Everything you need to know about the Celtics' 149-115 win over the Nets with BSJ insight and analysis
HEADLINES
Celtics score most points in a game since 1992 in a rout: The Celtics scored the most points in a game since November 1992 on Wednesday, in the midst of a 149-115 blowout win in Orlando. Jaylen Brown led seven different players in double figures for the C’s who improved to 2-2 overall in the Orlando bubble. The story of the night however was Boston’s second unit who jumpstarted the rout with a 16-1 run midway through the second half. Rob Williams had a career-high 18 points in 19 minutes while Romeo Langford (+27) and Brad Wanamaker (13 points) chipped in as well on a night Kemba Walker was resting his sore knee. The Celtics were red-hot from downtown for the second time this week as well, shooting 51 percent from 3-point and 56 percent from the field.
Jeremiah Martin had a game-high 20 points for the Nets who trailed by double digits for the final three frames. The win pulls Boston two games ahead of the Heat for the No. 3 seed with just four games left to play.
Defense returns for Boston: Allowing 115 points doesn’t look great on paper but this game was playing at an extremely fast pace, meaning the C’s defense was playing much better than that tally indicates. Brooklyn is without some of their top weapons in Orlando but they had just beaten the Bucks on Tuesday night with their 3-point shot. The C’s tighten things up on that front Wednesday night, holding Brooklyn to just 25 percent from 3-point range while forcing 17 turnovers. Those miscues led to a record-breaking night for Boston’s offense and signaled that this team was still capable of playing the kind of defense we saw earlier this year.
TURNING POINT
The Celtics blew the game wide-open midway through the first half with a 24-4 run led by Gordon Hayward and a bench-heavy unit. The outburst put the Celtics comfortably ahead by 20 points and unlike the Blazers game on Sunday, the C’s were able to sustain the momentum over the final 30 minutes of the victory.
TWO UP
Celtics bench: Too many names to list in this category so we will go with the entire second unit tonight. Rob Williams led the way with his career-high 18 points but Langford (+27) provided terrific defensive energy as well. Brad Wanamaker chipped in with 13 points in 21 minutes while the entire unit combined to score 69 points, which was a season-high.
Gordon Hayward: His shooting efficiency wasn’t anything to write home about but he was the catalyst for Boston’s offense for a great deal of the night, something that was indicative of his +30 in plus/minus. Brought good energy and attacking in the first half that separated the C’s in this one early.
TWO DOWN
Grant Williams: Part of it may simply be a matchup thing but the rookie power forward was the last man off the bench in this one as he watched other youngsters like Langford and Rob Williams may a case for more playing time. He hasn’t helped himself earn more minutes with his play so far in Orlando and it showed with his spot on the depth chart this evening.
Tremont Waters: This was the potential spot for him to get a chance at point guard minutes with Kemba Walker resting his knee but Stevens opted to make Javonte Green active instead. Barring injury or a night off for several players, Waters will have to wait his turn until next season.
TOP PLAY
Rob Williams throws it down in tonight's @jetblue play of the game ? pic.twitter.com/hNi25QxBcK
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) August 6, 2020
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
It’s about time Brad Stevens gave the young kids a shot: With the C’s defense springing leaks in all parts of the floor over the first three games in Orlando, most of Boston’s youth sat idly by on the bench. The head coach wisely gave these guys some run against an inferior opponent and they delivered some of the energy the C’s needed. Behind Smart, Langford is probably the team’s best bench perimeter defender and he showed that with solid minutes on Nets wings in this one. At the center spot, Williams provided a different rim threat and finishing threat that none of Boston’s other bigs provided, along with some rim protection. Both guys aren’t going to be the answer for the bench every night but they deserved a chance with how inconsistent this team looked over the past week. It’s a card that Stevens needs to play more often since no one on this bench beyond Smart is good enough to have their minutes be locked in.
This was an important blowout game for the regulars: It’s going to be a bit of grind in Orlando over the next month or two, with a game every other night all the way through to the NBA Finals. That leaves little chance for rest for the starters if the C’s need to play everyone through the end of their seeding games to lock up the No. 3 seed (a possible scenario at this point). While Walker officially got the night off to rest his knee, key contributors like Jayson Tatum (18 minutes) and Jaylen Brown (24 minutes) barely had to break a sweat in this one during the second half. After close affairs in their first three games, this was a timely rout that should help the C’s save their legs for the long haul.