Everything you need to know about the Celtics' 105-100 win over the Warriors with BSJ insight and analysis
HEADLINES
Closing run takes C’s to finish line: The Celtics fought their way back from a 5-point deficit with just under three minutes remaining in this one, closing the game on a 13-3 spurt behind the late heroics of Kemba Walker (20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and Jayson Tatum (24 points). Both players shook off slow shooting starts to come through with big baskets during the game-deciding run, with Walker tallying 14 of his 20 points in the final frame to best a feisty Warriors team for Boston’s 10th consecutive win. The shorthanded C’s also got 22 points and 8 rebounds from Jaylen Brown while Marcus Smart knocked down 4+ 3-point attempts for the fourth consecutive game to ensure the C’s left the Bay Area with a victory. Alec Burks had a team-high 20 points off the bench for the hosts who lost D’Angelo Russell to a finger injury in the second half.
10 straight wins, although this one was ugly: The Warriors have the worst record in the NBA and it was easy to see why in this one as they managed just five total 3-pointers as a team along with 19 turnovers. They did get a friendly whistle throughout and punished the C’s at times on the offensive glass (12 offensive rebounds) but the visitors played sloppy and had a dramatic edge in talent level all night long, especially when Russell went out. The big names stepped up late for Boston but the choppy affair featured plenty of ugly play in the first three quarters. Given the opponents looming on this road trip, it was essential Boston didn’t squander a win away in San Francisco and they did just enough to ensure that.
TURNING POINT
The officials whistled a jump ball after a review with just under two minutes remaining after an out of bounds call on Marcus Smart was reversed. The ensuing jump ball at half court looked to head Golden State’s way with the 7-foot-2 Willie Cauley Stein winning the jump but Tatum (after getting some advice from Smart) swooped in for a steal and dunk to give the C’s a 98-97 lead.
TWO UP
Kemba Walker: The point guard scored 14 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter on 5-of-8 FG, shaking off a brutal shooting start to the night (1-of-11 FG) to help lift the Celtics to the finish line once again.
Jaylen Brown: The swingman has now scored 20 points in four consecutive games for the first time in his career after finished with 21 points and a team-high eight rebounds. He also lifted his 3-point shooting percentage up from 26.7 percent after going 3-of-3 from downtown in the third quarter.
TWO DOWN
Carsen Edwards: The rollercoaster ride continues for the rookie guard, who missed all four of his shots to go scoreless in 13 minutes.
Javonte Green: After not playing the second half against the Wizards, the rookie swingman was a DNP-CD against the Warriors as Brad Stevens leaned on Edwards, Semi Ojeleye and Brad Wanamaker ahead of him for minutes.
TOP PLAY
Tatum snatches the jump ball and throws it down to take the lead in crunch time, earning himself tonight's @JetBlue Play of the Game ? pic.twitter.com/8JQkxxSrti
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 16, 2019
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
Marcus Smart is turning into a 3-point specialist. The veteran guard took 75 percent of his shot attempts from downtown in this one (5-of-9 from deep) and that has essentially been the rule most nights for the hot shooter. Smart is not only knocking down a fantastic 40.8 percent of his 3s on the season but he’s taking nearly 70 percent of all his shots from beyond the arc, a great sign for the team considering his 2-pt and 3-pt shooting percentage is essentially equal. Smart can do so much more for this team than shoot 3s (passing, defense, etc.) but his sense of awareness on the offensive end to float towards the 3-point line whenever is a great way he is maximizing his efficiency this year. He ranks second on the team in 3-point attempts and that is music to Brad Stevens’ era with the way he is shooting it.
Jayson Tatum’s inability to finish at the rim remains a problem: After another rough shooting night (8-of-23) despite his team-high 24 points, Tatum again looked like the worst high volume finisher in the league. He’s knocking down just 45 percent of his attempts at the rim (worst on the team) and missed several crucial ones in the fourth quarter before the C’s made their comeback. It’s only 11 games but this is the funk that the team needs to see him lift himself out of if he wants to raise his game to an All-Star level. The frontlines on this trip are going to get much tougher from a defensive standpoint so the C’s need a little more efficiency (or a friendly whistle) if Tatum is going to take such a large chunk of the shot attempts for the team.
