Everything you need to know about the Celtics' 114-103 win over the Jazz with BSJ insight and analysis
Box Score
HEADLINES
Jayson Tatum caps dominant trip with another standout performance: Jayson Tatum scored 30-plus points in his third consecutive game, finishing with 33 points and 11 rebounds on an efficient 13-of-20 shooting outing to pace the Celtics in the midst of a 114-103 road win. Jaylen Brown added 20 points and 6 rebounds while Marcus Smart chipped in with 17 points and 9 assists in the balanced scoring effort as Boston’s starting five all scored in double figures to help the visitors shoot a scorching 53 percent from the field. Tatum remained the story of the night for shooting above 60 percent from the field while scoring 30 points for the third consecutive game, becoming the first Celtic to achieve that feat since Kevin McHale in the 1980’s. The Jazz inserted their top wing defender in Royce O’Neale into the starting five before the game but it did little to slow Tatum down on the way to Boston picking up an impressive road victory against a reeling Utah squad that has now lost four straight games.
Boston pulls within one game of the Raptors for the No. 2 seed: Kemba Walker missed his fourth consecutive game on the road trip but that did not prevent the Celtics from pulling off a 3-1 West Coast swing, bringing them within one game of the Raptors for the No. 2 seed in the East even after Toronto had won 15 of their last 17 games. Boston’s strong trip looks even better after playing in four cities over six nights without one of their All-Stars since it also gives them quite a bit of breathing room in the No. 3 seed as they currently sit a comfortable five games over both Miami and Philadelphia following ugly losses by both those squads Wednesday night. That development gives Boston some breathing room for home-court advantage, separating itself from the pack in what had been a jam-packed Eastern Conference playoff race in the 2-6 spots.
TURNING POINT
The Celtics took command of the game with an 18-5 run at the beginning of the fourth quarter, riding a hot shooting stretch from Marcus Smart to help turn a three-point edge into a double-digit advantage midway through the frame. The Jazz had no answer for the outburst in the midst of their fourth straight defeat.
TWO UP
Tatum: The All-Star continued his dominant February with another double-double. He’s now averaging 30.5 points per game in the month while shooting an absurd 52 percent from the field and 51 percent from 3-point range. That type of efficiency while taking over 20 shots per game during that span makes him the frontrunner for East player of the month.
Brown: The swingman will not get as many headlines as Tatum but tallied 20 points and 6 rebounds for the fourth consecutive game on this trip, averaging 22.3 ppg and 6.8 rpg per game as the C’s completed the 3-1 gauntlet.
TWO DOWN
Semi Ojeleye: The young forward was pulled after just one minute of disastrous defense in the midst of a Jazz second quarter run. His playing time continues to be volatile depending on the matchup.
Slowing down Donovan Mitchell: The third-year guard put on a show, specifically in the second quarter after early foul trouble as he erupted for 20 of his 37 points in the frame to erase an early double-digit lead for the C’s. Defending All-Star scorers at shooting guard continues to be a concern for this group.
TOP PLAY
.@jaytatum0 continues to impress. Back to back @JetBlue Plays of the Game. pic.twitter.com/gwp55aU2bz
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 27, 2020
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
Daniel Theis soundly outplayed Rudy Gobert in this win: The calls for adding more depth to the front line should get even quieter after this one after Theis got the best of the Defensive Player of the Year on both sides of the floor. Theis was his normal efficient self (16 points, 7 rebounds) while Gobert (9 points, 9 rebounds, 4 turnovers) was one of the weakest links in the Utah starting lineup during his 35 minutes, attempting just four shots in the midst of his 35 minutes with Boston outscoring Utah by 13 in that span. Theis was a force on the glass (four offensive rebounds) and with his screening, allowing for big games by his running mates while ensuring Gobert didn’t turn into a big deterrent at the rim. Combine that with another solid bounce back effort from Enes Kanter (8 points, 7 rebounds) in the second half and this center group continues to hold their own against some of the best the West has to offer. A returning Rob Williams next week should only give Brad Stevens more appealing options to mix and match on that front with the trio and Grant Williams.
This trip was a final check for considering the Celtics a contender: The emergence of Tatum in this run combined with the consistency of the starting five is beginning to put Boston among a different category within the league elites. They are clearly still not on the level of the Bucks (who are in a class by themselves right now), but it’s fair to consider the Celtics to be in that second tier of contenders now with the Lakers, Clippers, etc. when at full strength given Tatum’s breakout. He’s looked like a top-10 player in the league since January and he’s surrounded by arguably the best starting lineup in the league 1-5 when everyone is healthy in terms of having three realistic 20-point scoring threats around him every night. A 41-17 record combined with a gritty 3-1 road trip to kick off the second half of the season is separating this quad from the Miami’s or Philly’s of the world (or even Utah). The Celtics know who they are and that’s a top-5 team in the NBA that can combine with anyone on any given night.