Entering the fourth quarter of Thursday night’s 127-112 win over the Phoenix Suns, the TD Garden jumbotron panned to Paul Pierce, who was sitting courtside next to Wyc Grousbeck, dancing to 50 Cent’s “In da Club.”
The vibes were high, and they should be.
Once again, Boston had potential excuses ready. It was their first game back from a long west-coast road trip, and typically, teams struggle with execution and energy in that scenario. But again, the Celtics didn’t let that phase them.
Early in the first quarter, Al Horford intercepted an attempted pass from Kevin Durant and took it coast-to-coast, setting the tone for the energy and the pace.
Horford’s steal was one of the 12 on the night from Boston, contributing to their fast-paced game, which resulted in 24 points on fast breaks. Throughout the entirety of Thursday night’s game, Boston played with speed, a critical factor in their offensive dominance.
The Celtics shot 47-of-89 (52.8%) from the field and 25-of-50 (50%) from deep. Their 25 triples tied a season-high, making them the only team in the NBA this season to hit at least 25 threes while shooting 50.0% or better from beyond the arc in multiple games.
Maintaining this high tempo allowed Boston to minimize turnovers, finishing the game with just eight.
In the third quarter, Boston’s offense ignited with eight three-pointers while their defense tightened, allowing them to extend their lead to 20 points. This marked their 11th 20-point lead in the last 13 games, setting them up to cruise to victory in the fourth quarter.
For the second time this season, all five of Boston’s starters knocked down at least three triples, a feat that has only been accomplished six times in the history of the NBA.
Jaylen Brown led the way with 37 points for the Celtics, while Jayson Tatum contributed another 26, and Al Horford poured in a season-high 24 points.
After a hot start, scoring 15 points in the opening frame, Kevin Durant cooled off mightly, finishing with 20 on the night. Devin Booker finished with 23, and Bradley Beal with 22.
Here are four takeaways as the Celtics earn their fourth consecutive victory and advance to 30-3 at TD Garden this season.
Ball movement continues to standout
The Celtics finished with 31 assists on Thursday night as the ball flew around.
Since the All-Star break, the Celtics have recorded at least 25 assists in eight of their 12 games.
“No. I mean, I think it’s just us confining layers of the offense and the defense,” Joe Mazzulla said postgame when asked if sharing the ball has been a point of emphasis since the All-Star break. “Get out in early transition, being able to get to different layers. You, obviously, got to make the shot in order to get the assist. So we’ll see what our potential assistant average was since that time, but I think it’s just more about getting to the second and third layer of the defense, having the game slow down, manipulating the matchup, and taking the best shot possible.”
Ten of those 31 assists were dished out by Jrue Holiday, who had an outstanding game with zero turnovers. It marked his first game with 10 assists and zero turnovers since he was with the Pelicans.
“I think it’s just him continuing to grow as a player and finding just ways to affect the game. He’s much more decisive in early transition,” Mazzulla said on Holiday’s ball handling. “He has his reads. He knows what he’s looking for.”
Holiday finished the night with nine points, two steals, and two blocks, in addition to his 10 assists. He became just the sixth Celtic in the last 40 years to have at least 10 assists and four stocks (steals and blocks) without committing a turnover.
Good things happen when Holiday touches the ball. We were reminded of that Thursday night.
“They changed matchups a little bit, and he handled that with great grace, something that he had to get used to,” Mazzulla said. “It’s just him understanding what his reads are and where he can be super aggressive, and he’s getting better and better at that. So when he’s a playmaker for us, we’re a good team.”
Steady Al
With Kristaps Porzingis sidelined for the fourth consecutive game due to right hamstring tightness, Horford seamlessly moved into the starting lineup and once again demonstrated his reliability and impact on the court.
It’s been a talking point all season. However, it can’t be overstated.
What Horford is doing is extraordinary. Adjusting to splitting time between coming off the bench and starting is no easy feat, especially for a 37-year-old who has spent his entire 16-year career as a starter. Yet, despite his role, Horford has consistently delivered, night in and night out.
