Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Pelicans: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown Generate 68 Points, Robert Williams Shines in Homecoming, Boston Has Its Floor General
The Celtics washed out the sour taste from Friday's 108-92 loss to the Hawks by capitalizing on playing against an inferior opponent on Saturday.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown led the way, producing 68 points. With the added motivation from playing in his home state of Louisiana, Shreveport native, Robert Williams, shined in the victory, and his teammates fed off his energy; though, that's far from a unique development. And, Marcus Smart reinforced that the Celtics don't need to search for another point guard.
Here's a deep dive into what stood out from Boston's 107-97 win over the Pelicans, which improves its record to 26-25. The Celtics remain in eighth place in the East.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown Combine for 68 Points
The Pelicans couldn't contain the Celtics' potent wing duo at any juncture in the game. At halftime, Jayson Tatum had 21 points, six assists, and three rebounds, while Jaylen Brown scored 17 on 6/12 shooting, and he earned a plus-minus rating of +19.
When the final buzzer blew, the tandem had combined for 68 points, with Tatum producing 38 on 17/26 (65.4 percent) shooting, and Brown racked up 31 on 11/20 shooting (55 percent), including 4/9 (44.4 percent) from beyond the arc. The latter also took a game-high seven free throws, converting on five of those attempts.
Tatum also had eight rebounds, seven assists, and three steals.
Celtics Feed Off Robert Williams' Energy
Playing in his home state seemed to give Robert Williams some extra juice. Granted, Boston's big man makes plays that raise the Celtics' energy level in every game he plays in.
Williams finished with eight points, led both teams with 18 rebounds, had four blocks and four assists, and tied Marcus Smart with a game-high plus-minus rating of +28. Beyond the numbers, his defense on the interior and when coming out to the perimeter were excellent.
Throughout the game, the Celtics fed off Williams' ability to control the paint, his rim-rattling jams, his abilities as a passer, and how effectively he screens for the likes of Tatum and Brown.
The Celtics Have Their Point Guard
Marcus Smart consistently gets Boston's offense organized. He gets his teammates the ball in advantageous positions, pushes the ball up the floor off misses and makes, and he knows who needs a touch.
Smart's also excellent at operating as the pick-and-roll ballhandler, keeping his defender on his back hip and either throwing the lob to a big or cashing in on a floater. In other words, the Celtics don't need to search for another solution at point guard. The problems typically come when someone else is orchestrating the offense. That's especially true if the individual slows the pace down.
On Saturday, Smart only had five points on six shots, but as Inside The Celtics has consistently pointed out and should be well-understood at this point, his number of field goal attempts matters, but his scoring is a bonus. More importantly, Smart led everyone with a game-high 12 assists, matching his career-best, and he played outstanding defense, helping hold the Pelicans to 43.4 percent shooting from the field and 8/33 (24.2 percent) from three.
Pelicans' Second-Unit Makes the Game Interesting
A strong performance in the third frame could have resulted in the Celtics' starters getting most of the fourth quarter off. Instead, the Pelicans, led by their second unit, who played with tremendous energy and was unquestionably better than those coming off the bench for Boston, outscored the visitors 36-26 in the third period.
The Celtics, perhaps influenced by their competition missing arguably its three best players in Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and Jonas Valanciunas, made careless mistakes and committed seven of their 15 turnovers in the third quarter.
New Orleans consistently capitalized, scoring 11 points off those turnovers and generating 20 from the paint. That cut a 20-point deficit to eight entering the fourth quarter.
Led by Jose Alvarado's 19 points, the Pelicans' second-unit outscored the Celtics' 38-17. That comes a night after the Hawks' second unit produced nearly three times as many points as Boston's.
Celtics Pull Away in the Final Frame
Despite New Orleans making the game somewhat competitive entering the fourth quarter, the outcome never felt in doubt, as crazy as that might be to say about this Celtics team.
Tatum and Brown generated 17 points in the fourth quarter, Boston scored 20 in the paint, and the difference in talent was too much for the Pelicans to complete their comeback attempt.
It's worth noting New Orleans shot 9/18 from the field in the final frame and took nine free throws, making seven of them, but five turnovers compared to two by Boston made an upset that much more unlikely.
After a great play by Smart, deflecting an outlet pass by Garrett Temple, then batting the ball ahead to Robert Williams, who quickly got it to Tatum for a dunk, the Celtics had a 17-point lead with 2:07 left, and both sides emptied their benches.
Up Next
The Celtics host the Miami Heat on Monday night. The game tips off at 7:30 EST. 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
The Latest Intel on Marcus Smart and Al Horford as Trade Deadline Approaches
Celtics Musings: Al Horford's Shot Selection, Rotation Tweaks, Talent vs. Record
Report Links Celtics to Jerami Grant
Should Jaylen Brown be the Celtics' Closer?
