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Offense Carries the Boston Celtics to 15th Straight Win

By Joshua Bateman

ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 18: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics grabs the rebound against the Atlanta Hawks on November 18, 2017 at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 18: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics grabs the rebound against the Atlanta Hawks on November 18, 2017 at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Boston Celtics finally had their offense carry their defense to extend their winning streak

The Boston Celtics are on one of the most improbable runs you will ever see. They are just four wins away from a franchise record 19 straight wins, and they have done it in the face of more adversity than anyone else in the league. Injuries alone should have made this run impossible, and poor offensive play in the majority of the games has transformed how you can look at this Celtics team.

There is, however, one clear reason the Celtics have been able to overcome these injuries, and that is the defense Brad Stevens has each and every player playing. No matter what has gone wrong for the Celtics during this run, they have responded with their defense, and every single player that is on the court is having an impact in that area.

The Celtics have thrown out no defensive duds during this stretch, and that has made up for a mediocre offense that is clearly still a work in progress. For their 15th straight win, however, things were a bit different. The Celtics were not a disaster on defense, but this was the first game when the offense needed to come in and make up for the defense in order to win the game.

The Atlanta Hawks were still held under 100 points, so you cannot say the defense was horrible. That being said, that is much worse than their season average, and it happened against one of the weakest teams they have played. The Hawks were much better on offense than anyone should have expected going into that game, and the Celtics do not get the win if the the offense does not take over to close the game.

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Kyrie Irving and Jaylen Brown had two of their finest performances of the season. They combined for 57 points, and missed a total of five shots. They killed the Hawks shooting 9-12 from three point range, and they were four missed Brown free throws from a near flawless combination.

The best part was the timing. They took over when it was needed most, and made sure they did not waste any of their opportunities when they needed to close the game. It was hardly an impressive win for a Celtics team that should be able to handle the Hawks without a problem, but this was a nice reminder that they still have the offense that can take over, even if it has been the defense carrying them so far.

Brown and Irving really carried the load and took the lead for the Celtics in this one, but it was also one of their most complete performances as a unit. They hit 47 percent of their overall shots, but it was 47 percent from three that is most exciting. The Celtics have made it clear that they are going to keep shooting three pointers no matter how many they miss, and this was a nice reminder that they can start knocking them down at a deadly rate.

This was not a game you could say fixed all the offensive woes, but it showed another side of this team. They have overcome so many different things and found so many different ways to get wins in games where they have struggled. Finally, offense was the reason they got that win. It would feel a lot better if this came against some top defensive team, but it is still a positive sign for a team that is waiting for their offense to become a team that can truly compete for a championship.

Next: The Curious Case of Marcus Smart

A lot of this season is now going to be about whether or not the offense can catch up to the defense, and make the Celtics the most balanced team in the league. We will need to see a lot more than just a win against the Hawks, but the offense is always something we have known should improve as the season goes on and the lineup stays healthy.

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