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Celtics Wrap: Jaylen Brown, Defense Help Boston Avenge Loss Vs. Knicks

NESN by Sean T. McGuire

The Boston Celtics avenged a tough-to-swallow loss to the New York Knicks on Saturday night, snapping a two-game losing skid with a two-phased effort en route to a 99-75 victory at TD Garden.

The Celtics improved to 19-21 while the Knicks fell to 19-21.


ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
Brown recorded the first triple-double of his career Saturday
On a night where the Celtics’ defense limited the Knicks to 38% shooting with eight steals, and the offense benefitted from five players finishing with double figures, it was another key aspect of the game that stood out. Boston did something head coach Ime Udoka (and fans) had been waiting for: They finished out a game the right way.

The Celtics held a mere two-point lead at the half, built that to as large as 18 points with two minutes left in the third quarter, then further extended their 16-point lead entering the fourth. Jayson Tatum connected on a 3-pointer two minutes into the fourth, stretching Boston’s lead to 82-60, before the Celtics traded baskets and maintained a 20-point edge with seven minutes left in the game. They didn’t coast from there either, maintaining a 20-plus point lead for much of the remainder.

Udoka shared after Thursday’s game — when Boston blew a 25-point lead to the Knicks in a last-second loss — that the team wasn’t mentally tough enough. He doubled down Saturday pregame saying the only message before the C’s took the floor was to finish the game strong. Boston did that Saturday in what Celtics fans surely hope will prove to be a momentum-building effort.

STARS OF THE GAME
— Jaylen Brown recorded the first triple-double of his career with 22 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds. Brown, who finished the game 9-for-15 from the field, hit a key 3-pointer to put the Celtics up 76-60 entering the fourth quarter. His facilitating was certainly welcomed as Boston finished with 26 assists on 36 made baskets.

— Robert Williams stuffed the stat sheet once again. Williams finished with 12 points and seven rebounds, but made it extremely tough on the defensive end with four blocks.

— Josh Richardson provided yet another spark off the bench for the Celtics, who started Al Horford, Marcus Smart, Tatum, Brown and Williams. Richardson finished with 17 points, two rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block.

WAGER WATCH
It certainly was a strong defensive effort from the Celtics, which paid off for all those who took Under 207 (-115). If you bet the Under, a $115 wager would have made you $100 richer.

UP NEXT

The Celtics will return to TD Garden on Monday to begin a home-and-home with the Indiana Pacers.

112288

I like Perk, but he took an utterly unnecessary Twitter shot at JT, who I thought played well, after the game.. Jayson responded that Brown was great, but it wasn't necessary to tear down one guy to praise another. A very measured, classy response, in my opinion.The Josh Richardson I remember from the Heat is back. Great defender. Efficient offensive player. Signing him was a steal.If they played like this every night, the Celtics could be back to being a contender. Still could use a sharp shooter and a quality big.

I always expect to see a grind it out game when we play the Knicks.  They came out with a physical presence but once Boston matched and exceeded the Knicks intensity, the tone of this game changed.

We witnessed a signature game from Jaylen.  How do you figure this one out?  He spent more time on the ball while JT played more off the ball on offense.  What we witnessed was great ball movement.  The ball was popping and the pace that teammates passed the ball was outstanding.  Rare but outstanding.  

While JB earned a well deserved player of the game honors, it was Josh Richardson who brought us back from the dead when the Knick were trying to separate  themselves from us.  

Robert Williams may still come with the caveat, 'if he can stay healthy' but he has clearly answered a couple of questions for us.  First, he can in fact play extended minutes and still be productive and he is in fact our much needed rim protector and defensive anchor.  He is a special player.  His offense remains a work in progress but he is an absolute double digit scorer if you can get him 6-8 shots per game.  He is the only player on this team that guarantees you a bucket 75% of the time.  In my own contrary way of thinking, he does not need a big man coach.  He actually needs a guard/wing coach to help him work on his offense (ball handling, midrange shots and off the bounce drives)

Last night Dennis did not play along side Marcus.  What have some of us been saying?  

As this team continues to reinvent themselves, they have several templates to follow.  You can run offense through your bigs.  You can run offense through your two best scorers and you can run offense through a more traditional PG setting.  If Ime can combine these options together our offense will be more dynamic and unpredictable.  We still need a shooter or two of the bench.

Also I still do not favor the 2 center lineup.  It worked last night.  I always get the jitters when AH and RW are both out of the game and Mr. freedom comes in.  It is like watching and waiting for the paramedics to arrive before the team bleeds out.

So if Ime is willing to change that reality he simply needs to bring Al Horford off the bench.  

