyn in foul bother early in every quarter. That helped result in 38 free throw makes an attempt as a group. That’s stealing simple offense in a sport the place you wanted quite a lot of factors to win.
10. The schedule is pretty mild over the subsequent two weeks, as Boston performs simply 5 instances over the subsequent 11 days. The Celtics have three extra house video games between now and Sunday afternoon, then it’s off to the west coast for a four-game journey.
On condition that Ime Udoka has performed a comparatively quick rotation in 2022, the additional relaxation is welcomed. Boston additionally has a number of new faces on the group which have not often gotten in a full follow. That can give them time to work these gamers in, whereas cleansing up and tweaking some issues earlier than the stretch run.
[ad_2]
Source link
