The turn of the C’s season is quite incredible. As if Brad Stevens and Ime Udoka had pulled out a magic wand to put everything back in order. Because it’s not just the “trade deadline”, with the arrival of Derrick White and the return of Daniel Theis, that changed everything.
Boston began its nine-game winning streak in late January, and the rookies have only reinforced a recent but already present momentum. All this therefore gave the incredible match of this night, a real masterclass during which Boston outclassed Philly on its floor by winning the four quarters to win by 48 points, 135 to 87! It’s the Celtics’ second-biggest win in franchise history.
Gradually erase the insulation
All without Robert Williams III and while Marcus Smart had to leave his team in the first half, hit in the right ankle…
“I can’t say when exactly it happened, but it’s different now”says Grant Williams, who took part in the festival 3-point from his team with his 4/5 behind the arc. “Everyone trusts each other. We project ourselves forward and circulate the ball.
“Move the ball around”this is what marked Doc Rivers, who knows the franchise well.
“When you watch Boston play, you immediately see the progress in the circulation of the ball” he confirms. “The old Celtics played with a lot of isolation. This Boston behaves and plays collectively. This is what makes them even harder to play. “
The Celtics seem to have found this balance after which they ran throughout the first part of the season. And Ime Udoka has obviously succeeded in gaining the respect of his dressing room and transmitting his philosophy: “ Play our way, whoever the opponent is “.
Spread the game and project quickly forward
“It takes time to break habits, and Jaylen and Jayson were receptive during the video sessions, and progressed by playing more off the ball and involving others more. They were great at it, and Marcus Smart too. In terms of regularity and also health, we have also been much better lately. “
What do you think Jaylen Brown precisely, he who was criticized for his tendency to put on blinkers in attack?
“I think the emphasis was on finding the right spacing in attack” responds one of the failed All-Star Game. “It’s easier to make systems. Before, we were on top of each other, and that’s why it was easier to lose the ball. I think the coach emphasizes the clearance of the game more than anything, and I think that’s really what I attribute to the improvement in the game of the whole team. “
Even if this balance remains fragile since a season is made up of ups and downs, the click happens at the best time when there is enough time to get the best possible spot and to gain momentum for the playoffs.
“When guys start playing like that, you see everyone running around”adds Grant Williams. “It’s one of those things where if there’s a clot in your bloodstream, everything stops. If everyone is going in the same direction and moving in the right way, your body works harmoniously. So it’s super exciting to see that we found that. From time to time, old habits can set in, but the fact that we have the mentality to commit to playing the right game, even if we don’t always get there, is huge for us.
The NBA’s second defense
In addition to the circulation of the ball in attack, the strong point of the team is its defense. The Celtics have the 2nd best defense in the entire NBA, and they are even first in 2022.
Last night, the anti-Embiid plan worked wonderfully since the Sixers pivot is limited to 3 out of 9 on shots! For the first time in two months, the Cameroonian scored less than 25 points. Defending well means giving yourself opportunities to project yourself forward. This is emphasized Jayson Tatum.
” It can be something very simple, like me or someone else picking up the rebound, and then pushing forward. I think we put a lot of emphasis on that. Even if it doesn’t always lead to a transition attack or a counter attack, it is enough to send the ball forward, put some pressure on the defense, and then be in position. It’s something minimal, but everyone has bought into it, and it allows us to play with more rhythm and everyone can be a little more involved.“
A question now torments all the competition from the Celtics in the East: how far can this team climb if it has found how to play together? Answer within two months.
| Shots | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | bp | Int | CT | party | Points |
| Jayson Tatum | 54 | 36.1 | 43.2 | 32.6 | 84.3 | 1.2 | 7.2 | 8.4 | 4.1 | 2.9 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 25.7 |
| Jaylen Brown | 44 | 34.4 | 45.5 | 34.2 | 77.6 | 0.8 | 5.8 | 6.6 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 2.5 | 23.5 |
| Derrick White | 2 | 28.7 | 38.5 | 29.4 | 80.0 | 1.5 | 3.5 | 5.0 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 3.0 | 14.5 |
| 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 |
| Marcus Smart | 49 | 33.1 | 40.9 | 30.9 | 79.1 | 0.7 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 5.4 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 2.4 | 11.8 |
| Al Horford | 49 | 28.3 | 43.8 | 29.9 | 84.4 | 1.6 | 5.9 | 7.5 | 3.3 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 10.0 |
| Robert Williams | 47 | 30.0 | 73.2 | 0.0 | 69.3 | 3.9 | 5.8 | 9.7 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 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 | 53 | 22.8 | 48.1 | 43.1 | 89.6 | 0.8 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 7.2 |
| 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 |
| Payton Pritchard | 47 | 12.1 | 37.4 | 36.4 | 100.0 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 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 |
| 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 | 39 | 10.2 | 35.4 | 20.7 | 81.2 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 3.1 |
| 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 | 10 | 4.1 | 28.6 | 28.6 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 1.2 |
| 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 |
| Brodric Thomas | 7 | 3.9 | 11.1 | 0.0 | 100.0 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.6 |
| 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 |
