The Boston Celtics got a much-needed win against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night, winning by a final score of 111-107. Without Marcus Smart and Payton Pritchard, Boston looked to other players to contribute to their 11th win on the season.
For the usual suspects, Jayson Tatum had another excellent game in his All-Star campaign. Finishing with 27 points on 9-of-19 shooting, nine rebounds, and three assists, the majority of the offense ran through the fourth-year pro.
Coach Brad Stevens heavily relied on him, putting him on the floor for 38 minutes, by far the most on the team.
Then, Jaylen Brown had an all-around good game as well. He struggled to shoot the ball out of the gate, starting 1-of-6 in the first quarter but ended 8-of-20 for 18 points on the game. Adding ten rebounds, four assists, and one highlight-worthy dunk, Jaylen manned the offense effectively with Tatum.
Finally, Kemba Walker had a positive impact on the game, despite his 6-of-18 shooting performance. Finishing with 19 points, he made huge baskets down the stretch and looked more aggressive in driving the ball to the rim to find open teammates. This led to his five assists, helping replace the load of Smart’s passing ability, as he is the best passer on the team this year.
There were three secondary players that had huge impacts on the Boston Celtics
Often throughout the season, the duo of Tatum and Brown have carried their weight, but they haven’t gotten apt contributions from the remaining members both in the starting lineup and off the bench. In this game against Steph Curry and the Warriors, the bench showed up in a big way, in part leading the Boston Celtics to their first victory in three games.
Let’s look at three players who deserve praise: