If defense wins titles, offense always wins games in the regular season. Thanks to their brilliant performance last night against the Pacers, the Celtics remain undefeated (4 victories) and now dominate the ranking of the best attacks in the league. In front of the Mavs, the other undefeated team with the same number of victories.
The offensive performance against Indiana was enough to make you dizzy: 57% overall and 3-point success (20/35), 96% on shots (27/28) and 155 points on the clock. According to ESPNsuch a quota of points had never been reached for a Celtics team since… 1959. That evening, Bob Cousy (31 points and 28 assists!) and his team had passed 173 points to the Lakers still based in Minneapolis.
The Pacers in embarrassment
“ An awful, awful match. They played well, but we allowed them to play as well as they did. I take responsibility for it, it’s my fault. This is an embarrassing result, obviously, and unacceptable in relation to what we are trying to do “, can be sorry Rick Carlislewhose team, beaten by 51 points (3rd largest victory in Celtics history), was without Tyrese Haliburton.
The Pacers coach sees in this meeting the mark of a team “ unique, very talented » and which will be “ in the conversation for the title “, in front : ” They shoot a lot of 3-pointers and a lot of those guys attack you. They were comfortable from the start and we didn’t do enough. »
“Helped” or not by the Pacers’ defense, the C’s in any case confirm their offensive potential, first boosted by the summer movements. Because Robert Williams and Marcus Smart were simply replaced in the five by better attackers, Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday.
“ It’s mostly about not getting bored. And not to rest on your laurels and to respond to each match against each opponent », recalls the last mentioned (15 points), one of the eight Celtics to have scored 11 points or more.
More options on offense for the Celtics
Aware of the existing range of offensive options, the former Bucks leader adds: “ At any time, if my 3-point shot doesn’t fall, I can also go into the paint and do a ‘post-up’. We have JB (Jaylen Brown) and J.T. (Jayson Tatum) who can play one-on-one on half court. With KP down, I feel like we have a lot of possibilities. » « We have so many weapons, we have so much talent around us that the game becomes easy », Rubs his hands Derrick White (18 points).
If the Celtics are still one of the most efficient and greedy teams when it comes to 3-point shots, they are also the most productive when it comes to low post points. Joe Mazzulla believes that the increased use of this post game is linked to the composition of the team.
And allows his group to benefit “ other ways to win. When you’re able to get those easy baskets, number one, it allows our players to get easier shots near the rim. This is another way to stop an opponent’s run. But we really fight to keep good spacing. »
A balance found for the moment for his team, the most offensively efficient in the league (nearly 125 points on average per 100 possessions), the second since 1990 to start a 4-0 season by scoring more than 500 points.
| Shots | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Bp | Int | Ct | Party | Pts |
| Jayson Tatum | 3 | 35.9 | 55.4 | 37.0 | 70.0 | 0.0 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 4.0 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 3.0 | 29.7 |
| Jaylen Brown | 3 | 34.4 | 49.1 | 45.8 | 58.3 | 0.7 | 5.3 | 6.0 | 2.7 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 3.0 | 24.7 |
| Kristaps Porzingis | 3 | 30.7 | 58.3 | 47.1 | 85.7 | 1.3 | 6.3 | 7.7 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 20.7 |
| Derrick White | 3 | 30.7 | 62.5 | 58.3 | 80.0 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 15.0 |
| Jrue Holiday | 3 | 32.6 | 50.0 | 25.0 | 100.0 | 1.7 | 4.7 | 6.3 | 4.0 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 12.3 |
| Al Horford | 3 | 22.0 | 36.8 | 25.0 | 0.0 | 3.3 | 4.0 | 7.3 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 5.3 |
| Lamar Stevens | 1 | 5.5 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 5.0 |
| Sam Hauser | 3 | 16.4 | 25.0 | 20.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 3.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 3.7 |
| Svi Mykhailiuk | 1 | 4.8 | 50.0 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 |
| Payton Pritchard | 3 | 16.4 | 15.4 | 10.0 | 100.0 | 0.3 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 2.3 |
| Dalano Banton | 1 | 9.7 | 33.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 |
| Oshae Brissett | 2 | 12.2 | 16.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 3.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 1.0 |
| Luke Kornett | 2 | 9.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