As I stated before the guy I would insert into the starting unit is Josh Richardson.  The only reason he is not starting is Ime decision.  However he has been a reliable and experienced 30 MPG starter through most of his career.  He has played 28 games for us with zero starts.  Before that he has been a starter 80% of the time.

https://www.espn.com/nba/player/stats/_/id/2581190/josh-richardson

I have some other comments to make about our rotation but I am heading out.

I was happy to see 9 players with 13 minutes or greater in a win. That should help team spirit.

Folks it is one game.

They were without Frenchey and their point guard Walker. They played a terrible game and besides Randle, they have no superstars like the Celtics.

You want to measure the progress up or down, let us start with the next 16 games until Thursday, February 10th! That will tell the tale of the story of the 2021-2022 Celtic Team.

Not drinking the Kool - Aid until I see meaningful progress and a reshuffling of the Celtic roster deck.

112288

I think everybody here is being pretty realistic. If we can lament playing badly, I see no reason that we can't celebrate playing well.They were undermanned last night? Welcome to the club.Baby steps.

jrleftfoot

I hear you, but I do not lament in my posts. They are filled with passion and ways we need to fix this team. Who know, maybe some people in management read our site to take the temperature of the local fans, and if so I am trying to give them a heads up! They are going too loose the fan base if this continues into next year .....................13 years and counting from 2007-2008 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM!

112288

Yep. Clearly the "C" word is in effect regarding performance of this team. However, I'm torn again putting this victory/performance in the elite status category since this was another Charles Dickens classic, A Tale Of Two Halves. But what I'm coming around to is the fact that this team, when it is on is so good, they don't need to play a complete game and can still beat anybody. That's what should be driving this team. None of the games we have played against the top teams in the league did we play 100% for 4 quarters. Not even close and we were still in all of them accept BKN. I wouldn't sleep at night if I had this knowledge. Maybe a team meeting where one of the guys stands up and says after summarizing like I just did, "Hey, if we could just play 48 minutes and not even really bust our hump, we can go 42-0 for the rest of the season easy. We're that effing good! And anyone that iso's will be losing a leg!"

Something like that.

Yes, yes. The Knicks were depleted. Sorry, can't extend any sympathy nor empathy for you there. Weren't they depleted two days ago when they came back from 25 down to beat us? Whatever.

I like the double/back-up blocking machine I saw several times employed by the Celtics, a kind of you set them up, I'll knock 'em down mentality used by the Williams duo.

Average number of passes per possession was well over 5. Very little iso and when it did pop up, the same as it ever was result came about...turnover. Weren't a lot of those either. I believe we committed 10 last night vs. our average of 14. A game of inches there. Shocker.

Consistently getting the ball over the mid-court line before the shot clock broke into the teens was good to see.

Our announcers were/are just as baffled as we are. Why can't this happen every game? The mental sharpness and dedication needed to do this every night can't be that difficult. Another game of inches. It wouldn't even matter if we were 0-40 to this point. I'd enjoy these games a lot more if they just played basketball like this and not giving us 3-clanking, brick-laying, turnover ridden, G-League performing, iso-laden, lack of interest implying, coach ignoring clap-trap we've had to endure for our dollar these past two season. At times, this team doesn't even look professional. And yet last night...

What can I say. Well, as many times as we have been bitten, don't get your hopes up seems to be the wisest advice until proven otherwise. Here comes two games against the same team that has a considerably worse record than us. We clearly know what that means. Don't count your chickens. We're probably looking at 0-2 these next two games to get to the halfway point of the season. Time has been flying, hasn't it?

db

I am still waiting and hoping that Ime shakes up our lineup.

We have to try different lineups.

Going up against the Pacers is probably a good time to lean on our two big lineup.  But I see no good reason to play 2 centers when the other team does not.

Dennis Schroeder can be our BU PG and Al Horford can be our BU center.  Grant can play Bu PF and after that you have to get PP and Langford or G-leaguer Aaron Nesmith some minutes,  However you do not have to play all 5 backup rotation guys together.  If you play 2-3 starters with 2-3 rotation guys it may work.

One thing however needs to happen and for the life of me I just do not understand why it has not happened already.

Jrich needs to get his opportunity to start alongside the  Jays.

I want to see a lineup with the Jays plus Josh, Marcus at the point and Rob at center.

112288 wrote:jrleftfoot

I hear you, but I do not lament in my posts.  They are filled with passion and ways we need to fix this team.  Who know, maybe some people in management read our site to take the temperature of the local fans, and if so I am trying to give them a heads up!  They are going too loose the fan base if this continues into next year .....................13 years and counting from 2007-2008 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM!

112288

                                                                                   I feel you. All I was saying is that in a season of disappointments, every victory, whatever the circumstances, gives me pleasure. That doesn't mean that I'm not aware of the team's shortcomings. I'm a bit of a lamenter myself.