Everything you need to know about the Celtics' 104-102 victory over the Knicks with BSJ insight and analysis
HEADLINES
Tatum delivers game-winner: The shorthanded Celtics got a bit of a surprise fight from one of the worst teams in the league on Friday night but got just enough offense from Kemba Walker and company to squeeze out their fourth straight win. Walker scored 21 of his game-high 31 points in the second half while adding 6 rebounds and 5 assists to help the C's to a 104-102 victory, but it was Jayson Tatum (24 points) that finished things off with a game-winning turnaround with just 1.3 seconds left on the clock. The jumper atoned for a rough final 20 seconds for the C's as they were on the verge of blowing a five-point lead and heading into overtime after Marcus Morris (29 points) scored seven straight points for the Knicks in the final minute. Tatum delivered a turnaround jumper off the inbounds from Marcus Smart and Boston knocked away the Knicks' final chance at a shot with 1.3 seconds remaining.
Another slow start for the offense: The Celtics came into the game as the worst first-half offense in the league and did nothing to change that trend against one of the worst defenses in the NBA. The hosts managed just 42 percent shooting in the first half and 25 percent shooting from 3-point range to muster just 49 points despite a high-paced game. The defense was a bit better but Boston’s lack of size proved to be an issue down low early as the Knicks piled up 11 offensive rebounds and 10 second-chance points before the break.
Best start since 2010-11: Brad Stevens has seen a lot of success during his tenure as C’s head coach but he has never managed a 4-1 start. Despite a tough schedule with matchups against three tough East teams (Philly, Milwaukee, Toronto) out of the gate, the C’s have won four straight games and put together their best start since the 2010-11 season. With a favorable road schedule upcoming (@ Charlotte, @ Cleveland), Boston has a chance to put itself in prime position to keep pace with the Sixers and Bucks at the top of the East, a far cry from their subpar 10-10 last season.
TURNING POINT
After entering a tie game at the seven-minute mark of the fourth quarter, Walker seized control down the stretch for the C’s, scoring 12 of the final 21 points of the game for Boston before Tatum’s game-winner to put the C’s in position for the victory.
TWO UP
Jayson Tatum from 3-point range: The third-year forward made four of his first six attempts from 3-point range on the night raising his shooting percentage from beyond the arc to 49 percent on the season.
Kemba Walker: The All-Star helped the C’s offense wake up with 22 second-half points, continuing his trend of hot second halves with the C’s over the past week. He also crossed the 10-plus free throw mark for the second straight game, becoming the first player to hit that mark since Isaiah Thomas in 2015-16. He’s knocked down 28-of-29 from the line over the past two games.
TWO DOWN
Carsen Edwards: The rookie guard continues to struggle getting any kind of rhythm going on the offensive end. He missed his first three shots of the game and is now just 4-of-19 from the field during the first five games of his red career. He showed some of his best offense in the preseason but he’s been yet to produce against tougher competition.
Celtics defensive rebounding: The Knicks piled up 11 offensive rebounds on just 32 missed shots in the first half, which helped the visitors score 10 second-chance points before halftime. New York shot just 37 percent from the field before the break but managed to squeak out a halftime lead due to the C’s inability to keep bigs like Julius Randle or Bobby Portis off the glass with their smaller lineups.
TOP PLAY
Jayson Tatum buries the game-winner in tonight's @JetBlue Play of the Game! pic.twitter.com/LPlqeigpvc
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 2, 2019
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
Finding someone that can hit 3s off the bench is a continuing concern: This was a huge question mark coming into the season and the potential candidates have not stepped up to the plate thus far. Grant Williams has opened the year 0-of-8 from downtown while Edwards left his shooting stroke in the preseason by going 2-of-13 from deep over his first five games. This issue will get a bit better when Smart returns to the bench (once Jaylen Brown returns to the lineup) but floor spacing is going to be a recurring issue with this group if none of the rookies find a consistent stroke. Given that there are only iffy veteran options on the bench (Semi Ojeleye, Brad Wanamaker), finding a capable outside shooter will likely to be on the list of upgrade needs for Danny Ainge if the rookies don’t find some rhythm in the next few weeks.
Celtics need Kemba Walker to be more aggressive against bad defenses: The All-Star has stayed unselfish in the early going as he tries to fit in with his new team and spread around the scoring load. However, against an atrocious defense like the Knicks that is filled with mismatches on any switch. Walker eventually turned things on the second half but he needs to be more aggressive in the early going on offense, especially when the C’s are shorthanded on the offensive end. He can be one of the best one-on-one scorers in this league when he wants to be and his foot speed gives him a huge advantage against the Knicks lineup that essentially plays five bigs. With just seven field-goal attempts in the first half, that number needs to be higher to help lift what has been a sluggish C’s offense in the first half over the first five games.
