So much for those road game concerns for the Celtics.
With their 118-110 win over the Brooklyn Nets, the C’s earned their sixth consecutive road win, advancing to 17-9 on the road this season. Their 17 road wins tie them for the second-most in the league.
Boston entered the game having won eight of its last nine games over the Nets, a dominant streak that continued Tuesday night as the Celtics advanced to 3-0 against Brooklyn on the season, clinching the season series for the third consecutive year.
Although the Celtics’ offense has struggled at times without Kristaps Porzingis, who was sidelined Tuesday night due to a low back contusion, that wasn’t necessarily the case this time around, thanks in large part to Jayson Tatum.
Behind 31 first-half points from Tatum, which tied his career-high for points in a first half, Boston built a 20-point first-half lead, which proved insurmountable for the hosts, despite cutting a 23-point C’s lead down to six points in the fourth quarter.
“I think that’s just our character,” Jrue Holiday said on the Celtics’ ability to right the ship when a lead dwindles. “We believe that we’re a good team and we can withstand anything.”
Led by Tatum, who finished the night with 41 points – his third 40-point game of the season – All five Celtics starters finished in double-figure scoring. Al Horford once again stepped up in the absence of Porzingis, finishing with 16 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting.
Boston racked up 31 assists, marking their fourth game with 30 or more assists this calendar month. Twelve of those 31 came from Holiday, who dished out a season-high 12 assists en route to his seventh double-double.
Mikal Bridges finished with 27 points for the Nets in the setback, while Cam Thomas contributed another 26.
Here are three takeaways as the Celtics earn their fifth consecutive victory, advancing to 30 games above .500.
Heating up into the All-Star break
Late in the first quarter, Tatum nailed a three-pointer on the wing right in front of the Celtics’ bench and was fouled by Dennis Schroder in the process. This marked his third consecutive successful three-pointer on as many possessions.
Following the basket, the five-time All-Star treated the crowd to his customary “kiss of death” gesture before heading to the free-throw line to punctuate his season-high 16-point first quarter. The Barclays Center responded with “MVP” chants.
It was one of those nights for Tatum, who has had quite a few of those recently.
In addition to his 41 points, the three-time All-NBA wing grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds, dished out five assists, recorded two steals, and had a crucial block on Thomas late in the game. Remarkably, it was Boston’s only block of the night, which is unusual for the Celtics.
The big night from Tatum marked his 20th double-double of the season and continued the stretch of phenomenal basketball he has been playing.
Over the past two weeks (spanning seven games), Tatum has averaged 29.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 6.6 assists, leading the team in all three categories over that stretch. Additionally, the 25-year-old has been making significant contributions on the defensive end, averaging a steal and 1.1 blocks.
The Duke product extended his streak of games with at least 20 points and seven rebounds to 11 in Tuesday night’s win, ranking as the fourth longest in Celtics’ franchise history, behind only Larry Bird (15), Kevin McHale (14), and John Havlicek (12).
While Tatum may still be pursuing Bird in that category, he surpassed the Hall of Famer and Celtic legend in another aspect with his 41-point performance, claiming the record for the most 30-point games in franchise history (128) through seven seasons.
“It’s always an honor to be mentioned with some of the greatest players of all time,” Tatum said postgame. “When I hear it, obviously, it gives me chills. It makes me feel good. I’m doing something right, I guess.”
This is one of the more dominant stretches we have seen from Tatum, especially in terms of his playmaking. While the coveted MVP award may not be at the forefront of Tatum’s mind, the soon-to-be three-time first-team All-NBA selection deserves greater recognition in the discussion for the award.
First half dominance
The Celtics have been the best first half team in the NBA this season. They are outscoring opponents by a league-best +6.8 points per game and have posted a point-differential of +369.
They are the only team in the league with a first half point differential north of +300. To put this into perspective, only one other team surpasses +200 (the Pelicans with +286). The margin between the Celtics and the next closest Eastern Conference team is a staggering 193 points.
It’s been pure dominance, and Tuesday night was no different.
Boston outscored Brooklyn 72-57 in the first half, marking their 13th 70-point first half this season, tying a franchise record that has stood since the 1959-60 season.
The coach of that team was Red Auerbach. The leading scorers were Tommy Heinsohn, Bill Russell, and Bob Cousy. When you are in the presence of those legends, something has to be going right, especially considering that the 1959-60 team won the championship.
Mazzulla Ball
At the 4:21 mark of the second quarter, Mazzulla elected to foul Ben Simmons, intentionally going with the Hack-a-Simmons strategy.
Sam Hauser committed the foul in the backcourt, sending the 37.5% free-throw shooter to the line in the bonus. Simmons split the free throws, and three possessions later, Hauser fouled him again.
Simmons split the free throws again.
After committing his third foul of the half when defending Tatum on the next possession, Simmons was subbed out.
But that didn’t mean Mazzulla was done hacking. In fact, he doubled down.
Tatum sunk both free throws awarded from the Simmonons foul, and as Lonnie Walker IV dribbled the ball up the court, Luke Kornet grabbed Nic Claxton by the shoulders and shook him until the whistle was blown.
Claxton, a career 54.7% free throw shooter, hit them both, ending the fun of the Hack-a-Clax.
This isn’t something you typically see in the second quarter, especially in a February game when your team is leading by double-digits – but that’s Mazzulla ball, do whatever it takes to win.
Mazzulla deserves credit for his willingness to make opposing teams uncomfortable to put his team in the best position to succeed. The coach has repeatedly demonstrated that he prioritizes the success and lessons of his squad over concerns about how the opponent feels, showing a relentless commitment to coaching his team -- even if that means late challenges and unique fouling tactics.
Honorable mention: Derrick White comes up big again
Although this won’t be deemed “clutch” by the NBA’s definition, Derrick White once again delivered pivotal shots in the fourth quarter.
After the Boston lead had dwindled to just six at the 7:55 mark of the fourth quarter, Jaylen Brown found Horford on a cross-court pass open in the right wing. Horford made a quick pump fake and skipped a pass to an even more open White at the top of the arc.
White uncorked the 24-footer, which found nothing but the bottom of the net.
His three-pointer ignited a 10-2 Boston run over the next 2:17, providing the Celtics with a slight cushion until the lead was cut to six once more. Once again, White rose to the occasion, sinking another crucial three, this time from the wing right in front of the Brooklyn bench, delivering the knockout blow.
“Mr.Reliable. Always makes the play,” Holiday said on White’s clutch play. “If it’s offensively, making the three or a nice pass. Defensively, always getting a block or a steal. Just somebody that you can always count on to be in the right place and not be afraid to take on that challenge of making the big shot.”
White has been outstanding for the Celtics in critical moments this year. The 29-year-old has totaled 203 points in the fourth quarter this season, trailing just Tatum (286) for the most on the team. Additionally, White is shooting 51.2% in the fourth quarter this season, the best mark by any of Boston’s top-six.
Related