“It means everything,” Tatum said on Horford’s steadiness postgame. “We have so much love and respect for Al and the things that he’s accomplished in this league, and we understand how valuable he is to our team. His presence on and off the court. His voice, the way that he goes about his job every single day, you know, showing up in there for us. The ultimate teammate and somebody we’re really lucky to have.”
With his 24-point performance Thursday night, the 37-year-old became the oldest Celtic to score at least 24 points since Shaquille O’Neal poured in 25 against the Nets in November of 2010 at the age of 38.
“Al’s the OG. He’s the most reliable player I’ve ever played with,” Holiday said postgame. “Being able to be on the court with him is an honor. Being out there with him, I just know everything’s going to go well. Every time he gets on the court, you just know he’s just going to do something great.”
Horford has had a Hall of Fame career. The one glaring omission is a championship. While the Celtics don’t need any more motivation in their pursuit of Banner 18, the thought of getting Al his first ring has to be pretty sweet.”
Dominance from the Jays
As the game clock approached three minutes remaining, Jaylen Brown picked off a Grayson Allen outlet pass intended for Devin Booker.
With a full head of steam, Brown accelerated towards the basket and threw down a thunderous dunk over the helpless Allen.
The deafening roar of the crowd reached a crescendo as Brown’s dunk shook the arena, prompting Suns’ head coach Frank Vogel to call a timeout. He had seen enough and pulled his starters, effectively waving the white flag.
The dunk served as the dagger in the Suns and punctuated a dominant night from Boston’s two superstars, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Tatum and Brown combined for 63 points on 24-of-41 (58.5%) shooting. Together, they scored or assisted on 32 of Boston’s 47 field goals, a significant 68.0% of the team’s scoring. Their performance almost equaled the scoring output of Phoenix’s trio of Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker, who managed a total of 65 points.
Brown and Tatum are both playing some of the best basketball we have seen in their careers and after the game, Brown detailed that past failures have led to these results.
“What I would credit the level of growth from this season is just, like, loss,” Brown said postgame. “Coming up short. You know, really attacking your weaknesses. Losing on your home floor, one game from the finals, you know, that can bring out the worst or the best in people. So I think that’s what I would accredit anything to if there’s any been any change like that, for sure.”
On the cusp of their primes, this dynamic duo is showcasing their immense potential. Their ongoing improvement is a daunting prospect for the rest of the league, especially considering their consistent presence at the pinnacle of the Eastern Conference. In six years together, they’ve already made their mark, reaching the Conference Finals four times.
“It’s a quote that I like, ‘When things don’t go your way, when you don’t get what you want, what you got was experience,’ and I love that quote,” Brown said postgame. “I think that you know, we’ve had losses, we’ve had embarrassment, we’ve had mistakes. And you know, I’ve used it all to just improve.”
This star duo is over the learning process of their development, and it seems they are deeply motivated by their past failures, aiming to clinch the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June.
Back to the playoffs
With the Celtics’ win on Thursday night and the 76ers’ loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston is officially heading back to the postseason for the 10th consecutive season.
The Celtics currently hold a 9.5-game lead on the Eastern Conference with 16 games remaining in the season. Boston is well on their way to clinching one seed, needing to win just 14 of their next 16 to secure the top spot.
It’s worth noting that only six of their remaining 16 opponents have a winning record.
Everybody knows it comes down to what happens in June. However, it’s appropriate to stop and appreciate the success this team and the Celtics franchise, as a whole, have enjoyed.
Tatum put it perfectly after hitting the 50-win mark in Portland on Monday:
“It’s important for us to not take these moments for granted,” Tatum said. “We want to win a championship. That’s the ultimate goal. But it’s important to acknowledge the small wins essentially through the process. Winning 50 games, making the playoffs, getting a top seed, it’s not to take those things for granted because we work extremely hard as a group to achieve that.”
What the Celtics are doing this season is special. After all, they’ve led by double-digits more often than they have trailed. It’s okay to appreciate the moment. It’s impossible to win a championship in March.
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