Keys To The Game

http://www.nba.com/celtics/game_recap/keys-20151022-NYKBOS








By Marc D'Amico |  @Marc_DAmico
Celtics.com
October 22, 2015



Key Moment

Jonas Jerebko? Might as well call him Jonas Je-closer.

Brad Stevens called the Swede’s name for most of the fourth quarter Thursday night, marking the second such instance in as many games. Jerebko answered the call yet again, leading the Celtics to a 99-85 win over the Knicks.

Jerebko played all but 12 seconds of the fourth quarter during Monday’s win over Brooklyn. While being surrounded by mostly rookies and second-year players during the final period, he tallied five rebounds, four points and an assist to help Boston pull out a 111-105 victory.

This time around, with a similar cast of characters around him, Jerebko took over at the offensive end during the most critical juncture of the game. He scored seven consecutive points for Boston from the 10:54 mark of the fourth quarter to the 9:02 mark. That spurt gave the Celtics a 10-point lead that never dropped below six from that point on. He finished with seven points, two rebounds and a steal during seven fourth-quarter minutes.

Jerebko is no Michael Jordan, but he’s done a darn good job of helping Boston close the door on its opponent in two straight games.


Key Player

Brad Stevens was asked before Thursday night’s Celtics-Knicks game about recent poll results that branded Marcus Smart as one of the most likely players in the league to have a breakout season.

How ironic.

Smart broke out Thursday night, and in a big way. He was unbelievable against the Knicks, even if his numbers don't exactly show it.

Boston hoped to find a star when it chose Smart sixth overall during the summer of 2014. He looked the part during this game while showcasing elite court vision, great patience and finishing ability around the basket during his 26-plus minutes of action.

Smart finished the contest with a game-high nine assists, a number he had never reached at any point in his NBA career to date. That number was far ahead of next closest total in the game (six, byJared Sullinger), and Smart dished his assists out while committing only one turnover.

These assists weren’t simple, either. These were difficult, thread-the-needle passes. At least half of his assists were highlight-worthy.

While Smart’s scoring tally was not nearly as impressive, his buckets did draw some oohs and aahs from the crowd. Two of his buckets were extremely difficult finishes in traffic around the basket, one of which turned into a three-point play.

Let’s go back to that question Stevens was asked before the contest. What were his thoughts on Smart being chosen as a potential breakout player?

“My biggest thing about Marcus is not what he does statistically,” Stevens said, “but how he impacts winning.”

Smart impacted winning Thursday night, as evidenced by his plus/minus rating of plus-eight. And he just happened to do so while also racking up some impressive numbers during limited action.



Box Score Nuggets

Boston's defense limited New York to just 38.4 percent shooting.
Jose Calderon scored a game-high 17 points.
Jared Sullinger wasn't too far behind with 16 points of his own.
Sullinger also contributed eight rebounds and six assists and tied for the game high in blocks with three.
The Celtics shot 33.333 percent from 3-point range.
Boston scored at least 25 points during three of the four quarters, while New York eclipsed the 25-point mark in only one quarter.
Tyler Zeller scored 15 points thanks to a 6-for-11 shooting night.
Avery Bradley grabbed a game-high three steals. No Knicks player grabbed more than one.
Sullinger shot just 4-for-10 from the free-throw line.
Boston's largest lead was 19 points, while New York's was just three points.
Kyle O'Quinn grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.
Carmelo Anthony tied Sullinger for the game high in blocks with three.
The C's dished out 28 assists, compared to just 17 by the Knicks.
Jae Crowder made three of his four 3-point attempts and finished with 13 points and seven boards.
Boston scored 17 points off of New York's 17 turnovers, and New York scored 14 points off of Boston's 14 turnovers.



Quote of the Night

"I'm not worried about Terry bringing it or not. I think he really has a great passion for [playing basketball]".


bob



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