Rapid Recap is designed for the busiest of Celtics fans. Whether you can’t stay awake to read 10 paragraphs or your hangover is just too much, Rapid Recap tells the timeline of the game in only a minute or two.
Could the Boston Celtics have a little win, like as a treat? Against a New Orleans Pelicans team down three of its key players (Jrue Holiday, Derrick Favors and J.J. Redick) and still waiting on the imminent return of Zion Williamson, the Prince Who Was Promised?
As it happened, they could, as Jayson Tatum reached a new career high: 41 points on 73% shooting (plus 6 boards, 4 dimes and 3 steals); offensively speaking this was certainly his show.
But the win itself—a 140-105 bird bloodbath—had as much to do with the whole squad taking the lessons of their last three defeats to heart, drastically improving their ball movement, defense and overall engagement. The victory was sealed well before Tatum decided to go for 40.
The first quarter started very much all-Tatum-all-the-time from a scoring perspective (he had but the box was a little misleading, as the team was definitely clicking in a way they hadn’t been during this recent losing streak. Good passing, clear communication and closely synchronized defensive possessions were the orders of the day.
Not a bad way to start a ballgame pic.twitter.com/gxqpgi3ive
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 12, 2020
It certainly wasn’t bad at all.
Gordon → Jaylen 🎯 pic.twitter.com/pVm1f27w9A
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 12, 2020
https://twitter.com/Riffs_Man/status/1216153118762774528?s=20
https://twitter.com/softcoredancing/status/1216155192439332869?s=20
Marcus Smart, after two uneven games (and one stellar performance in an unfortunate loss), was eager to get in on the fun:
https://twitter.com/efraincarmelo/status/1216155643893161985?s=20
But as implied earlier, the immense success of the quarter belonged to the wing unit of Tatum/Brown/Hayward, who shined as scorers and ball movers:
This was just too pretty. That's the ball movement that's been missing these last few games pic.twitter.com/z8qiRols61
— Adam Taylor (@AdamTaylorNBA) January 12, 2020
With NOLA relying entirely on Brandon Ingram for reliable offense and not enough defensive support from Lonzo Ball (and a shallow frontcourt of only Jaxson Hayes and Jahlil Okafor; both eminently exploitable by Enes Kanter and Daniel Theis), no wonder Boston closed the frame with a 41-24 lead.
Boston's 41 points in the 1st quarter tonight represent its highest-scoring opening period in any game this season (39, Nov. 9 at SAS)
— Celtics Stats (@celtics_stats) January 12, 2020
After that things escalated quickly—in a good way for the Celtics:
https://twitter.com/Riffs_Man/status/1216160177063452672?s=20
Kanter being ultra aggressive. In fact, everyone is.
— Mike Dynon ☘️🏀 (@MikeDynon) January 12, 2020
TATUM DEFENSE
— Jayson al Gaib (@Handsome_Jake_) January 12, 2020
😤 @EnesKanter 😤 pic.twitter.com/m6ar0Ioiia
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 12, 2020
57-37, Boston, mid-2nd.
2019-20 BOSTON CELTICS
20-point leads: 13
20-point deficits: 12018-19 BOSTON CELTICS
20-point leads: 24
20-point deficits: 14— Sean Grande (@SeanGrandePBP) January 12, 2020
Kanter vs Okafor post-up battle. Just like everyone expected.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) January 12, 2020
But the real story of the first half was Tatum, playing outstandingly on offense and doing fairly well to limit Ingram and Josh Hart on the other end:
https://twitter.com/Riffs_Man/status/1216163349127364608?s=20
OUTTA MY WAY pic.twitter.com/LlxH400AqN
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 12, 2020
72-57 at the halftime buzzer.
The Celtics … didn’t waste much time.
— Tom Westerholm (@Tom_NBA) January 12, 2020
Within the first few two and a half minutes of Q3, Boston immediately added 11 points via intense fast-break plays, in what would ultimately be a 14-2 run by the 9:00 mark. This was a team well aware of its recent lapses and not looking to give NOLA any breathing room to come back.
https://twitter.com/maxacarlin/status/1216170961361342464?s=20
34 points for Tatum in 26 minutes.
13 for 17, 5 for 6 on threes, 3 for 3 at the line.
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) January 12, 2020
Tatum probably doesn’t play in the fourth with this lead so get him to 40 in the next few minutes
— Ryan Bernardoni (@dangercart) January 12, 2020
Kemba with the JOKES:
That was hilarious.
Kemba pretended he was coming in for Tatum (as he sits on 39) just to get a reaction out of him before telling him he was just kidding and telling Hayward he was actually out of the game.
— Jon Duke (@csl_duke) January 12, 2020
AND THEN:
Career high 41 for Jayson Tatum pic.twitter.com/YR77lhH62l
— Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) January 12, 2020
After that, it was a matter of playing out the string and emptying the bench. Here’s something pretty cool from that garbage stretch:
.@2Xtremebounce out of nowhere! pic.twitter.com/gkclCTeY5y
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 12, 2020
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