Everything you need to know about the Celtics’ beating the Cavs 128-95 in BSJ Quickie Form
Box Score
HEADLINES
New starters assert themselves: There was little drama about who would be in the starting five after Jaylen Brown was ruled out for the night with a sore tailbone. Still, the new-look starting group (with Aron Baynes filling in for a resting Al Horford) imposed their will against a hapless Cavs team on Friday night. All five starters scored in double figures, led by Kyrie Irving (29 points) and the group helped turn a tie game midway through the second quarter into a laugher at the end of three periods by outscoring them on a 56-28 run midway through the 128-95 victory. Marcus Smart (12 points, 7 assists) and Marcus Morris (15 points) played their supporting roles perfectly, allowing Boston to put together their best home win of the season.
Jaylen Brown could return Saturday night: The shooting guard sat out his second straight game to rest his sore tailbone but went through a workout before the game and will travel with the team to Minnesota for Saturday’s showdown with a surging Wolves squad (7-2 since the Jimmy Butler trade). Horford will be back after a planned day of rest as well but the bigger question will be whether Brown will return in a bench role (a situation he said he’d be okay with before Friday’s game) or if sends Smart back to his usual bench role. If Brown does not return, Stevens will get one more game of a sample size for that new-look group before another decision would need to be made.
TURNING POINT
The Celtics broke open the game with a 12-1 run in the closing four minutes of the second half, running the Cavs off the floor with the starting five unit that featured Gordon Hayward playing in place of Tatum. The outburst turned a tie game into a double-digit deficit at halftime and seemingly broke Cleveland’s spirit as the visitors showed no resistance in the third quarter with Boston nearly doubling them up (39-20) in the frame on their way to a 33-point win.
TWO UP
Irving: The All-Star came out of the gate red-hot from the field, knocking down his first five shots from the field against rookie lottery pick Colin Sexton, including this long bomb for his fourth straight make. The outburst gave him 13 of Boston’s first 26 points of the night, setting the pace early for a Celtics offense that carried over some momentum from Monday’s big performance against the Pelicans. Irving finished with 29 points on 11-of-15 shooting.
Jayson Tatum in the first half:
The No. 2 scoring option is asserting his will more with the starting five and as the only starter seeing action with the starting unit. He abused Cavs mismatches for much of the first half, scoring 11 points before intermission. He’s now scored in double digits for 11 straight games and has shot above 50 percent from the field in eight of those contests.
TWO DOWN
Celtics’ foul defense:
The Celtics remain an elite team on the defensive end but they still pile up far too many careless fouls when in the penalty, particularly in non-shooting situations. The Cavs had 21 free throws in the first half despite having one true creator (Jordan Clarkson) on their roster. If Boston wants to hang tough against far more talented offenses, they need to be more disciplined with their contact.
The Cavs’ chances of winning 20 games this season:
It’s a far cry from the team that blew out the Celtics twice in the preseason without Kevin Love but I don’t think I’ve seen a more defeated roster 20 games into the regular season. There is no semblance of defense being played by this group against the C’s backcourt and with more of a veteran firesale coming in the next couple months, I’d be shocked if this group doesn’t earn the pole position for the 2019 NBA Lottery.
TOP PLAY
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
I’m not sure why Guerschon Yabusele is getting minutes over Rob Williams or Semi Ojeleye in the first half:
Brad Stevens likes to spread around the love to the younger players on his bench unit, but with Horford resting it was unexpected to see him get the call over Semi Ojeleye and Robert Williams with the second unit. Yabusele knocked down a 3 but his skillset isn’t just much of an asset right now at the NBA level compared to guys like Ojeleye and Williams. While facing a team like the Cavs is a good time to get the 22-year-old’s feet wet, it feels like the C’s would be better served by investing those minutes in guys with higher upside (Williams) or part of their future rotation plans (Ojeleye). Even with a lot of roster turnover next summer, it’s hard to see Yabusele earning regular minutes on a contending team.
Gordon Hayward took Kyrie Irving’s advice on aggressiveness to heart:
Irving shared some words of wisdom with Hayward at Thursday’s practice, noting that he wanted the former All-Star to be more assertive in looking for his shot. Things didn’t look too different in the box score for Hayward (nine attempts in 24 minutes) but his decision-making process looked refined to a degree. Instead of hitting the lane and looking for the pass first, Hayward made his drives with more authority. He was even whistled for a couple of offensive fouls on clear outs. The mentality worked though, he knocked down six of his nine shots, including a few jumpers that came in rhythm. It’s going to be a long process to build him back up but confidence booster nights like this one against the Cavs will be pivotal for him in taking the next step.
