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What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Nets: Boston Looks Sharp in First Game Back from All-Star Break
The Celtics improved to 35-26 with a 129-106 dismantling of a Nets team that was again playing short-handed on Thursday.
Even with Brooklyn adding Seth Curry and Andre Drummond since Boston beat the Nets by 35 points earlier this month, this game felt like deja vu. Credit the Celtics, though, for being ready to play from the opening tip and never taking their foot off the gas.
Boston is now 18-6 when all five of its starters play and 31-19 when distributing at least 20 assists. The Celtics dished out 28 on 46 made field goals (60.9 percent).
Now, for an examination of what stood out from Thursday's win, which is Boston's tenth victory in its last 11 games.
Celtics Look Sharp in First Half Back from the All-Star Break
The Celtics look increasingly comfortable in Ime Udoka's system, consistently playing uptempo, making quick decisions with the ball, and moving it effectively.
On Thursday night in Brooklyn, that led to Boston shooting 55 percent from the field, 10/19 (52.6 percent) from three, taking 16 free throws and converting 13 of them, dishing out 13 assists on 22 made field goals, and generating 24 points in the paint in the first half. All of the Celtics' 67 points came in the paint, beyond the arc, and at the free-throw line.
Jayson Tatum entered the break with 13 points on 4/9 (44.4 percent) shooting, and he earned himself five free throws, knocking down four of them. Jaylen Brown also produced 13 points, making four of his seven field-goal attempts (57.1 percent), and going 4/6 at the foul line.
Marcus Smart had 12 points, cashing in on four of his five shots from beyond the arc (80 percent), and following the first two quarters, he and Brooklyn's James Johnson had a game-high four assists. The shot-making is a welcome bonus, and Boston knows it can count on him to play stellar defense, but the job he's doing as the Celtics' floor general is what makes this the best season of his career.
Defensively, the Celtics did an excellent job executing their switch-heavy scheme and playing on a string. The result was Boston holding Brooklyn to 38-percent shooting from the field, 4/19 (21.1 percent from three), and Bruce Brown (12 points) being the only player on the Nets to score in double figures in the first half.
Boston Doesn't Take Its Foot Off the Gas in the Second Half
In the second quarter, there was a stretch where the Celtics fell in love with the three, resulting in less player and ball movement, and it helped Brooklyn cut into Boston's lead. However, in the third frame, there were no such instances.
The Celtics were excellent from the moment play resumed, and their suffocating defense fueled their uptempo offense, resulting in 14 points in the paint, eight on second-chance opportunities, and six on the fast break. Boston assisted on seven of its 12 made field goals in the third frame, consistently making the extra pass to go from creating good shots to great ones.
The Celtics entered the fourth quarter with a 98-74 advantage, and there still wasn't a dip in their quality of play, effectively executing their scheme until it was time for the players at the end of the rotation to close out the game.
Tatum finished with a game-high 30 points, and he also had seven rebounds and four assists. Brown had 18 points, and Smart registered 15. The two of them also had six assists, tying James Johnson for a game-high.
Boston's big men, Robert Williams and Al Horford, both had double-doubles. The former finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while the latter produced 11 points and grabbed 13 boards.
The only negative from Thursday's win was Jaylen Brown hurting his wrist when he fell after challenging a layup from David Duke. He shook out his hand a few times after that, but he appeared to be just fine.
Theis Not a Part of Boston's Rotation on Thursday
Daniel Theis didn't enter the game until there was 5:32 left to play, and the Celtics had a 115-88 lead. Not wanting to put him out there against the much larger Andre Drummond wasn't surprising. But it's noteworthy Udoka didn't bring in Theis to match up with LaMarcus Aldridge, who's also bigger than the former, but not built like beefier centers such as Drummond and Joel Embiid.
Udoka maintained an eight-player rotation by incorporating Payton Pritchard into the mix in the first half. Pritchard responded with six points on 2/4 shooting from beyond the arc. However, in 6:13 of floor time, he was pretty quiet, resulting in Pritchard not getting back in until Udoka emptied the bench in the fourth quarter.
Up Next
The Celtics play the Pistons in Detroit on Saturday. The game tips off at noon ET. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game coming out before, during, and after. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.
Further Reading
Isaiah Thomas Ties a Record in His Return to the G League
The Trials, Tribulations, and Growth of Ime Udoka in His First Year as Celtics' Head Coach
Celtics Ownership Will Reportedly 'Take Steps' to Bring NBA All-Star Game to Boston
Boston Celtics Co-Owner Stephen Pagliuca Leads Group Purchasing Majority Stake of Atalanta
