29, 53, 10, 30, 6, 9, 33, 35, 6, 10, 48 and 23.
These are not the lotto numbers, but the Celtics’ point differentials in their last 12 wins. In the meantime, they only had two small defeats, at the end of January in Atlanta and then in mid-February against Detroit. And the excellent results of the men of Ime Udoka have also allowed them to go back to 6th place in the Eastern Conference (35 wins – 26 losses).
Suffice to say that the lights are green in Boston, and their success won this Thursday evening, on the floor of the Nets, which confirmed the dynamic. Indeed, for the fifth time in a row outside, the C’s led from start to finish, without ever weakening collectively.
Even the All-Star Weekend hiatus hasn’t affected the Massachusetts franchise’s current state of form. To the delight of Al Horford, one of the leaders of the locker room.
” I’m really impressed with our group and our focus“, confided the Dominican, natural captain of the Celtic defense, with Marcus Smart and Robert Williams. ” That’s what the coach talked about [à l’entraînement], he emphasized that. I thought we trained really well [mercredi]we were all involved and serious. […] Something has been created for us in recent weeks and I am happy to see that, even after [le All-Star Weekend]we have not seen any backtracking.“
And Al Horford to add, about the Celtics’ goal for this resumption match against the Nets, quickly controlled on each side of the field.
” We wanted to play fast, pick up the pace and put pressure on the opposing defense “, he explained, before evoking one of the X factors of his team. ” It all started with [Marcus] Smart. He’s doing a really good job at the moment and I think that’s the big difference compared to the last few weeks.“
✈️ #NBA75 | The Celtics’ last 𝟓 away games…
▪ +𝟗@DET.
▪ +𝟑𝟑 @ ENT.
▪ +𝟑𝟓@BKN.
▪ +𝟒𝟖 @ PHI.
▪ +𝟐𝟑@BKN.► +𝟏𝟒𝟖, the biggest point differential in NBA history, over 𝟓 games, away.#BleedGreen pic.twitter.com/YnjFNGq4jI
— NBA Stats France 🇫🇷 (@nbastatsfrance) February 25, 2022
The best team of the moment in the East
Since the start of 2022, which coincides with the Celtics’ return to the fore, Marcus Smart has indeed been on a superb dynamic. Averaging 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.4 steals (46% on shots and 39% 3-pointers) since New Years, after averaging 10.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game (39% on shots and 29% at 3-pts), between mid-October and Christmas.
Like Boston’s incumbent point guard, whose offensive improvement boosts the whole team, it is generally all the C’s players who are moving in the same direction. And who, therefore, accumulate victories (8-1 record in February, the best in the East).
” We turn down good shots to get great ones, which we haven’t always succeeded by the way “, noted Ime Udoka. ” But what I see above all are the intentions [des joueurs] and I see that we play altruistically in attack, also being connected in defense. And that makes me happy.“
Same story with Jayson Tatum, author of 30 points against Brooklyn, which seems above all much more liberated on the floor, for five games: 28.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists on average. In addition to forcing almost nothing to shoot: 48% on shots, 37% at 3-pts and 92% on throws.
” It makes our job a little easier “, noted the All-Star winger, concerning the collective state of form of his team. ” We’re having a lot more fun and we know how to play every night. As for me, I make sure to build my game from that, from game to game, while having fun at the same time.“
| Shots | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | bp | Int | CT | party | Points |
| Jayson Tatum | 57 | 36.1 | 43.5 | 33.1 | 84.8 | 1.2 | 7.2 | 8.4 | 4.2 | 2.9 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 25.8 |
| Jaylen Brown | 47 | 34.2 | 46.1 | 35.0 | 76.8 | 0.8 | 5.6 | 6.4 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 2.5 | 23.6 |
| Dennis Schroder | 49 | 29.2 | 44.0 | 34.9 | 84.8 | 0.6 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 2.4 | 14.4 |
| Derrick White | 5 | 28.3 | 38.9 | 24.1 | 76.5 | 1.0 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 3.0 | 12.4 |
| Marcus Smart | 51 | 32.7 | 41.6 | 32.4 | 78.3 | 0.6 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 5.4 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 2.4 | 11.7 |
| Al Horford | 52 | 28.3 | 44.6 | 30.3 | 83.5 | 1.6 | 6.1 | 7.6 | 3.4 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 10.1 |
| Robert Williams | 48 | 29.8 | 73.4 | 0.0 | 70.9 | 3.9 | 5.8 | 9.8 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 10.0 |
| Josh Richardson | 44 | 24.7 | 44.3 | 39.7 | 85.9 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 9.7 |
| Grant Williams | 56 | 23.3 | 49.0 | 44.4 | 90.0 | 0.8 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 7.5 |
| Payton Pritchard | 50 | 12.3 | 37.7 | 36.0 | 100.0 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 4.7 |
| Romeo Langford | 44 | 16.6 | 42.9 | 34.9 | 58.8 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 4.7 |
| Jabari Parker | 12 | 9.4 | 47.4 | 50.0 | 100.0 | 0.4 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 4.4 |
| Daniel Theis | 3 | 13.7 | 85.7 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 4.3 |
| Enes Freedom | 35 | 11.8 | 52.6 | 40.0 | 85.7 | 1.7 | 2.8 | 4.6 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 3.7 |
| Aaron Nesmith | 42 | 10.7 | 38.4 | 25.3 | 84.2 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 1.3 | 3.6 |
| Joe Johnson | 1 | 1.9 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
| justin jackson | 1 | 1.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
| Sam Hauser | 12 | 5.0 | 35.0 | 35.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 1.8 |
| Brodric Thomas | 9 | 4.9 | 38.5 | 14.3 | 50.0 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.4 |
| Juancho Hernangomez | 18 | 5.3 | 18.5 | 16.7 | 66.7 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 1.1 |
| Bruno Fernando | 20 | 2.9 | 50.0 | 100.0 | 80.0 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.9 |
| Luke Kornet | 2 | 6.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| cj miles | 1 | 1.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
