The Boston Celtics’ 16-game win streak was impressive, and no one can take it away from them.
But even the most die-hard Green Teamers had to admit many of those wins were far closer and tougher than they needed to be.
Boston emerged from TD Garden on Friday with a 118-103 win over the Orlando Magic in a game that really wasn’t that close. The Celtics held a lead near or at 30 points for much of the game, and it wasn’t until a sloppy, bench-heavy fourth quarter that the Magic came within shouting distance.
This type of blowout win was much-needed, as Boston’s previous eight victories all came by 11 points or fewer. Sure, close, nail-biting wins build character and are exciting, but every once in a while a team needs to fire on all cylinders, emasculate their opponent and rest their stars. And that’s just what the Celtics did.
Marcus Morris was the only member of the starting-five who saw the floor in the fourth quarter. And that could pay huge dividends, as the the Celtics travel to Indiana on Saturday to face the Pacers.
While the starters played huge roles in the C’s taking such a big lead (Kyrie Irving had 30 points through three quarters), the bench also deserves a ton of credit. Led by Terry Rozier’s career-high 23 points, the Celtics’ reserves combined for a season-high 49.
Lessening the blow of back-to-backs is one of the biggest benefits of blowout wins. But, considering Boston has just 14 back-to-backs this season, that’s not the primary concern.
What’s more important is the team realizes it has the ability dominate throughout the game, not just in the final five minutes.
Here are some other notes from Celtics-Magic:
— Longtime Celtics play-by-play broadcaster Mike Gorman turned 70 Friday.
— The C’s debuted their black jerseys, and Brad Stevens really didn’t care.
— Fans in attendance at TD Garden were given this poster:
— To say the Celtics’ bench outdid itself in the first half against the Magic would be a huge understatement.
— So Isaiah Thomas had this to say:
— Daniel Theis, who’s emerged as a fan-favorite, didn’t see the floor Friday.
— Here’s an update on Morris and his sore knee:
— Saturday night’s game against the Pacers will represent just the second back-to-back for Boston this season. The Celtics will have just 14 back-to-backs this year, after having between 17 and 20 each of the last five seasons.
