Kyrie Irving’s ability to create space unparalleled

https://www.bostonherald.com/2018/12/26/celtics-notebook-kyrie-irvings-ability-to-create-space-unparalleled/



Celtics notebook: Kyrie Irving’s ability to create space unparalleled




BOSTON, MA. – DECEMBER 25: Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving (11) reacts after making a three-point shot during overtime in an NBA basketball game on December 25, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Mary Schwalm/Boston Herald)



By MARK MURPHY | markr.murphy@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald



December 26, 2018 at 11:24 pm



Al Horford is one of the best floor-spacing big men in the NBA, but when it comes to creating room for Kyrie Irving, the Celtics center admits his teammate usually doesn’t need a lot of help.

“The thing about him is he kind of creates his own space,” Horford said. “We just have to make sure that we’re not crowding him, letting him work, and I feel like he’s going to make the right decision, whether to shoot it or pass it.”

The Celtics begin a three-city road trip with a game Thursday night in Houston, but for a moment it’s worth looking back at the Celtics’ 121-114 overtime win over Philadelphia on Christmas, and Irving’s ability to send the game into overtime despite coverage from one of the NBA’s greatest defenders – Jimmy Butler.


Irving took the ball on the left side of the arc, and with Butler playing him tight, dribbled into the lane, where he feinted to both sides with his back to the basket before moving further right to make a rainbow fadeaway over Butler. Irving then nailed down the game – arguably the biggest Celtics win of the season – with back-to-back 3-pointers in overtime.

But his work against Butler accentuated Horford’s point.

“Jimmy was playing pretty well, his defense, just pressuring me, staying into my body,” Irving said. “That’s what they did probably from middle of the third with TJ (McConnell) picking me up fullcourt and just pressuring me to Jimmy switching off and just using his length and physicality to his advantage.

“But I just tried to get a little bit of space,” he said. “I knew that that shot was open for most of the night, I just couldn’t dial it in. (Joel) Embiid was so far back in the paint, our bigs got great screens on me, and I had to just finally make a few of those shots where I was coming off and I had a great look at the rim.

“Whether or not the defensive player was next to me didn’t really matter as long as I got my eyes on the rim, and I kept my body square, I felt like it was a good shot. My teammates and coaches just kept telling me to keep shooting because they were pretty good shots. Any time I got a little bit of daylight I wasn’t really seeing a lot of people in front of me. And for me, mentally, it was kind of messing me up being that wide open coming off of certain pin-downs and pick-and-rolls. I’m usually getting blitzed or guys are up to touch coming off. I just wasn’t dialed in enough, but I made them when it counted.”

That’s why, for all of the great players Horford has been associated with, none may compare with his current point guard.


“No question,” Horford said. “Thing about him is, especially in this last year, I’ve seen him continue to get better, having more of an understanding for the offense and what coach expects from him. It’s great to see.”


All about Al

Irving’s shot-making aside, Tuesday’s win may not have been possible without a healthy, rested Horford making all of the little plays, like chasing down loose balls and rebounding, down the stretch.

“He just brings a calming presence,” Irving said. “It’s nothing like having a plus-12 vet out there that knows how to play basketball. He makes the game a lot easier with screening, rebounding, defense, all the intangibles that just demand that effort. And he’s just always locked in, in the game plan. Al may not say a lot but he knows a lot and, for me, I like to lean on him for leadership and just keeping our bigs focused and knowing what the game plan is.”

Horford’s health – he may spend the rest of the season dealing with left knee patellar tendinitis – is an ongoing process. He probably hasn’t seen the last of minutes restrictions, even though he played 30 minutes Tuesday.

“He doesn’t even seem like he’s all the way there yet,” Jayson Tatum said. “But just having his presence down there with Embiid and giving him trouble a little bit. Just hearing his voice out there, he’s one of our leaders, so it helps out a lot.”


Riding clutch

For all of their inconsistency this season, the Celtics do tend to come up big in clutch situations, in close games.

“We have a good mixture of veterans and young guys,” Marcus Morris said. “You know, (Marcus Smart), you know his intensity’s always high in overtime, you know, attention to detail between our starting five, and I think the chemistry is high. So we’re just making plays and getting the ball in guys’ hands and make plays.  And we understand each other’s game so the spacing is always correct. And guys are making the right plays and it always leads to winning.

“I think the camaraderie between (the starting) five, you know, we trust each other,” he said. “We know each other’s game, and I think it showed. We moved the ball pretty well, we get to the basket, we get the shots we wanted. Over and over again we’ve been resilient, so we’re just trying to win games and keep it going.”



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