BSJ Game Report: Celtics 117, Cavs 113 - Tatum's 41, Horford's shooting carry Celtics

Everything you need to know about the Celtics' win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, with BSJ insight and analysis.

IN A NUTSHELL

The Celtics put up a decent first quarter but 10-second chance points gave the Cavs an early 2-point lead. The Celtics took the lead back and then some behind Jayson Tatum’s 15-point 2nd quarter, and then he added 18 more in the third to push the Celtics lead to 21. The Celtics were up 16 late in the fourth and it looked like they were cruising, but they relaxed enough to make the end of the game interesting. They still held on to win 117-113.

Box Score

HEADLINES

Attack first, shoot later: Tatum took 21 shots, 7 of them in the restricted area, 6 of them from 3. Here's his shot chart:

Sign me up for any night Tatum shoots more in the restricted area than from 3. This season he has taken 360 shots in the restricted area compared to 547 3-pointers. 

I’d like that gap to be narrower, though to be fair, when you throw in paint/non-restricted area shots, it’s 583-547. 

“Really got to the free throw line tonight, and I just got some easy ones early,” Tatum said. “Layup in transition, getting downhill, finishing at the basket, just kind of open things up.”

This follow dunk seemed to be where everything changed. 

Cleaning the glass: The Celtics gave up those 10 second-chance points in the first quarter and then just 6 the rest of the way. 

“Second chance points was big for them in the first quarter,” Jaylen Brown said. “So we made an emphasis at halftime to box out, no second chance points and I think that made a difference in the game.”

After a 10-4 disparity in the first quarter, Boston actually came back to match the Cavs 16-16 in second-chance points. After getting out-rebounded 11-10 in the first quarter, Boston won the battle on the glass 33-27

No Grant Williams: A DNP-CD? This is a dude who starts sometimes. What’s the deal? 

“Matchups,” Joe Mazzulla said when asked about it after the game. More later.

TURNING POINT

The third quarter started with a 23-9 Celtics run that ultimately built a 21-point lead. Tatum was attacking, earning 6 free throws in the quarter. Al Horford and Robert Williams were a combined 4-4. 

Let’s look past the Celtics very clearly reacting to Donovan Mitchell leaving the game as the end instead of when the clock struck zero. Boston built a big enough lead to withstand this lapse of theirs.

“The way we finished the game bothered me,” Mazzulla said afterward. “I know it’s hard to do, but we’ve got to be better.”

FIVE UP

Jayson Tatum: He passed Giannis Antetokounmpo for the seventh-most points before the age of 25 (9,429). Only two other Celtics have reached 41 points/11 rebounds/ 8 assists: Larry Bird and John Havlicek. Bird did it three times. 

Al Horford: He was perfect from the field deep into the third quarter, and this shot that he made was the wildest of them all. 

That thing made more mid-air turns than the Seinfeld magic loogie. 

Horford scored a season-high 23 points. The 6 made 3-pointers is a career high. He also grabbed 11 rebounds for his fifth double-double this year

Jaylen Brown: Brown didn’t need to do too much because Tatum was doing a lot of heavy lifting but I do want to acknowledge Brown’s game. He played well, even though the stats (16 points, 40% shooting, 4 assists, 3 rebounds) don’t jump off the page. 

Robert Williams: Another perfect night from the field (4-4), but 11 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal, and 2 blocked shots. He was all over the place early on. I thought he was getting a ton of deflections early and being very disruptive. 

THREE DOWN 

Malcolm Brogdon: He had two bad turnovers down the stretch to help turn this into a game in the final seconds. Boston was up 13 with 1:18 left when he stepped out of bounds. With 33 seconds left, he gave up the ball and it turned into a Darius Garland 3-pointer and a 7-point game. 

Derrick White: He just kinda didn’t do much (he did have 5 assists) and he fell and seemed to hurt his neck or head. Watch for that update tomorrow. 

Mike Muscala: He didn’t hit a shot and wasn’t great on defense, though Mazzulla rolled with him over Grant Williams in the game. Mazzulla still like the matchup better (more in a second).

TOP PLAYS

ONE TAKE KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

- A wake-up call for Grant Williams

A DNP-Coach’s Decision is embarrassing for a player who is part of the rotation. It sucks to be a player who has been instrumental in a lot of wins, including playoff games, that this matchup isn’t right for you. 

“Just matchups on the offensive end, as far as spacing the floor and having rim protection,” Mazzulla said. “When Mike was in, we were able to play a different defensive lineup. Didn't want to switch these guys as much in that second unit. And so they played, because of their sub pattern, we went bigger, we were able to stay (switching 1 through 3) a little bit more and not switch that second unit, which is big for us.”

The Celtics' defensive scheme of staying home on Evan Mobely and Jarrett Allen helped them win the rebounding battle, even if it meant living with a 40-piece from Donovan Mitchell. The Celtics didn’t want to get killed on second chances, so they went with more length. 

Of course, you’d think Grant Williams would be able to box out, right? 

Everyone has to make a sacrifice, and I wrote just the other day that when Mazzulla makes a decision like this, the affected player needs to be cool with it and move on. Of course, I was talking about Marcus Smart down the stretch, not an entire DNP … but the same notion applies. 

“This is a moment of adversity a little bit for Grant and I know he is going to be able to respond well from it,” Brown said. “He's a good kid who adds value and a good guy in the locker room. We all are figuring out the moving pieces as we getting ready for the playoffs and it's a part of it.”

Grant Williams is a critical piece of the puzzle for Boston. I’m not exaggerating when I say that. If they win a championship, he’ll have a noticeable impact on that run. If he has to endure a little questioning and public embarrassment right now to get there, so be it. 

He’s a good player. He’s an important player. He’s also going through a tough stretch. If he can respond well from this, then it can be part of a great story for him by the end of this season’s journey. 

“Obviously you just stay in his ear, tell him his time will come,” Robert Williams said. “Grant’s a good dude, he’s a hard worker, he’s mentally strong.”

Next up: The Celtics host the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night