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Celtics Wrap: Strong Second Half Pushes Boston To 108-94 Win Over Spurs

NESN by Joshua Schrock on Mon, Oct 30, 2017 at 9:47PM

The Boston Celtics hadn’t beaten the San Antonio Spurs since Jayson Tatum was 13 years old. But these aren’t your daddy’s Spurs. Playing their fourth game in five nights, and missing star Kawhi Leonard, as well as veterans Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, the Spurs lacked the firepower to stay with the Celtics on Monday night at TD Garden, losing to Boston for the first time since March 31, 2011.

Boston’s stars shined, as Kyrie Irving (24 points, six assists), Jaylen Brown (18 points) and Al Horford (14 points, 13 rebounds) dominated the second half in a 108-94 win over the shorthanded Spurs. The Celtics improved to 5-2 with the win, while the Spurs fell to 4-3. Here’s how it all went down:

STARTING FIVE PG: Kyrie Irving SG: Jaylen Brown SF: Jayson Tatum PF: Al Horford C: Aron Baynes

JUST HAVE TO SEE IT GO THROUGH THE HOLE Brown had been struggling over his past two games, but the second-year star got off to a hot start Monday night against the Spurs. He knocked down his first shot, a pull-up baseline jumper, and then punished San Antonio in transition. Brown poured in nine points during the first quarter, as he and Irving, who also had nine, led the C’s to a 30-26 lead after one. Aldridge paced the Spurs with nine points in the stanza.

SECOND-QUARTER BATTLE The Spurs opened the second quarter on an 11-1 run, as Boston’s bench started the game 1-for-11 from the field. But Irving and Horford re-entered the game and Boston closed the quarter on a 23-12 run to take a 54-49 lead into the break. Irving led all scorers with 16 points, while Brown chipped in with 11 and Horford added eight. Irving was brilliant on both ends of the floor during the first half, as he flustered Spurs point guard Dejounte Murray and dazzled with his court vision. Aldridge led the Spurs with 11 points in the half, while Rudy Gay added nine.

C’S SPURT Boston came out on fire to begin the third quarter, as they dominated the Spurs on the glass and in the paint. The Celtics opened the quarter on an 18-10 run thanks to the stellar play of Irving and Brown. San Antonio continued to battle, though, as the Spurs cut the deficit to six with two minutes to go in the third. But a mini-run by the C’s, capped by a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Marcus Smart gave Boston a 13-point lead heading into the fourth.

FINISHING BLOW Boston put the game out of reach early in the fourth quarter. After the Spurs trimmed the lead to nine, Tatum buried a 3-point jumper to stretch it back to double digits. Then Terry Rozier went off. The young guard drilled a trey of his Then Terry Rozier went off. The young guard drilled a trey of his The young guard drilled a trey of his own, and followed that with a long-range 2-pointer and a fastbreak layup to cap a personal 7-0 run to stretch the lead to 19. San Antonio wouldn’t get closer than 13, as Gregg Popovich called off the dogs halfway through the fourth.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME *Insert eyes emoji*

UP NEXT The Celtics will take the court again Wednesday when they face the Sacramento Kings. Tip-off from TD Garden is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET
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Irving leads Celtics as they cruise to 108-94 win over Spurs

NBC SPORTS BOSTON By A. Sherrod Blakely October 30, 2017 9:51 PM

BOSTON – When you watch Kyrie Irving play, there’s a methodic, calculated pace about him where he seems to pick and choose when to pick a defense apart.

Through the first six games this season, he usually went into takeover mode late in the game.

But on Monday, Irving jumped on the San Antonio Spurs from the outset, and the Celtics’ control was never really threatened as they cruised to a 108-94 win.

The win not only extended the Celtics’ winning streak to five in a row, but also snapped an 11-game losing skid to the Spurs (4-3). Brandon Paul led San Antonio with 18 points off the bench while LaMarcus Aldridge who came in averaging more than 25 points per game for the Spurs, had just 11 points on 5-for-13 shooting which included him going scoreless in the second half.

