The Boston Celtics won Game 3 in signature fashion.
Trailing by 16 points at halftime and 21 points mid-way through the third quarter, the Celtics gutted out a comeback win to stun the Cleveland Cavaliers. But, don’t pretend luck didn’t have anything to do with it. Notably, LeBron James only scored 11 points and Avery Bradley’s game-winning three pointer was the embodiment of the saying a shot “rattled home.”
While James had an off night, which is the next best thing to the Celtics disrupting his offensive rhythm, the green team won in the “hustle stats” department. For the first time in this series, the Celtics bested the Cavaliers in two of the following three categories, steals, blocks, and turnovers. They ended the game with 10 steals and 9 turnovers compared to the Cavaliers 5 steals and 15 turnovers.
More from Celtics News
- Boston Celtics’ two-way contract decision will be made after training camp
- Proposed trade sends Boston Celtics playoff killer to the Cs from rival
- ‘Face of Germany’s stunning run’ in FIBA World Cup not the only ex-Boston Celtics player to win gold
- Proposed Boston Celtics trade target pitched for reunion with fired coach
- Battle For Banner 18: Will Boston Celtics battle historical foe in 2024 Finals?
The silver lining of Isaiah Thomas being sidelined for the rest of the playoffs is it forces Stevens’ to rely on the true strength of this team, their depth. It is easy to forget one of last night’s heroes, Marcus Smart, was the 6th overall pick in the 2014 draft, and for the Celtics he is essentially a “sixth man.”
I’d be surprised if a majority of other NBA teams would expect a 27 point, 5 rebound, and 7 assist game from their back-up point guard. Certainly, that is not something the Cavaliers have the luxury of relying upon with their back-up point guard, Deron Williams, not having received more than 12 minutes per game in this series.
While there is a valid argument that the Celtics are too heavy at the guard positions, games like Game 3 in this series make Ainge’s decision to potentially trade Avery Bradley or Smart even harder. Each player brings a necessary skill set, whether it is Bradley’s ever-improving “three and D” game or Smart’s aggressive defense and hustle.
It’s not just the Celtics’ starters who contributed to the win. Jonas Jerebko scored 10 points in 12 minutes without missing a shot. He also managed to grab 5 rebounds. His effort last night definitely sparked the Celtics to victory as he does not always get an opportunity to showcase his skill set.
ESPN Staff Writer, Chris Forsberg quoted Bradley in his recent article saying, “One of the plays that he drew up when Jerebko hit shot, it was for me to lay the ball up. But it was a play that I knew that if they helped, Jonas would be wide open, and he was able to knock down his shot. Those are all plays that Brad makes, and then it’s our job to go out there and make sure that we make the next right play.”
With Thomas out, the Celtics will have to continue to receive contributions from the entire team. The more Bradley, and more so Brad Stevens, can rely on bench players such as Jerebko, the better off the Celtics will be. Game 4 will be another chance for more Celtics players to step into the spotlight.