Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
“I tell you guys all the time, I try to give the game what I feel it needs,” Pierce said.
[…]
“The last couple games, I’ve been able to put up some pretty big numbers scoring, but that’s not what we needed (against Brooklyn),” Pierce said. “I was able to really focus in on making that extra pass. They were zoning in on me, I felt, on defense.”
And rather than force the action, Pierce simply re-directed his focus to being more of a playmaker.
“That’s the way I like to play,” said Pierce who is averaging a team-best 20.5 points per game this season. “I don’t have to go in every game thinking I have to score 25 or 30 points.”
CSNNE: Pierce turns playmaker to help C’s beat Brooklyn
I feel like Pierce and Rondo switched roles in yesterday’s game with Pierce getting the single digit scoring and double digit assists while Rondo was burying a clutch jumpers in the 4th quarter.
This might be the first time the Celtics showed what kind of team they can truly be. There were certainly better wins on the season (like beating Oklahoma City)… but this is the first time the C’s bench and role players stepped up in ways to supplement what the starters did and didn’t do…. while the starters varied their roles in a way to get the job done.
Think about it… Pierce became a distributor, Rondo became a scorer, Sullinger rebounded off the bench while he and Jeff Green provided the scoring from the 3 and 4 spots that Pierce and KG didn’t, and Jason Terry pitched in with some clutch shooting when he got the opportunity. It was the first time I saw everyone pitch in like we expected.
Will it continue out West, where the Clippers have won a ridiculous 14-straight games? That’ll be tough to do. But if the C’s can continue to pick each other up like this, then guys like Pierce can focus on doing other things to help the team, rather than keep jacking up shots in an effort to do everything on the floor.
The rest of the links:
CSNNE: A long-awaited big win for Boston | Sullinger makes most of Christmas Day game | Bradley won’t join team on trip | Varnado happy to be in Brooklyn with Celtics for Holidays | ESPN Boston: Celtics finally show their stuff | KG: “We went back to traditional basketball” | Globe: Jared Sullinger comes up big | Celtics and Nets can’t get through a game without a skirmish | Herald: Varnado aims to be more than a rent-a-player | Celtics’ gift: A new year? | Sullinger matures with big afternoon | Shorts story misread by officials
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