Irving led all scorers with 24 points and six assist. Al Horford continued his solid play at both ends of the floor which included him tallying his second double-double of the season with 14 points and 13 rebounds to go with five assists. Boston (5-2) got a strong performance offensively from Jaylen Brown who came in having shot 3-for-17 in his last two games. On Monday, he had 18 points on 6-for-11 shooting.

But this game was about Irving setting the tone from the very outset.

After a 16-point, 5-assist first half by Irving, Boston opened the third quarter with a 10-2 run that featured eight points from Irving.

Boston played with a double-digit lead for most of the third and fourth quarters, but it wasn’t until Terry Rozier scored eight straight points that pushed Boston’s lead to 93-76 that it seemed the Celtics had finally gave themselves enough of a cushion to feel comfortable with the win.

From there, the only thing left up in the air was how much of a margin would the Celtics win by.

Of course, Boston was facing a San Antonio team missing key players such as Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili who were all out with injuries.

Still, the Spurs have been among the best at getting the most out of their players when others are out with injuries.

In many ways, that has been what this Celtics team has been about ever since Gordon Hayward’s gruesome left ankle injury that’s expected to keep him sidelined for the rest of the season.

As much as this game featured several Celtics stepping up, there’s no escaping the impact that Irving had on the game and how his leadership on the floor, set the team’s strong play afterwards in motion that paved the way for Brad Stevens’ first victory over the Spurs and Gregg Popovich.

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TAKE THAT POP!

I have been waiting for the Celtics to give a good beating to SA and I think the worm turned as the old expression goes.

Great win..........cannot wait until they really begin to get used to playing with each other...............Go Celtics!!!!!

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No Kawhi, no Parker but no Hayward and no Morris.  Manu didn't play because he's ancient and this was their 2nd game of a b2b.

Last time we beat the Spurs in Boston was 2004.  Wow.

Irving with a whale of a game.  Offensively he did whatever the hell he wanted and defensively he was quite good.  He got a lot of deflections and that's on top of his 3 steals.  Also, he had 6 assists and only 1 TO.  If he plays like this he's going to be All-League this year.  Fantastic game and he is developing amazing chemistry with Horford.  With the more wide-open NBA game a 2-man game can be even more effective.

Horford really wanted to take it to Aldridge, and he did.  14 points on 7-11, 13 boards, 5 assists and only 1 TO.  It's amazing how much better Horford is playing now that he has a legit center alongside him and he can slide over to his more natural position of 4.  Horford Unchained!  

Speaking of, Baynes is just a beast.  He's Perk with a mid-range shot and good hands (Perk did a lot of things that didn't show up in the boxscore, but he did NOT have soft hands).

Jaylen back on track with a good scoring game and solid defense.

Great players are consistent and, when they have bad shooting games, they figure out some other way of helping their team win.  Larry did it all the time, if his shot was off he'd rebound like a fiend and pass like Brady.  That's what I'm liking about Tatum's game tonight.  He didn't have a lot of points, only 7 points on 2-7, but he grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked 3 shots and played overall really good defense.  A lot of young players who are having an off night either get frustrated and commit dumb fouls or lose all shot discipline, or they lose confidence and curl up into a ball.  Tatum did neither, he figured out other ways to help his team win.  REALLY impressed with this young man's composure.  

Terry Rozier is going to drive me to drinking.  He was sucking wind for most of the game and then he takes over the 4th and scores 10 points to blow the game wide open.  People are wondering what happened to that smooth shot he had in pre-season and then he drops 2 3s in a row.

Semi getting legit minutes.  His defense is really good.


Marc D'Amico @celtics

about 13 minutes ago

Stevens believes Ojeleye has the chance to be a great defender. Says, "His lateral ability is so impressive for a guy his size."
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The Dancing Bear was the last player off the bench in a blow out.  This is the guy whose footwork was supposedly so amazing for a guy his size, and Semi got 22 minutes non-garbage time minutes against a good team.


