Isaiah Thomas looked like a kid who had just gotten away with something. Which makes sense, because that’s pretty much what happened.
The Boston Celtics had just escaped with a 102-99 win Saturday over the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena despite leading the NBA’s third-worst team by as many as 21 points in the first half. So, it stands to reason Thomas was visibly relieved in his postgame interview with CSN New England’s Kyle Draper.
“Man, we almost messed that game up,” the Celtics point guard said with a grin. “We got a little too comfortable in the second half, and we didn’t execute like we wanted to or like we did in the first half. It messed us up a little bit, but luckily we got the win and can head on to L.A. (to play the Clippers on Monday).”
Things seemed to be going according to plan in the game’s first 24 minutes. After pouring in 35 points in the first quarter, the Celtics held the Suns to just 19 points on 15 shot attempts in the second. Time to pack it in and give the bench players some playing time, right?
Unfortunately, the Suns had other plans. Rookie Devin Booker was the catalyst in Phoenix’s huge second half, as he scored 19 of his 21 points after the break to pull the Suns all the way within one.
“They can come back in a hurry,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said in a postgame interview on CSN New England. “They’re going to keep firing. They’re very confident shooters, and they’ve played well, especially (in Phoenix) as of late.”
Booker’s efforts forced the Celtics to go toe to toe with Phoenix down the stretch, but some key free throws and Evan Turner’s last-second block of Booker helped Boston avoid what could have been its worst loss of the season.
“Yeah, I thought we made defensive plays, and obviously made enough free throws to win the game,” Stevens added. “But offensively I thought we didn’t play with much poise in the third quarter, and that’s why they got back in the game. That, and defensively, we were not as good. But I knew this was going to be tough.”
As strange as it sounds, not much has come easy for the Celtics during their current four-game winning streak, all orchestrated without swingman Jae Crowder. Boston started the streak by barely hanging on against the Philadelphia 76ers, leading the worst team in basketball by just five points midway through the fourth quarter before the Sixers finally packed it in.
The C’s took care of the Orlando Magic in their next contest but still committed 14 turnovers and knocked off the Kyle Lowry-less Toronto Raptors despite scoring just 45 points in the second half.
Boston can use all the wins it can get during this crucial stretch run, and it’s hard to find fault in a four-game winning streak. But with their next three contests coming against the Los Angeles Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers and defending champion Golden State Warriors, the Celtics will need to take their game to the next level if they want the W’s to keep rolling in.
Thumbnail photo via Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports Images
