[ad_1]
BOSTON – Al Horford drilled a game sealing bucket out of the corner. The Celtics sidestepped the Bulls comeback in the 4th quarter with a load of difficult shots. Coach Joe Mazzurra thought Boston played one of the better games of the season because of the “mindset” and “toughness” the team displayed.
The Celtics didn’t need a hot night from the outside to hold the Bulls 107-99. His part of the reason is also that Mazzura started Robert his Williams for the first time all season. With Marcus Smart sidelined with a left knee contusion, Mazura returned to the big frontcourt and gave the Celtics a dominant defense last season.
“We felt like we were back to normal,” said Jayson Tatum.
Tatum quickly corrected, pointing to Smart’s absence. The Celtics did not fully reform their former first unit. Still, for the first time since Williams returned from missing 29 games early in the season, the Celtics called him up in his first frontcourt. Unleashing the duo of Williams and Horford to beat their opponents’ offense last season. Williams’ Stats His line has been relatively bleak with his 6 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 assists, but his teammates and coaches are unaware of all his presence has brought them. pointed out.
“He was great,” Mazzura said. “I think he brought a certain amount of joy to our team because of how unselfish he is and the type of play he can make on both ends of the floor. I thought that was good, and that’s what we’re going to continue to work on.”
The Celtics need to find their offensive rhythm in these big frontcourts, but their defensive formula still works. With Horford next door, Williams can roam away from the opponent’s least threatening perimeter player. was.
For a variety of reasons, including Williams’ limited playing time since his return, Boston only used the two men for a combined 38 minutes in Williams’ first nine games this season. After his one of these games, assistant his coach Damon Stoudamire said he expects more time for these types of lineups soon. Sure enough, Horford and Williams had him play together for 11 minutes on Thursday, inspiring an intense effort. The Celtics extended a 14-7 lead before the game’s first substitution, mostly by collecting regular stops. Over the course of the game, the Bulls scored just 18 points while Williams and Horford shared the court. The Celtics held Chicago to his 8-of-22 shooting (36.4%) and offensively he allowed just one rebound.
Williams turns mistakes into highlights. He covers the ground like a free safe. It didn’t matter when the Celtics fell defensively on an inbounds play early in the first quarter. Williams waited for the right moment to counter Ayo’s Dosunmu layup and shot from the backboard.
The Celtics can win without Williams. They proved it by climbing to the top of his NBA rankings in his absence. They can thrive with him coming off the bench. His net rating (plus 10.8) coming into Monday night’s game is proof of that. Still, if they are to reach their peak, Williams’ teammates believe they will need more than he has ever been given.
“I know other players have had hot starts playing different types of balls, but I think in the playoffs, lobs will become an important part of offense and defense. We need them.” Jaylen Brown said. “So I think we should look into that as the playoffs get closer.”
Celtics players seem desperate for a day when Williams has more free time to handle. That day has not yet come. The team’s official messaging about it hasn’t always been consistent, but Williams is indeed under the minutes limit, which is why he played no more than 22 minutes in his first nine games. bottom. That’s the key reason he didn’t start by Monday. The Celtics know they will need him most once the playoffs begin and want to treat his return from injury with due care. Contributed to the length of time put out.
He was able to make a big impact on his team’s finals last season, even though he limped through many games. can you just help me?
“I need Rob,” Brown said. “Rob is amazing. Rob has a special ability on offense and defense. I think the more we integrate and use him, the better our team will be.”
Starting with Williams and using a season-high 23 minutes, the Celtics launched a different style against Chicago: their old style. Tatum has played 42 percent of power forwards this season, according to Cleaning the Grass, but has never played a power forward against the Bulls. For all of his 48 minutes, the Celtics played either Horford or Grant his Williams as his power forward, according to a survey of NBA.com lineup data. They chose a size. They chose physicality. They chose to return to the recipe that transformed them into last season’s nominees.
It’s probably no coincidence that the Celtics have allowed under 100 points for the sixth time this season. His defensive efficiency of 104.2 points per 100 possessions ranked him 10th for the campaign. The Bulls were at the rim and he only attempted 12 shots. This proves that the Celtics do not allow many easy baskets.
“He did a lot for our defense,” Horford said.
The Celtics don’t always play with bigger lineups. They got Malcolm Brogdon in the offseason so they could do more shapeshifting if needed. Still, they were grateful to be able to show off their old style again. Robert Williams won’t necessarily stay in the first unit after Smart returns, but Mazura liked how Boston looked against Chicago.
The Celtics only shot 41-for-11 on 3-point attempts, but held off the Bulls even after Zach LaVine’s impressive 4th quarter shot. After Chicago trailed by two points late in that period, Tatum found Horford open in the corner to beat the Bulls double team. The big man drilled a clutch 3-pointer with 25.5 seconds left to give the Celtics a 5-point lead. Moments later, Tatum capped off the win by slamming an And-1 dunk in transition.
“Regardless of the outcome, on both ends of the floor, we kept a certain body language and a certain focus about us,” Mazura said. “The togetherness, the attention to detail, and it was really fun to watch them do it.”
(Photo of Celtics center Robert Williams blocking a shot on Monday: David Butler II/USA Today)
[ad_2]
Source link