I LIKE THEIS!!  6 points and 6 boards in 14 minutes and a bee-Utiful block on Rudy Gay at the rim. Gay thought he was home-free and Theis changed that.  Theis is a great, great pnr opportunity for Smart and Kyrie.  3 of his boards were offensive.  Theis makes about half a million dollars each year for this year and next.  That makes him the best deal in the NBA.


They shot 50% from the line, but 46% from 3.  If the numbers were more normal looking our margin of victory would have been even bigger but damn! Pop can find shooters year after year after year, can't he?  He is absolutely plug-and-play.


Smart with a Smart-esque 3-10 night, but 7 assists and 2 TO.  Probably the most efficient point guard on the team.


54 rebounds, in a regulation game.  Wow.  That is SO good.  We ended up a +14 rebound.  


We also outscored them in the paint, 54-42, and outran them with fast break points 11-8.  More blocks, more steals, more fgas and tied them on assists.  We pretty much beat them in every statistical category except 3pt fg% and that's why we "only" won by 14 instead of 22.  


Brian Robb @BrianTRobb

about 6 minutes ago

Celtics during 5-game winning streak: 105.5 offensive rating 91.9 defensive rating (which would be #1 in league) +13.6 net rating.
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http://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400974843












bob


.

bob

We beat the Spurs in 2008.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200802100BOS.html

I'll be adding my thoughts later. But for now, how's this : despite the trades, our defense is much better.

KJ

fierce wrote:bob

We beat the Spurs in 2008.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200802100BOS.html

Interesting boxscore; no KG and no Perk and we still won. Scal and Leon Powe were in the starting lineup. We only played 9 players.

gyso

I figured this would be a tough game for Boston especially since the Spurs lost Sunday to the Pacers but three straight losses now?

I understand that they really miss Leonard but their is something different about this team.  Is it also no Tony Parker?

Okay enough about the Spurs

The first round of bench rotations did not go well.  They struggled to find any measure of continuity.  The second time they rotated into the game they played exceptionally well.

The defense continues to play excellent.  For the 3rd game in a row Kyrie provided the scoring punch and leadership that he is supposed to.  Apparently his defensive impact is not a fluke.  He does not take plays off.  He has great hands and has great quickness to stay with his man.

I saw Jaylen Brown get fouled on a trey and step to the line and make 3 free throws.  He seemed calmer and more disciplined.    He shot 5-5 for the evening and scored 18 points overall.  Last night he played SG, SF and some PF during different times of the game.  He is an amazing athlete, a prototype modern NBA player.

At halftime I commented on the game on thread that Jason Tatum was not getting any looks.  He ended up 2-7 for the night.  I checked the box score and see that he led the team in rebounding with 11.  Our 19 year old  kid also led the team in minutes played at 35.  There are a lot of outstanding defensive players on this team and Jason is destined to be a great defender.  His length, timing and recognition at this level is amazing.

Do you recall that I mentioned running the P and R with Theis?  14 minutes 6 points and 6 rebounds and a great get it out of here block!

Little by little Semi is scratching his way into a rotational role on this team.  On one play I saw him run back on defense and was really impressed with how fast he is.  Quick feet and the brute strength that will make us forget about Jae Crowder.  Smart said that he is as strong as an ox.  I can see that.

Does Al seem to have a little more pep in his step this year?  He seems quicker and more aggressive.  He has been one of our best 3 point shooters this year but did not take one 3 point shot all night.  Instead he was taking his man off the dribble and scoring at the basket.  14 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists...This is his second year on the team and he looks like an even better fit than last year.  Kyrie and Al are a very good pairing.  

You know that rebounding issue we debated about for the last few years?  What rebounding issue.

The Celtics have now won 5 straight games and sit atop the eastern conference.  The sample size is small but it is clear to me that they will be a top defensive team this year.  The team should be fully integrated within the next 20 or so games.  Morris has to get in the mix and Brad is a world class chief.  Give him a bag full of groceries and he will make a meal.

dboss

couple stats that jump out

Out rebounded them big 54-40 did give up a few too many offensive boards but got more of our own too.

