The Boston Celtics didn’t play a full 48-minute game last night, but there were some players who stepped up and made the Indiana
Nov 22, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Indiana Pacers small forward Paul George (24) dribbles the ball against Boston Celtics shooting guard Jeff Green (right) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
Pacers have to work in order to win their 11th game of the year. Let’s break down the Celtics’ three stars Friday evening.
Third Star: Jared Sullinger
Sullinger continues to make his case for the most consistent Celtic this season. He scored 13 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, and banged bodies with Pacers’ big man Roy Hibbert most of the evening, limiting Hibbert to 6 points on just 3-11 shooting. Sully shot 50% from the field when he wasn’t hoisting treys (he was 0-2 from downtown), so as much as I would like to see him stretch the defense, I would prefer he develop a long-range J a la Tim Duncan and forget about trying to become the next Robert Horry.
Second Star: Jeff Green
Green had a pretty good offensive game – 20 points – but he wasn’t as aggressive attacking the rim as I would have liked, since he only attempted two free throws last night. His biggest contribution, though, came on the defensive end. Paul George may have gone for 27, but he needed 20 shots to get there, and he really had to work hard whenever Green was on him. Thus, Green’s offense was nice, but D was what made him my second star.
First Star: Jordan Crawford
Nov 22, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics shooting guard Jordan Crawford (27) hits a three-point basket as time expires in the first half against Indiana Pacers point guard George Hill (3) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
My Twitter timeline was full of love for Crawford during the first half of last night’s game. My favorite:
Jordan Crawford might as well be wearing a Globetrotters uniform right now
— John Karalis 🇬🇷🇺🇦 (@John_Karalis) November 23, 2013
Yep, Crawford was showing off his steeze in the first half, hitting all 8 of his shots, including a ridiculous shot from just inside half court as the buzzer sounded, to head into the break with 19 points. The Pacers made adjustments, and Boston’s fondness for turnovers kept Crawford from doing a lot of damage in the second half, but he still wound up with 24 and shot 10-12 from the field. What a year Crawford is having! One can only hope he keeps playing at this level once he starts coming off of the bench as Rajon Rondo’s back-up.
Agree? Disagree? Let me hear it, below or @theamazingMrS!