Believe it or not, the Celtics won a road game out West for the first time in nearly two years. It was against an undermanned Portland team, but for a rebuilding team it was a quality win. Here are some things we liked and didn’t like.
UP
1. Evan Turner’s stellar play
I’m usually very vocal about Turner being on the court because I feel he takes away from Smart’s time at the 1, but you can’t complain much when he has games like this. Turner finished with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, and the go-ahead 3 that sealed the victory for Boston. He did have his usual moments of horrific defense, allowing Wesley Matthews to get hot in the 3rd quarter, but he made winning plays down the stretch, and was a big reason for the Celtics victory.
2. Jared Sullinger makes his presence felt
With Portland’s frontcourt decimated, one of the keys for the Celtics game was to get Sullinger the ball early and often to go at the Blazers’ inexperienced reserves. Sullinger responded with a big game – 17 points, 9 rebounds, and one assist. That assist (nearly a turnover) was the pass he threw to Evan Turner on his game winning 3. Sullinger did an excellent job of sealing off defenders and creating lanes for his teammates, controlling the glass, and staying active on the offensive end. Overall, he played a great game.
3. Avery Bradley finding his rhythm
Bradley had one of his hot games last night (18 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists). He did have one turnover that could have been very costly at the end of the game, but otherwise a solid performance by Bradley.
4. Tayshaun Prince earning the trust of his coach
Most didn’t expect Prince to ever wear a Celtics uniform, let alone be on the court playing big minutes. However, that’s exactly what he was doing Thursday night on his way to 9 points, 3 rebounds on 4/5 shooting. As a veteran, Prince just seemed to always be in the right position, and knew what plays to make most of the times. That decision-making is why Stevens elected to go with Prince in-bounding the ball during the final possession. If Prince can show this type of value, Celtics may be able to deal him instead of just buying him out.
DOWN
1. Jae Crowder’s disappearing act
After his career night against the Pelicans, Crowder has been almost nonexistent the past few weeks. Tonight was no different – 2 points, 4 rebounds, and 1/5 shooting. If he doesn’t start to produce a little bit more, his starting job could be in jeopardy.
2. Kelly Olynyk injured
During the 4th quarter Olynyk rolled his ankle attempting to grab a rebound after a free throw. It looked gruesome. He won’t be back for at least the weekend, but we can probably speculate that he probably won’t be playing for the next few weeks.
3. Marcus Smart’s tough shooting night
Though Marcus Smart looked poised and patient while running the point guard position, he still lacked aggression when looking for his shot. There were multiple times Smart was coming off pick-and-rolls looking to pass before checking for his own lane. I think this overall lack of aggression is why Turner continues to take his minutes at the 1. Smart shot 0/5 though only one of those shots was a 3 point attempt. Tonight against the Nuggets I’ll be expecting a more aggressive player.
4. Turner’s turnovers
When you win the game you don’t really look at these stats much, but as the starting PG Turner can’t be one of the leaders in turnovers. In a one possession game like this, any of those 4 turnovers could have been the difference between a win or a loss. However, at this point we’re just nitpicking, because Boston played a quality game based on the talent we have on the team.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
