Everything you need to know about the Clippers' 107-104 win over the Celtics with BSJ Insight and analysis
HEADLINES
Jayson Tatum's scoring outburst isn't enough: The third-year forward had the second-best scoring night of his career with 30 points on 12-of-24 shooting from the field, while also stuffing other parts of the box score with seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. Twenty-three of those 30 points came in the second half for Tatum, including 14 in a red-hot third quarter in which Tatum went 5-of-7 from the field and 4-of-5 from 3-point range.
Jayson Tatum just made Paul George his son. pic.twitter.com/dvPRJgHGqI
— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) November 21, 2019
A missed opportunity: Despite missing Gordon Hayward, the Celtics had their chances to put this game away on several occasions, leading by 10 points midway through the fourth quarter and again by seven with just under three minutes left. However, a late 10-0 Clippers run behind the shooting of Lou Williams (27 points) and Patrick Beverley (14 points, 16 rebounds) allowed the hosts' supporting pieces to carry the day while the C's defense focused on Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Boston had one last chance to tie at the end of overtime but a blocked shot by Leonard on Kemba Walker sealed the win for the Clippers. Boston dropped to 11-3 on the season and 2-2 on their road trip with the finale looming in Denver on Friday.
TURNING POINT
The Celtics had a chance to make it a two-possession game in the final minute of regulation but Marcus Smart airmailed a 3 and Kemba Walker missed the putback. Despite a 24-second violation taking place, no whistle was blown and the C’s did not cover Lou Williams as he leaked out in transition. The sharpshooter hit the go-ahead 3, capping a 8-0 run for the Clips that forced the C’s to play from behind the rest of the way.
THREE UP
Enes Kanter/Daniel Theis: The big man provided a much needed source of offense in the first half with the C’s perimeter offense essentially non-existent. He posted a team-high 8 points and 5 rebounds before intermission while also holding his own on the defensive end against Zubac and Harrell before barely playing in the second half as Stevens went with a more defensive look with Grant Williams/Theis. Theis was terrific on the boards (14) and with his passing (career-high six assists).
Brad Wanamaker: The 30-year-old guard has turned into a defacto 6th man for the C’s since Gordon Hayward has been out. He played starter minutes (15) before intermission while scoring seven points and snapping the C’s 0-of-16 3-point shooting streak. He scored a season-high 14 points and dished out five assists over his 27 minutes.
TWO DOWN
Kemba Walker: The All-Star missed six of his first seven shots while coughing up three turnovers as the Clippers length swallowed him up in the paint. He managed just three points in the first half in what easily was his worst stretch since the opener in Philadelphia. He finished with just 13 points on 4-of-17 shooting with six turnovers.
Celtics 3-point shooting: Boston set a new team record by missing their first 16 3-point attempts of the game before finally breaking through in the closing moments of the second quarter. The starters minus Theis combined to go 0-of-15 from downtown before the break as the C’s somehow finished the first half an absurd 1-of-18 from 3. They finished 12-of-45 on the night.
TOP PLAY
What. A. Play. pic.twitter.com/NO6oR7eEux
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 21, 2019
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
The Celtics can play with anyone but could still use some help. The Clippers weren’t at 100 percent (no Landry Shamet) but this is as tough of a test as the C’s will see all year long on the road and they came to play in this one despite a horrific shooting night. Beyond Tatum’s terrific performance, it was very encouraging to see solid efforts from nearly everyone on the bench as everyone played to their strengths and outplayed the Clippers’ reserves during head-to-head matchups for most of the night. Life will get easier once Gordon Hayward returns to the fold but it would be intriguing to see this group get one more solid rotation piece that Brad Stevens could count on to go against versatile lineups full of shooters that the Clippers can roll out. From a defensive standpoint, the C’s might matchup better with them than any team in the East.
The replay system needs an overhaul: There have been more replays than usual this year thanks to the new coaches’ challenge but the flow of play was brutal in this contest during the second half as the number of reviews approached double digits. At this point, the league would be best served to streamline their reviews through NBA headquarters and do them all in one place rather than relying on the officials in-arena for some judgment calls. It’s taking too long to make decisions and the whole process will be much more efficient if it's done under one roof. Seeing as the replay isn’t going away anytime soon, this is the best way to make it better/quicker.