With just under five minutes to play, Isaiah Thomas — tightly guarded by Nic Batum — rattled home a three, punctuating a 10-0 celtics run and giving them a 87-79 lead. The Boston crowd welcomed him back with open arms, as he poured in 26 points and 5 assists on 9/20 shooting, leading the Celtics to a much needed 96-88 victory.
Both teams struggled to score during an ugly first half of basketball. Kemba Walker’s absence stagnated Charlotte’s offense. Like Isaiah Thomas with Boston, Walker’s penetration creates open shots, initiates ball movement, and overall jumpstarts the offense. The Celtics took advantage, holding the Hornets to 32 percent shooting for the game, the team’s best opponent field goal percentage in three years.
Isaiah Thomas looked spry from the opening tip, as the injured groin did not appear to bother him. Although his first half shooting was poor, his hesitation and misdirection moves did not skip a beat. He temporarily silenced the subset of Celtics fans who believe the team is better without him, quickly reminding fans of his dynamic offensive abilities.
The Hornets looked poised to take control of the game after they went up 60-48 with just under eight minutes in the third quarter. The Celtics lineup of Thomas/Bradley/Crowder/Jerebko/Horford brought them back to a 69-69 tie by the end of the quarter, as Brad Stevens relied on this group for much of the period. Midway through the fourth, the Celtics went on a 19-2 run to put the game out of reach.
Despite the Hornets attempting 20 more shots than the Celtics (98 to 78), the Celtics still made two more field goals (34 to 32). Charlotte’s +12 offensive rebound advantage was the root cause, as Cody Zeller pulled down six offensive boards (while older brother, Tyler, had to watch from the bench).
These teams have plenty of similarities. The Hornets, like the Celtics, came into this game on a three game losing streak. Both teams do not have traditional star players, and instead rely on scoring point guards and stout defenses. Each team has a great coach, as Steve Clifford, like Stevens, has elevated this team over the past three seasons. Both teams had moderate success under their current coaches but hope to make leaps this season.
Over the past week, many have questioned the Celtics as a top-tier NBA team. Saddled with expectations of 50+ wins and an eastern conference finals run, some claim the Celtics have disappointed over the first quarter of the season. Whether or not that’s true, we do know the team has lost to the NBA’s best teams and while winning against bad or middle-ground teams. Over the past week, Boston lost close games to Houston, Toronto, and Oklahoma City. They dropped two to San Antonio and of course got blown out by Golden State. The best wins have come against Charlotte, Chicago, and Detroit. Last season there seemed to be too many signature wins to count (see: Cleveland, LA Clippers, Golden State).
The Celtics played some of their best basketball during tonight’s second half, as this was among their best wins. All of their most recent losses have been close games against good teams. A loss tonight could have been a morale crusher, but it was refreshing to see the Celtics respond like they did. They look to build on tonight’s good vibes, as they face the Heat on Sunday to being their three game road trip.
The Grid
•Celtics shot 20/38 (53%) in the 2nd half
•Charlotte 13/48 (27%) in 2nd half, including 3/17 (18%) from three point range
•Only one Hornet Player (Jeremy Lamb) shot over 50%
The Green
•Horford’s complete stat line: 18 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 5 blocks
•Olynyk: 7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals… a mini-Horford line
•Charlotte Ranks 3rd in free throw attempts per game and 2nd in defensive rebounds per game, Boston bested them in both categories
The Gross
•Celtics 6 fast break points… weren’t they top five in pace last year?
•Offensive Rebounds: Charlotte – 17, Boston – 5
The Greenlights
Dear Marcus… do this more
https://twitter.com/CelticsFanMVP/status/809949049822572544
Welcome back, IT
https://twitter.com/SportsQuotient/status/809977900028088325
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