Everything you need to know about the Celtics’ 114-103 win over the Sixers in quickie form.
HEADLINES
Another impressive comeback: The Sixers were running a sluggish Celtics team out of the gym for the first 18 minutes of Thursday’s contest, building a 54-33 lead at one point before the Celtics turned the tables. Boston’s offense came alive, the defense locked down the Sixers shooters and the C’s ran away with the game, unleashing a furious 69-31 run over the next 24 minutes on the way to the eventual victory. Jaylen Brown (game-high 21 points) led the way for a balanced scoring effort that had five different players pitching in with between 13 and 21 points each (Jayson Tatum, Marcus Morris, Kyrie Irving, Al Horford). The Celtics have now come back from a 12-point deficit for a win nine times on the year.
Marcus Morris breaks out: It’s been a frustrating first half of the season for the veteran forward, as he’s battled rust and minutes restrictions due to a sore left knee. However, Thursday showcased the player that the Celtics thought they would be getting from last summer’s trade with the Pistons. The 28-year-old forward finished with 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting, knocking down open jumpers all over the floor with ease. More importantly, he looked spry on the defensive end, exhibiting better lateral movement than we’ve seen all year.
TURNING POINT
The Celtics seized control with a 19-4 run midway through the third, a sequence that quickly erased an 11-point deficit the Sixers had built early in the frame. Tatum was the star of that turnaround, scoring 11 of his 16 points in the third quarter and catching fire after a passive first half on the offensive end. Once the Celtics gained the lead, the Sixers played from behind for the game’s final 18 minutes.
TWO UP
Jaylen Brown: The shooting guard snapped out of a mini-funk to post his best scoring performance (21 points) in a month. He helped keep the Celtics afloat in the first half with his offense, overcoming early ballhandling issues to attack the rim well, all while also burying some open jumpers in rhythm. In the second half, Brown also helped to shut down J.J. Redick, who scored just four points after the break following a red-hot first half. It was a nice turnaround from the first game of the year in Philadelphia when Redick toasted Brown for the better part of three quarters.
Morris: It was the second-best scoring outing of the year for Morris with 19 points, but it might have been his top all-around effort of the season. Not only was he making shots in rhythm, he distributed the ball well in the second half, finding the open man within the offense. The veteran also made several hustle plays on both ends that led to extra scoring opportunities. For the first time in a long time, Morris looked healthy again, and that gave the Celtics bench a major weapon in their second half comeback.
TWO DOWN
3-point shooting in the first half: The Celtics continued a two-game funk from beyond the arc in the first half, relying heavily on the 3-ball with ugly results. They took 18 of their 47 field-goal attempts from downtown, and made just four of them, shooting just 22 percent. That lack of accuracy opened the door to a 20-plus point deficit early.
Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier in first half: We’ve seen both guys at their best in several games lately, but the first half showed both reserve guards at their worse. Smart was out of control with his passing (two turnovers) and shot selection (0-of-2), while Terry Rozier couldn’t find a rhythm at all with his shot (1-of-5). Neither looked good defensively either, as T.J. McConnell broke through the first line of defense regularly. Both guys were benched early in favor of Shane Larkin and Jaylen Brown midway through the second quarter, and the Celtics started to turn things around with those two on the court.
TOP PLAY
? Jayson Tatum is lighting it up! ? #NBAVote pic.twitter.com/Tc4GblJ9Sl
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 11, 2018