Boston Celtics
Tatum put collectively his greatest recreation of the season on Sunday towards the Hornets.
Jayson Tatum and a short-handed Celtics squad confronted the red-hot Hornets in Charlotte on Sunday and claimed a cushty 114-99 win.
Listed below are the takeaways.
Jayson Tatum seemed like a star once more
There are nonetheless ranges that Tatum can get to, and that must be very encouraging for the Celtics on an evening like Sunday.
Tatum put collectively his greatest recreation of the season on Sunday — a masterful all-around efficiency in a return to final yr’s position because the no-questions-asked first possibility. He cracked the 30s for the primary time since he returned from damage with 32 factors and shot an environment friendly 12-for-23 and 5-for-10 from deep. There have been shades of his greatest video games in his taking pictures efficiency — nights when he goes for 50 as a result of he caught a heater and made eight 3-pointers — and after his struggles to search out the vary, the return of his jumper (and his ensuing strut when he makes an enormous one) is a pleasant signal for Celtics followers.
However, at his greatest, Tatum is far more than a scorer. With each Jaylen Brown and Derrick White sidelined, Tatum was the staff’s high possibility as a distributor as effectively. He delivered with aplomb — eight assists and 0 turnovers. He manipulated the Hornets’ protection, creating switches that favored the Celtics (particularly towards LaMelo Ball, which we are going to get to in a minute), and in desperation late within the recreation, the Hornets even threw a double-team at him. Predictably, that didn’t work: Tatum calmly allowed the double to reach, then dished to Baylor Scheierman, who buried a 3-pointer from the highest of the important thing.
There have been nonetheless moments when Tatum seemed a little bit awkward. He badly bricked a mid-range jumper within the first half as his footwork acquired tangled, and he hit nothing however backboard on a drive within the second half. For all of his prodigious expertise, full health seems to be a little bit of a piece in progress.
Nonetheless, performs like this — the place Tatum weaves and geese between defenders, then makes use of his power to carry off the competition and tosses in a layup off glass — counsel that he’s getting nearer.
When Payton Pritchard will get a defender on his hip, it’s over
Late within the fourth quarter because the Celtics had been placing the ending touches on their snug win, Pritchard ran a pick-and-roll with Neemias Queta on the high of the important thing. The display screen wasn’t significantly bone-crunching, but it surely was sufficient to get Josh Inexperienced caught on Pritchard’s hip.
At that time, the play was basically over.
Pritchard hits loads of robust photographs, however he makes some of these performs look shockingly simple. As Inexperienced tried to get well, Pritchard held him off with relative ease, then apparently determined to let him catch up, solely to ship a shoulder bump to knock Inexperienced off track. That gave Pritchard loads of leverage for the layup.
On the following possession, the Celtics ran a really related play (and pick-and-roll with a double display screen), and, that point, the Hornets switched Tre Mann onto Pritchard. As soon as once more, Pritchard battled till Mann was on his hip. As soon as once more, Pritchard scored.
Until you might have elite size, Pritchard’s shoulder bump is nearly computerized.
Pritchard had one other massive recreation, ending with 28 factors and 6 assists with environment friendly 10-for-18 taking pictures in a return to the beginning lineup.
The Celtics hunted LaMelo Ball
The Celtics had been decided to make Hornets star LaMelo Ball play protection.
Right here’s an instance.
Two issues to notice: First, the stable display screen Tatum delivered, and the best way he compelled Ball right into a matchup he by no means wished. Because the play develops, and it turns into clear that Ball is about to be caught on an island, Miles Bridges begins to drift to the highest of the important thing.
As Tatum will get the ball, Bridges and Ball are actively executing a scram swap to save lots of Ball from the matchup.
Tatum, nonetheless, had gotten a clear have a look at the rim by that time, and he buried the 3-pointer instantly in Bridges’ face, giving him what seemed to be a “f*** out of right here with that” for good measure.
A lot has been made a couple of potential Celtics-Hornets showdown within the first spherical because the Celtics rumble towards the 2-seed. The Hornets are possible headed for the play-in, and given how scorching they’ve been, it’s not an enormous stretch to think about them successful their solution to a matchup with the Celtics.
The Hornets are one of many higher tales of the season. Ball is a star, and he’s successful for the primary time in his profession. Kon Knueppel struggled on Sunday, however he’s a deadly shooter. Brandon Miller is a pleasant prospect. Coby White was a terrific pickup off the bench.
However, the Hornets have a deadly flaw {that a} staff just like the Celtics will swing at again and again: Defensive targets. In a playoff collection, the Celtics are cruel attacking mismatches, and until the Hornets are capable of give you some actually inventive options, Tatum and Brown are going to have the ability to do quite a lot of injury.
Ron Harper Jr. seemed nice (then twisted his ankle)
The Celtics’ Keep Prepared group more and more simply seems to be like a bunch of fine NBA gamers.
Within the first half of Sunday’s recreation, Ron Harper Jr. performed prolonged minutes, scoring seven factors on 3-for-3 taking pictures, together with a tricky layup in transition on the finish of the primary quarter that left Drew Carter and Brian Scalabrine ooh-ing and ahh-ing.
Harper twisted his ankle within the second quarter and was compelled to go away the sport. He returned later and was quiet the remainder of the best way, however he as soon as once more confirmed flashes of a genuinely helpful position participant.
Jordan Walsh acquired the beginning
Relatively than placing Baylor Scheierman again within the beginning lineup in Brown’s absence, Joe Mazzulla opted to begin Walsh.
Walsh shot simply 1-for-7, however he performed — predictably — with vitality and enthusiasm. His switchable protection was an essential addition towards a Charlotte offense that has scored more than 129 factors per 100 possessions within the final two weeks.
The transfer might have been much less about Walsh and extra about preserving the Celtics’ rotations intact, since Scheierman seems to be the participant whose rotation spot is closest to locked in because the postseason approaches.
Nonetheless, a beginning nod was a pleasant vote of confidence for Walsh, who performed effectively in a return after quite a few DNP-CDs on Friday.
“50 wins in a spot yr“
After the sport, Jaylen Brown pointed out on social media that the Celtics simply reached “50 wins in a spot yr.”
The Celtics nonetheless have eight video games remaining, they usually have taken care of three extremely scorching opponents in a row by knocking off the Thunder, Hawks, and Hornets.
In the meantime, the Knicks misplaced to the Thunder on Sunday, giving the Celtics a 2.5-game lead within the standings.
The Knicks nonetheless maintain the tie-breaker, and with a head-to-head showdown looming, the 2-seed is much from locked.
The Celtics, nonetheless, had the third-hardest remaining schedule final week. Now, they’ve a three-game successful streak … and the Seventeenth-hardest remaining power of schedule.
What’s subsequent
The Celtics will play the second evening of a back-to-back on Monday towards the Hawks in Atlanta, the place Brown may return.
They may wrap up their highway journey with video games towards the Warmth and Bucks in Miami and Milwaukee respectively on Wednesday and Friday.
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