Held them to the low 40's in FG% although they did shoot well from 3.

Somehow held them to 50 % from the foul line.


We shot 48% from the field, 35% from 3 and 80% from the free throw line.
I'll take those numbers almost every night. And we missed HOW MANY CLOSE IN BUNNIES?

Team never got flustered even when the shots didn't fall and SA got up 5 or 6. Never let them get too far away.

And we can truly only get better as roles are more clearly defined. And KI gets even more comfortable.

beat

dboss wrote:I figured this would be a tough game for Boston especially since the Spurs lost Sunday to the Pacers but three straight losses now?

I understand that they really miss Leonard but their is something different about this team.  Is it also no Tony Parker?

Okay enough about the Spurs

The first round of bench rotations did not go well.  They struggled to find any measure of continuity.  The second time they rotated into the game they played exceptionally well.

The defense continues to play excellent.  For the 3rd game in a row Kyrie provided the scoring punch and leadership that he is supposed to.  Apparently his defensive impact is not a fluke.  He does not take plays off.  He has great hands and has great quickness to stay with his man.

I saw Jaylen Brown get fouled on a trey and step to the line and make 3 free throws.  He seemed calmer and more disciplined.    He shot 5-5 for the evening and scored 18 points overall.  Last night he played SG, SF and some PF during different times of the game.  He is an amazing athlete, a prototype modern NBA player.

At halftime I commented on the game on thread that Jason Tatum was not getting any looks.  He ended up 2-7 for the night.  I checked the box score and see that he led the team in rebounding with 11.  Our 19 year old  kid also led the team in minutes played at 35.  There are a lot of outstanding defensive players on this team and Jason is destined to be a great defender.  His length, timing and recognition at this level is amazing.

Do you recall that I mentioned running the P and R with Theis?  14 minutes 6 points and 6 rebounds and a great get it out of here block!

Little by little Semi is scratching his way into a rotational role on this team.  On one play I saw him run back on defense and was really impressed with how fast he is.  Quick feet and the brute strength that will make us forget about Jae Crowder.  Smart said that he is as strong as an ox.  I can see that.

Does Al seem to have a little more pep in his step this year?  He seems quicker and more aggressive.  He has been one of our best 3 point shooters this year but did not take one 3 point shot all night.  Instead he was taking his man off the dribble and scoring at the basket.  14 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists...This is his second year on the team and he looks like an even better fit than last year.  Kyrie and Al are a very good pairing.  

You know that rebounding issue we debated about for the last few years?  What rebounding issue.

The Celtics have now won 5 straight games and sit atop the eastern conference.  The sample size is small but it is clear to me that they will be a top defensive team this year.  The team should be fully integrated within the next 20 or so games.  Morris has to get in the mix and Brad is a world class chief.  Give him a bag full of groceries and he will make a meal.

dboss

dboss,

"The defense continues to play excellent.  For the 3rd game in a row Kyrie provided the scoring punch and leadership that he is supposed to.  Apparently his defensive impact is not a fluke.  He does not take plays off.  He has great hands and has great quickness to stay with his man."




Brian Robb @BrianTRobb

about 9 hours ago

Kyrie Irving has 17 steals through seven games. That leads the NBA.
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bobMY NOTE:  That's pretty impressive for a guy who has been ranked as one of the weaker defenders in the league for years.  I wonder what to attribute this change to?  Brad?  No Tyronn Lue?  He just grew up?

.

Really fun game. I love how this team picks each other up. Tatum has been off a bit lately, Brown and Semi pick him up. Rozier is off in the first half, Smart and Kyrie pick up him up. 4th quarter, Rozier picks it up and rises back to his level. Aldridge beats Horford on a move, Baynes fouls him HARD. Later Al picks up Baynes after he makes a mistake.

I have said this before, but IT is a great player but he has to exert so much effort and control the ball so much to make great things happen, that when he is off - everyone else is just standing around.

