Celtics Outlast Magic in OT 122-119

I did not watch the game yesterday because I previously cancelled NBA Team Pass.  I figure the playoff games will be televised on national TV so I can miss a few restart games  This summary is built on comments from the game on thread, play by play accounts from ESPN gamecast, extended highlights  and a phone call with my best friend in Boston who like me has been rolling with the green for 60 years.

Overtime games are on the edge of your seat affairs (My friend told me that)  I do hope that Celtics fans appreciate the value of coming back at the end and then winning in OT.  Teams that can win close games are mentally tough.  And it is going to take that type of mental toughness to matriculate through a playoff run that is unpredictable.  

About The Game

Led by an A+ performance from Gordon Hayward (31 points, 5 assists and 9 rebounds and  12-18, shooting, our wing dominant team dropped 79 points, 30 rebounds and 12 assists.  Tatum scored 29 included 5 straight to tie this game in regulation at 112 all.  Jaylen Brown had a double double with 19 points and he led the team in rebounding with 12.

We got solid contributions off the bench from Brad Wanamaker with 10 points.  Smart led the team with 9 assists and he scored 8.   Up and coming rotation guy Robert Williams scored 8 points.

Kanter played only 8 minutes but had 8 rebounds.  He is a rebounding machine but he also collected 4 personal fouls.  You see he is also a foul machine!

Semi came back down to earth with 3 points, 1 board and 1 steal in 12 minutes.
 
Those 10 guys were the ones that I pointed out in another thread as being the group Brad would play moving forward.  It is critical for that group to develop chemistry and be intertwined together during different lineups.

During these 6 restart games the biggest takeaway for me has been the play of Robert Williams III.

He has only played in 3 games but his abilities are no fluke.  He is averaging 15 minutes per game with 12 points and 4 rebounds.  He is 15-17 from the field for an eye popping 88%.  He is turning into a reliable passer, a solid screener and a guy that finishes at the rim at a very high rate.  He also appears to be a guy that has good mechanics in shooting FT and mid-range shots.  
 
I think it may be time to up his minutes.  I think it is time to run 3 or 4 more plays for him every game.

He adds an element to our offense that will force opponents to sag away from our shooters.  Marcus Smart in particular seems to have an innate connection with Rob.  If the Timelord gets more minutes, our wing guys also need to see him as a viable alternative to searching out another 3 point shot.

Speaking of 3 point shots the Celtics take to many at the wrong time.  Down the stretch when the game is close and you have the ball and a 3 point lead, run plays that get you to the rim.  You have a much better chance of picking up a foul. We were a Ghastly 12-40 yesterday for 30%.

Totally agree about Williams. With GH getting back to his previous form, and JT and JB hitting their strides this year, it almost seems like too much to ask that the time for Timelord is now, but I'll take it....

Shamrock1000 wrote:Totally agree about Williams. With GH getting back to his previous form, and JT and JB hitting their strides this year, it almost seems like too much to ask that the time for Timelord is now, but I'll take it....

Rock

We are at this point just talking about rotation minutes.  Brad may have already figured out that he has to go with RWill over GWill.  If that is the case Brad needs to solidify Robs rotation minutes so that he will be ready for the playoff.  Stop chopping up the minutes with other bench guys.  At this point I would not waste time playing guys that have shown nothing of substance.

As of today Rob is the guy whose offense has exceeded his season average.

With that in mind, I have cancelled my vote for Langford and have choosen RW instead.

AFter the blowouts of the Nets and Raptors this had trap game written all over it, and it almost was.

What a great game by Gordon.  He really is amazing, isn't he?  Not particularly athletic, although he can put on a spurt, not a particularly high jumper nor especially tall for his position nor particularly strong or weighty and yet he just seems to go wherever he wants to go and do whatever he wants to do.  

Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
4 hours ago
Gordon Hayward team ranks in Orlando 18.7 PPG (3) 8.2 RPG (1) 3.7 APG (3) 5.3 FTA/G (1) 34.5 MPG (1) +9.2 net rating (1)

Tatum carried us in OT.  He gave us 5 of our 10 points (17 total points in a 5 minute OT.  Not exactly singeing the twine by either team).  I don't know why but I wasn't singing his praises during the game last night (nor was I singeing them).  Maybe it was his 4 turnovers.  Regardless, no Tatum in OT and no W.

Wanny with one of his solid games.

Smart with a 3-10 clunker night but 9 assists and only 1 turnover.  He really is underrated as a floor general.

8 rebounds and 4 fouls in 8 minutes for Kanter.  For better and for worse you knew he was out there.

RWill growing before our eyes.  Fewer blown defensive rotations, which is what was killing him before.

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=401224763





bob


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Hes more athletic than Marcus Morris, but seriously there's so many athletic players like OG Anunoby that just don't have near the coordination or skill of GH. He just knows how to ball/play and he even rebounds better than OG too. Ben Simmons is another uber athlete, but he can't shoot to save his life and hasn't improved at all since his rookie year according to my eye test. I'd take GH over him 24/7. Which makes me appreciate the improved shooting mechanics of RWill even more. We must have great coaching or Sixers have lousy ones.