Boston’s Poise was the Biggest Takeaway From The Big Win
By Jeremy Karll
The Boston Celtics showed a lot of positive signs in last night’s victory, but none bigger than their poise at the end of the game
The Boston Celtics were able to do what no other team has been able to do in the past 54 games, beat the Golden State Warriors in the Bay. The Celtics played a complete game and were able to steal a much-needed win from the Warriors, improving their record to 44-32.
Beating a team like the Warriors in the fashion they did showed a lot about this team. They were able to play their best game of the season despite not having Jae Crowder again. The Celtics looked like a team that could make some serious noise in the playoffs, especially if they get 100 percent healthy.
It’s easy to get worked up over a huge win like this, and even easier to start to overreact about this team’s expectations. However, while in the grand scheme of things it shouldn’t change how people see the Celtics doing in the playoffs, it’s still proof that anything could happen this postseason. It also adds a lot of confidence to a young team who was going through one of their toughest stretches of the season.
With that being said, Brad Stevens arguably had the quote of the night when describing this victory. He told reporters, “Progress is not in the result. Progress is in the poise.”
Addressing the young team’s poise in crucial late game situations is well-warranted and shouldn’t go unnoticed in all the hoopla following the win. After Harrison Barnes hit a three-pointer late in the game, Boston didn’t flinch a muscle. They also didn’t when Amir Johnson had the ball stolen away by Draymond Green – they stole it right back on the next possession.
While they were able to escape with a victory and play solid basketball down the stretch for the most part, Boston still had some troubles late in the game. Maybe it’s all the March Madness I’ve watched over the past month, or maybe its the negative stereotype towards young teams late in games, either way, seeing a Boston collapse late in the game seemed very possible. Besides, I’m guessing most people were shocked when Steph Curry missed a three late in the game that would have tied it with only a couple of seconds left.
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Boston is one of the youngest teams in the league and young teams have a tendency to play safe at the end of games and take their foot off the pedal. They play to not lose instead of playing to win, which results in a loss most of the time. Whether it was Marcus Smart nailing a big three in the fourth quarter or Isaiah Thomas only scoring four points and Boston managing to get by, Boston proved a lot to everyone.
They stayed with in themselves, didn’t commit dumb turnovers or fouls, and continued to play their game. Most importantly, they didn’t play scared and continued to be aggressive and attack the basket instead of settling for outside shots.
It says a lot about the coaching job of Brad Stevens, and further makes the case of him being the Coach of the Year. Being able to have a team with as much discipline late in the game as Boston showed on Friday night is rare, and Stevens has been able to achieve that.
Boston has been on a downward spiral over their past ten games and if anything was going to get them out of it, it was going to be a win over the Warriors. This is a big time, confidence boosting win as they head into the playoffs in 14 days. Boston was able to slow the game down, up the defensive intensity, and showed their capable of playing effectively in half-court situations late in games – one of the biggest question marks surrounding this team in the playoffs. While it’s only one game, it helps relieve some concern of late game situations in the postseason.
Next: Boston Celtics Free Agent Target: Harrison Barnes
The Celtics proved a lot of doubters wrong on Friday night and showing their poise late in the game adds a lot of confidence to how they will fare in the playoffs. Winning a second game of a back-to-back is always impressive, but it’s safe to say this one tops them all. The Celtics shocked the NBA world on national TV on Friday night as the team without a go-to-guy was able to beat one of the best teams in NBA history.