Kyrie is almost the opposite. Aside from the 5 or 6 times a game he takes it on himself, he gets MOST of his point in the flow in a rather effortless fashion. He doesnt need clear outs, as he is such a great ball handler - he just moves around the court and keeps everyone in the game. The movement, the teamwork, the overall vibe of this team is MUCH BETTER than last year and that is what is causing all the other parts of the game to be better.

Also, you simply cannot underestimate the value that Aron Baynes brings to this team. His toughness and rebounding skills is what is making the defense better. Period. No way that Tatum or Brown are better defenders than AB or Jae Crowder yet. BUT, with Baynes and Horford under the basket, they can stay one step closer to their man they are guarding - and so the defense is improved that much and you have reliable rebounding down low - something you havent had since KG and Perk.

Very exciting season so far.

Kyrie has so much athletic ability. All he needed to do was put more attention on his defense. He'll get even better. What a great trade Danny made.

Re that 2008 win against the Spurs, Rondo bedeviled Tim Duncan that game with 11 rebounds and 12 assists.

Bob,

Smart, talented players buying into a well coached scheme, working hard together on defense

The cavs problem is not offense, it's defense. They're allowing opposing teams to shoot prolifically from 3pt and they're slow in transition. IT, being the defensive liability that he is, will not remedy this problem.


KJ

I think the big reasons for the improvement in defense and rebounding is the maturation of Jaylen Brown as a gifted wing that will battle and can get major minutes at the 2-3, the surprising length and quick adaptability of Jason Tatum as a 3-4 and having Baynes do his dirty work thing making Al's life easier and no more soft KO on the floor, and then Kyrie has amazed with his commitment to defense. I'm happy if Baynes starts the rest of the year and Theis and Semi have very good defensive ability too.....nice to see!!! The softies are gone.

mrkleen09 wrote:Really fun game.  I love how this team picks each other up.  Tatum has been off a bit lately, Brown and Semi pick him up.  Rozier is off in the first half, Smart and Kyrie pick up him up.  4th quarter, Rozier picks it up and rises back to his level.  Aldridge beats Horford on a move, Baynes fouls him HARD.  Later Al picks up Baynes after he makes a mistake.

I have said this before, but IT is a great player but he has to exert so much effort and control the ball so much to make great things happen, that when he is off - everyone else is just standing around.  

Kyrie is almost the opposite.  Aside from the 5 or 6 times a game he takes it on himself, he gets MOST of his point in the flow in a rather effortless fashion.  He doesnt need clear outs, as he is such a great ball handler - he just moves around the court and keeps everyone in the game.  The movement, the teamwork, the overall vibe of this team is MUCH BETTER than last year and that is what is causing all the other parts of the game to be better.

Also, you simply cannot underestimate the value that Aron Baynes brings to this team.  His toughness and rebounding skills is what is making the defense better.  Period.  No way that Tatum or Brown are better defenders than AB or Jae Crowder yet.  BUT, with Baynes and Horford under the basket, they can stay one step closer to their man they are guarding - and so the defense is improved that much and you have reliable rebounding down low - something you havent had since KG and Perk.

Very exciting season so far.

excellent post kleen

If you like Kyrie on the floor you are going to love him in the interview. lol He sez all the right things but with a sincerity that you just can't question. You can tell he has ego, that he has unending confidence, but he truly is proving all the naysayers wrong at this point in the season.

It's already happening. People are wondering just how good this team would be if G were playing. But in truth, it's next year's team that will dominate once Gordon returns. The kidz are getting invaluable experience with G and Marcus out. It will be interesting to see how the dynamic changes once Morris starts playing.

Last year's team had a defensive rep that was based more on previous seasons then what they did themselves. This year's team is establishing a rep on D that is going to go way beyond what we have seen before. This is a very opportunistic team on D and by playoff time, teams are not going to want to have any part of this team.

