The Boston Celtics look to be figuring it out, and have won three of their last four games after a most recent win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday.
After a disappointing loss to the Atlanta Hawks the night before, this one was huge in building back some good momentum as mid-season fatigue begins to set in.
“We were just a different team compared to last night and I think it showed,” Jayson Tatum said after the 107-97 win. “The ball was just popping.”
Tatum led with 38 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Celtics co-star Jaylen Brown dropped 31 points with two boards and three assists.
That’s the fourth time since Christmas Day both players put up at lest 30 points after achieving the feat just twice prior to that.
“We know we’re much harder to beat when both guys are firing on all cylinders,” coach Ime Udoka said postgame. “But they’ve been shooting it better, attacking better and making plays so that’s kind of what we expect from those two.”
A lot of that had to do with Marcus Smart’s performance.
The guard had a season-high 12 assists — nearly half of Boston’s 31 helpers — along with five points, three rebounds and a steal.
He’s played some of his best basketball of the season in his return from the NBA’s health and safety protocols, and is a +93 in plus-minus in the Celtics’ last four games. In his last four games back he has more assists (27) than shot attempts (26).
Sounds like he’s more than capable of being an NBA starting point guard, but just look at these plays from the Pelicans game if you disagree:
“My job is to just get the easiest shots for them as possible, so constantly challenging them to run with me whenever I have the ball,” Smart said of making Tatum and Brown’s game easier.
“If we can get those guys easier shots, especially earlier on in the game, those shots become a lot easier in the fourth quarter. And that’s it, if you’ve been seeing when they get those easy shots and they get that rhythm they explode.”
It’s been the recipe for the Celtics of late, who are pushing the pace, shooting better, and most importantly, making good plays for each other.
“We’re just playing basketball,” Smart said. “For real, for real.”
