Transition Points Proving To Be X-Factor For Celtics

The Boston Celtics can thank transition buckets for their success this season

30-4. Let’s gloss over the fact that the Boston Celtics allowed the New York Knicks to shoot an exceptional 46 percent from the field. Also, that Boston connected on just four of their 20 three-point attempts in their thrilling 105-104 victory over their Atlantic Division foe.

The most crucial factor in Boston’s comeback win was their dominance in transition, as a startling 29 percent of their points came from fast breaks, while they allowed the Knicks to garner just a pair of transition buckets throughout the course of the night.

If the Celtics wish to maintain the success that they have enjoyed lately, as they have emerged as the clear-cut favorite to garner the third-seed in the Eastern Conference come playoff time, their supremacy in the fast break must continue to be the hallmark of their attack.

Boston currently ranks sixth in the league with 16.0 transition points per game. While catching the 55-5 Golden State Warriors (20.6 points per game) in that category may be a far-fetched proposition, the Celtics have simply ran opponents off the floor in the past three games, all victories at home. In wins over the Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers, and New York, Boston has posted a scintillating 28.3 transition points per contest, 3.6 more than the Houston Rockets, who rank second place in that category over the most recent trio of matchups.

This mastery of the fast break is correlated with defensive intensity. In the closing moments of the win over the Knicks, where the Celtics erased a late eight-point deficit with a flurry of transition hoops, the defense was absolutely suffocating, forcing multiple turnovers in the last few minutes.

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Boston recorded eight steals over the course of the game, compared with New York’s four. They also grabbed 61 rebounds to the Knicks 47 to facilitate the fast break attack. Jared Sullinger (11 rebounds), Jonas Jerebko (eight rebounds), and Jae Crowder (eight rebounds) did an impeccable job of turning their heads upwards and looking down the floor instantly after grabbing a board.

This way, the Celtics can turn a missed three-pointer into an easy basket. They are able to expose the opponent for being lackadaisical in returning back on defense, pressure that many NBA teams fail to exert.

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The theme was similar in Wednesday’s 116-93 win over the Trail Blazers in which Boston also notched 30 transition points. The Celtics out-rebounded Portland, 66-55, while forcing nine steals compared to four from Damian Lillard and company, two factors which fed perfectly into their fast-break action.

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