Boston Celtics: Kemba Walker steps up big for Cs in gritty win

The Boston Celtics started this game down 18-4, going, 1-8 from the field during that run by Indiana. It was looking like another stinker from the get-go.

I’m sure we were all just about ready to shut off the game, but the Cs did something very uncharacteristic of this season… they fought Back.

From that 18-4 run to start the game, the Cs went on a 28-13 run to take a 32-31 lead at the end of the first quarter. They were back in the game and the fight didn’t stop there. Even with some players struggling to hit shots, there was one constant all night — Kemba Walker.

Kemba finished the game with 32 points on 10-19 from the field and 4-10 from beyond-the-arc. This is yet another statement game from Walker post sitting the latter night of back-to-backs. In said games, he now posts averages of 24.6 points per game on 50 percent shooting from the field and 49 percent shooting from downtown.

The former All-NBA guard is slowly looking like his old self, and while he does have bad games mixed in, the trends are clear that he’s still a great player, but just needs time. The biggest problem many fans have is how much time does he needs to be doing this on a nightly basis?

Even with this win, Boston is still below .500 and the All-Star break is coming up.

For all of our sakes, including Walker’s, we should be hoping he can revert to his 4x All-Star form, as it would truly unlock the potential of this team.

Are there better options out there for the point guard position? Yes.

However, one game should not fuel any reactionary “get Kemba out of Boston” or “he is back to his old self” comments. There are two sides to every coin, and Walker has yet to land on either one.

If a deal is presented that could instantly make this team better, it should be made, but Walker can still be a great third option and primary playmaker.

Boston Celtics’ Kemba Walker makes up for the deficiencies of All-Star forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown

Kemba saved the Cs tonight.

The Jays, especially Jayson Tatum, put up a poor effort, going a combined 9-30. This is not exactly ideal that Walker, Tatum, and Brown have yet to put up a good game on the same night 33 games into the season.

However, it is nice to see that Walker can step up when the Cs need him most.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Celtics started to lose that lead, which has become instinctive at this point in the season, but Walker willed them back into it. Boston led by 10 with 9:06 left on the clock in the fourth, but it was just a one-point game with 8:14 on the board.

In less than a minute, it went from a four to five possession game, to the Pacers being one shot away from a lead. From that point, Walker scored or assisted on 11 of the C’s final 20 points.

It truly was a special game to watch from Walker, one that gives Boston Celtics fans everywhere confidence he can be what he was before. It is also something that Boston needs due to the slump of now All-Star starter Jayson Tatum.

Tatum has now put up back-to-back terrible performances. In the last two games he is a combined 8-38 from the field (21%), and 2-12 from downtown (16%). Since the start of February, Tatum is averaging 24 points per game on 39 percent from the field, and 32 percent from deep.

If you ask me, those are not exactly All-Star starter numbers.

Ever since the All-NBA forward came back from a COVID-19 diagnosis, he hasn’t exactly looked like his former self. In an interview with ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, Tatum talked about what it has been like since returning from COVID:

"“I think it messes with your breathing a little bit, I have experienced games…where you get fatigued a lot quicker than normal. Running up and down the court a few times, it’s easier to get out of breath, or tired a lot faster.”"

This has been evident to say the least. His shots look very out of rhythm like he is forcing shots in transition, unable to find better shots. Maybe he is trying to pace himself, taking shots that may be more contested, but require less effort to get off.

Hopefully, with more game time and more conditioning, Tatum can return to normal.

As much as this team needs Kemba Walker to be a viable third option to be successful, they need Tatum 10x as much. Tatum is the engine that makes this team go, the best shooter and shot creator the team has and when his game is off, we are noticeably suffering.

In the end, this was a great, hard-fought game from the Boston Celtics — a statement victory if you will. Hopefully, they can continue this streak into the All-Star break and get over .500 again.