BOSTON — Like many NBA teams, the Celtics’ success starts with their All-Star. But unlike some clubs around the league, the C’s have the depth to stay afloat when their star player is off his game.
Such was the case Saturday afternoon at TD Garden, where Isaiah Thomas endured a brutal first half that saw him shoot 0 for 8 from the floor and score just one point. Thomas finally woke up to finish with 12 points, yet on this day, the catalyst in the Celtics’ 101-89 win was his backups.
Boston’s reserves scored 49 of the Celtics’ 101 points and were powered by Marcus Smart, who notched a team-high 15 points. Eight of his points came in the fourth quarter, as the young spark plug hit a key 3-pointer and made three free throws after getting fouled shooting another deep ball to help the C’s close out an impressive win over the Miami Heat.
“He played with unbelievable energy,” teammate Jae Crowder said of Smart. “He was crashing the glass, making the hustle plays. (He) made a heck of a three at the top of the key when we needed it. He just made plays, and that’s how coach (Brad Stevens) rolled him throughout the whole fourth (quarter).”
Smart wasn’t the only bench player to pick up Boston’s starting unit, which struggled for much of the first half. With his team trailing by seven after an ugly first quarter, Evan Turner dropped nine points in the second frame to help the Celtics get back in it.
“We came out at the start of this game a little flat, and they came out and helped us get back in the game,” Crowder said of Boston’s bench. “I think we got a great lift from (the bench) to help us finish the game.”
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Let’s hit a few other notes from Celtics-Heat:
— Jared Sullinger didn’t have the best game offensively (12 points on 5 of 13 shooting) but he made his impact felt on the other end, gobbling up 12 rebounds and doing his best to keep the extra-long Hassan Whiteside off the offensive glass.
“Sully was great on the glass,” Stevens said. “In the last five minutes of the game, I felt like he got every rebound that there was.”
— Celtics fans held their collective breath when Avery Bradley went down awkwardly on his left ankle early in the fourth quarter.
The Celtics shooting guard stayed in the game, though, and Stevens was optimistic about his outlook afterward.
“He twisted his ankle,” Stevens said. “He said he was fine to finish. I don’t have any update from there. I would assume he’s fine, but I don’t know that.”
— Kelly Olynyk, who has been out since Feb. 10 with a partially separated right shoulder, provided an update on his status before Saturday’s game.
“You’re not full-blown doing things, but you’re testing it and moving it, and just trying to do some isometric stuff and keep things moving and strong,” he said. “I would say it’s getting better, slowly but surely.”
— Boston’s head coach and his players both reached milestones Saturday. Stevens earned the 100th win of his NBA career, while the Celtics notched their 10th consecutive home win. They haven’t lost at home since Jan. 6.
“We try to play for our hometown fans,” forward Tyler Zeller said. “They show up every night, they do a great job of always standing behind us, so as long as we play hard we know they are always going to be there. Its good to see them cheering for us like that.”
— David Lee seems to be fitting in nicely with the Dallas Mavericks. The veteran forward, who was waived by the Celtics last Friday, dropped 14 points and 14 rebounds Friday night in his second game with Dallas, a 122-116 home overtime win over the Denver Nuggets.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
