Everything you need to know about the Celtics' 99-85 win over the Suns with BSJ insight and analysis
Box Score
Defense leads the way to win: Jayson Tatum posted a season-high with 26 points and 11 rebounds while Kemba Walker chipped in with 19 points and five assists, leading the C’s to an impressive 99-85 road victory over Phoenix on Monday night. Without Ricky Rubio (back spasms) in the fold, the C’s defense keyed in on sharpshooter Devin Booker, limiting him to just 20 points in 34 minutes while forcing his teammates into plenty of shots. That tactic paid dividends as the Suns shot just 40 percent from the field and 27 percent from 3-point range in one of their worst offensive performances of the year.
The C’s did not shoot particularly well either (41 percent) but they got efficient scoring from their main scorers and solid efforts off the bench from Brad Wanamaker (10 points) and Grant Williams (plus-18) that helped the visitors maintain a double-digit lead for nearly the entire second half and get back in the win column.
Marcus Smart suffers right ankle sprain: Marcus Smart (17 points, 4 assists) left the game in the fourth quarter with a sprained ankle and did not return after being helped off the floor by the training staff. However, what looked to be a serious injury was downplayed after the fact by Smart, who said he expected to be able to play during the rest of the road trip. Given the level of competition upcoming (LA Clippers, Denver) and Smart’s importance to this team right now, the positive prognosis was a promising sign for a team that needs everyone at full strength with Gordon Hayward sidelined.
Boston moves back atop the NBA: The victory improves Boston to 11-2 on the year, back into a tie with the Lakers for the best record in the league. The C’s didn’t face the best version of the Suns without Rubio but they still improved their record on the year to 5-1 against above .500 teams, taking care of business while facing better opponents. The road only gets tougher from here as they will face their biggest road challenges of the trip next with a showdown against Doc Rivers and the Clippers in LA on Wednesday night, following by a trip to Denver on Friday. However, a win on the second half of a back-to-back gives the team plenty to feel good about with two chances at a winning road swing upcoming.
TURNING POINT
The game turned around in the final six minutes of the second quarter as the C’s jumped all over the Suns with a 23-6 run to turn a two-point deficit into a 15-point halftime lead. Grant Williams was on the floor for the entire sequence in his first minutes of the night, providing a nice defensive boost with two big blocks in the run. The Suns failed to trim the lead below nine points in the second half as the C’s used their strong second-quarter kick to cruise to the win.
TWO UP
Kemba Walker: The All-Star has taken his time to get going in the first halves of games recently, but he wasted no time in this on, scoring 13 points before the break including all five of his shots inside the arc. He finished with 19 points, 5 assists and a team-high plus-22 in 30 minutes.
Grant Williams: The big man was the 11th man off the bench in the first half but he helped catapult the C’s into a 23-6 run to close the half thanks to his defense (two blocks) and screening on the offensive end. His 3-point shot (0-of-15 on the year) is still an issue but he did enough in this one to make a case again for regular minutes, playing over Enes Kanter in the second half.
TWO DOWN
Rob Williams in the first half: A number of unforced turnovers (three) over just seven minutes of action in the first half were inexcusable and led directly to points for the Suns. He needs to be smarter with his passes and awareness.
Jaylen Brown in the first half: The athletic wing misfired on seven of his first nine shots in the first half, struggling to knock down several point-blank attempts at the rim on offensive rebounds. He finished with just four points before intermission before heading to the bench with three fouls. He bounced back in the second half with 10 points, however.
TOP PLAY
? KEMBA ? pic.twitter.com/oGxqozwnKX
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 19, 2019
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
Brad Wanamaker has turned into the most reliable contributor off the Celtics bench. After spending several articles last season about the need for him to get more opportunities, injuries have opened the door for a bigger role in the backcourt for the 29-year-old. After a slow start to the season, Wanamaker has been rock steady for the month of November, shooting 55 percent from the field while averaging 8.1 points per game. He’s not forcing the issue at all (just four shot attempts per game) but is giving the second unit a calming presence with his ball-handling and shooting ability (40 percent from 3). His 30 minutes off the bench on Monday night were a season-high, and he delivered in the outing with 10 points, 6 assists and 3 steals. With Gordon Hayward out, there was going to be a chance for someone on the C’s bench to step up and Wanamaker has made the best of that chance so far.
Ricky Rubio may be the key to the Suns season: Phoenix may be due for some regression after a hot start to the year but there was no true shot creator on this roster beyond Booker with Rubio out of the fold. The Celtics did a fantastic job of forcing the Suns' offense into taking tough shots from supporting pieces and there was little the team could do to without their floor general calling the shots. When the 3-point shots aren’t falling, things can get ugly for this group and we saw plenty of that on Monday night. They are really thin at the point guard position and will need Rubio's court vision to keep themselves in the playoff mix all year long.
