Everything you need to know about the Celtics’ 97-96 win over the Blazers in quickie form.
Box score
HEADLINES
Al Horford hits the game-winner: The All-Star forward capped a brilliant all-around performance (22 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists) with a turnaround jumper over Blazers forward Al-Farouq Aminu as time expired to cap the Celtics' rally in front of the TD Garden crowd. Boston trailed by as many as 16 points in the second half and six points late in the fourth quarter, but lockdown defense and timely 3-point shooting late proved to be the difference for the hosts.
Al Horford swishes the game-winning bucket at the buzzer in tonight's @JetBlue Play of the Game! pic.twitter.com/1VZ98lj6cp
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 4, 2018
The youngsters step up from beyond the arc:
The Celtics offense was stuck in the mud for most of the first half (38 total points) but the Celtics managed to stay in the game with the 3-ball. The team shot better from 3-point range (41.7 percent) than they did inside the arc (40.8 percent), but the number of makes from downtown (15) proved pivotal on a night that the Blazers defense wasn’t giving up much inside the paint (only 22 points in the paint for Boston). Jaylen Brown (4-of-7) and Jayson Tatum (3-of-5) led the barrage from deep.
Everyone is hurt and it doesn’t matter again: Marcus Smart, Kyrie Irving, Shane Larkin
and
Marcus Morris
all missed their second-straight game. For a while, it looked like the Celtics wouldn’t be able to overcome their absence against a playoff team from the Western Conference, but a terrific second half from the starters, Daniel Theis and Semi Ojeleye was enough to propel the turnaround. The Celtics have now won four straight games despite all their injuries and six of seven overall.
TURNING POINT
TWO UP
Jayson Tatum:
The rookie scored 17 points, marking the fourth-straight game in which he’s produced at least 15 points. He’s averaging 19.8 points during that four-game stretch as he takes advantage of additional opportunity with Marcus Smart and Marcus Morris sidelined.
Tatum ties the game! pic.twitter.com/FbgdQDQjXl
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 4, 2018
Al Horford:
The veteran tallied his first 20 point game since Dec. 27 in Charlotte. He’s now scored at least 10 points in six-straight games overall, averaging 15.7 points on 48 percent shooting over that stretch. He’s also been lights out from 3-point range during that period (11-of-21).
TWO DOWN
Terry Rozier’s shooting:
The third-year guard came back to earth in a big way on Sunday afternoon, going a woeful 5-of-18 from the field over 36 minutes. The 18 shot attempts were a team high. Despite the off-shooting night, Rozier managed to drill a clutch go-ahead midrange jumper with 15 seconds remaining. He also had just one turnover and was a team-high plus-seven.
Abdel Nader:
The swingman continues to get opportunities leading up to the trade deadline but his shooting struggles remain consistent. He was just 2-of-8 from the field and had issues against the Blazers wings (Mo Harkless had 19 points off bench). His days as a Celtic could be numbered.
TOP PLAY
HORFORD ??? pic.twitter.com/Xuj61lLwhe
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 4, 2018
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
This week has been a dream scenario for the Celtics:
It’s nice enough to get veterans like Kyrie Irving and Marcus Morris such extra rest when they are battling minor injuries, but pulling off three-straight wins without three key rotation players is no small feat. Over the last week, Rozier has broken out, Tatum has refound his offensive rhythm and even some role guys (Ojeleye, Abdel Nader) have looked solid in stretches. It’s the best of both worlds for Danny Ainge and his front office to see the young guys thrive while the wins keep piling up.
Semi Ojeleye is eventually going to replace Marcus Smart’s role on this team:
Ojeleye and Smart share incredible defensive versatility and a questionable 3-point shot. Ojeleye is going to be the far cheaper option however for the next four years (signed for a total of $5.5 million). Whether or not the Celtics elect to trade Smart before the trade deadline, Ojeleye’s defense against guards (which was great prior to a dumb foul late on Damian Lillard) makes him the more appealing piece long-term. As long as the 6-foot-6 wing continues to progress, he’s going to be a crucial player on this team for a long time to come.