BSJ Game Report: Celtics 125, Cavs 103 - C's cruise to fifth straight win without stars taken at TD Garden (Celtics)

(Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Celtics

BSJ Game Report: Celtics 125, Cavs 103 - C's cruise to fifth straight win without stars

By Brian Robb

Jan 23, 2019 • 10:07 pm

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Everything you need to know about the Celtics beating the Cavs 125-103 with BSJ insight and analysis

Box Score

HEADLINES

Celtics win fifth straight while resting stars: Kyrie Irving (illness) and Al Horford (rest) got the night off against the worst team in the NBA and the Celtics didn’t have much trouble dismissing the visitors, cruising to a 125-103 win behind stellar offensive efforts from Terry Rozier (26 points) and Jaylen Brown (23 points). Five different Celtics scored in double figures as the C’s dismantled a lackluster Cavs defense with 52.9 percent shooting from the field and 45 percent shooting from 3-point range. It was the fifth straight win for Boston and tenth overall at the TD Garden ahead of a showdown with the Warriors that awaits on Saturday night. Cedi Osman had a team-high 25 points for the Cavs, who have now dropped 17 of their last 18 games.

Rozier continues to shine when given a starting role: It hasn’t been a pretty season for the guard, but he put on a show in the first half of this one, matching his season-high with 22 points at halftime after going perfect from the field. He eventually finished with a season-high 26 points on 9-of-13 shooting while posting team-highs with eight rebounds and six assists in just 30 minutes. The performance could be a much-needed confidence boost for the 24-year-old after a brutal month on the offensive end.   

TURNING POINT

After a sluggish start in the first quarter (30-27 Cavs), the Celtics second unit broke through with a 19-5 run midway through the second quarter, featuring five straight points by Brad Wanamaker to open up a double-digit lead. The Cavs got no closer than 11 points the rest of the way.

TWO UP

Rozier: The fourth-year guard put together one of the best offensive first halves by a Celtic this century, going a perfect 8-of-8 from the field and 4-of-4 from 3-point range, capped off by buzzer-beating 3 at the half. He became the first Celtic since Paul Pierce in 2009 to score 20+ points in a half while shooting 100 percent from the field.

Brad Wanamaker: Good things continue to happen when the 29-year-old rookie gets opportunities. He was a plus-14 in the first half alone with eight points and a pair of 3s while getting a chance at some bench minutes with Irving sidelined. He has a positive plus/minus in four of the five games he has played ten minutes or more this season.

TWO DOWN

Celtics’ defensive rebounding: The C’s let their guard down against one of the worst teams in the league on the glass, allowing Cleveland to grab 14 offensive rebounds and 23 second-chance points despite shooting a respectable 44 percent from the field. Zizic set a new career-high with six offensive rebounds as the C’s showed little effort in boxing out the big man on the glass, especially when Aron Baynes was on the floor.  

Cavs defense: This team is on track to be the worst defensive squad in NBA history by the numbers and it’s easy to see why. Rozier ran circles around their guards and with them playing only true bigs, it’s easy to bully the weaker defensive wings down low (Hood, Osman). The Celtics bailed them out early in the game with poor shot selection but once they started going to the hoop, it was easy offense all night for the hosts.      

TOP PLAY




TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER


Jayson Tatum’s shot selection remains maddening at times:
The 20-year-old has some of the best pure offensive talent on the team, but he remains committed to taking the least efficient shot in the game (midrange jumpers) when there is no need to do so. The Cavs have no one that can stick with him in the post or on drives to the rim and they lack a true rim protector as well (Ante Zizic isn’t cutting it). Still, Tatum spent most of the first quarter chucking up long 2s that weren’t falling before getting more aggressive as the game continued. He started to get it going at that point (17 points on the night) but these type of mid-range shots aren’t necessary on nights like this. He can get them whenever he wants, so it should remain a priority for this coaching staff to get him taking more attempts beyond the arc or punishing closeouts with the drive.


Robert Williams could use some defensive reps in Maine:
In his first action in more than two weeks, the rookie delivered with a massive dunk but his defensive struggles are starting to come to the forefront. He’s struggling to contain quicker guards in the pick-and-roll and other teams are taking advantage of his rotations to attack the rim. The shot blocking will always be tantalizing but the on-court numbers have been bad for the last month whenever he gets a chance. More sustained opportunities in the C’s system at the G-League level will go a long way to helping him be more playable in spot action as the season progresses and the games become more important.  

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