TRo was spiraling down, as in previous seasons, when he came alive. It's all about consistency young man. Show what you can do every night, every time you are on the floor, and you will have a fine career.

The budding promise that was shattered opening night has somehow reconfigured itself into the #1 team in the EC. and the #1 defensive team in the NBA. Already? Now all they have to do is maintain it. Easier said then done but...glimmer glimmer.

Loved seeing Bear get a few minutes. His rehab cost him his place in the rotation and it will be difficult to get it back quickly. Semi and DT have moved past him for sure and it's their D that will probably continue it. But loved seeing him drain that 3. At some point he is going to be called upon to play more and he just has to be ready. Bodes well he was the last player off the bench and still managed to produce. As much as I like him, it's still all about the team.

Last night the Celtics switched on defense in a sequence so quickly and decisively that the Spurs could not run their offense.

The Celtics defense still have a few layers of improvement in front of them.

Defense is about energy and desire. That comes from the players. Matchups, schemes and strategies come from the coach.

This team is loaded with high energy players that have the stamina to get after it. They have a strong commitment to stopping the other team from scoring.

The coach even in these early stages of development has implemented a defensive system that is starting to take hold. Players are listening and then going out on the court and executing.

The diversity of having so many players who are able to play multiple positions is a luxury.

Our rebounding has been solid. The Celtics are 6th in rebounding. Last year they were tied for 26th. This is a huge improvement.

Again, early stages of the season and an 8.5% sample size (7 games) but I think they can get better.

dboss

Excellent analyses Cow and Dboss. Excellent coaching Brad.

In this Rozier highlight, check out about :10 seconds into it when Rozier drives baseline how Baynes is sealing out his man so he can't come over to cut Rozier off.  Everybody is looking at Rozier but it happened because of Baynes.





bob


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bobheckler wrote:MY NOTE:  That's pretty impressive for a guy who has been ranked as one of the weaker defenders in the league for years.  I wonder what to attribute this change to?  Brad?  No Tyronn Lue?  He just grew up?

Basketball is a team game. The more players focus on winning rather than individual careers, the greater the odds are a franchise becomes a well-oiled machine making everyone look good.

It's the player's responsibility to work on stuff in the off-seasons. Irving doesn't have many flaws on offense and many believe defense is a lot about attitude, effort and trusting teammates. It's about being on the same page.

Instead of just showing up to have LeBron in his ear and thanking God every day for being paired with a self-described King, Kyrie can just be one of the guys, albeit still very talented.

Guys like Irving, Horford and Hayward sort of have nothing to prove in general for the most part. They are similar to KG, Pierce and Ray before Danny brought them together.

Maybe they look at a guy like Barkley who put up great stats yet still gets ribbed for never winning anything. Irving has a ring, but it probably has a Lebron asterisk attached to it in terms of Kyrie's legacy.

Pretty much of a perfect team effort. Loved seeing Rozier catch fire. I saw a Perkins/Baynes comparison yesterday. Small sample, but , while I appreciated Perk, Baynes has way better hands, is quicker and can shoot. Let`s keep it rolling .

Worcester

THAT IS AS CLOSE TO A RED AUERBACH TRADE AS YOU WILL EVER GET!

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worcester wrote:Kyrie has so much athletic ability. All he needed to do was put more attention on his defense. He'll get even better. What a great trade Danny made.

Re that 2008 win against the Spurs, Rondo bedeviled Tim Duncan that game with 11 rebounds and 12 assists.

I'll take a win against the Spurs. Yeah, yeah, Kawhi didn't play. I get it. But this team is coached by Popovich.

The most telling aspect of the Celtics' play was defense. The Spurs were shut down and the Celtics held them to under 100 points. The biggest impact was in the third quarter. The Spurs only scored 18 points and Boston managed to push a double-digit lead on the strength of Kyrie initiating a nice run to open the second half. The Spurs shot 41% from the field, but they did shoot 46% from 3pt.

Last night's game also served to further solidify my belief that Kyrie is a much better defender than he was ever given credit for.


KJ