Boston Celtics: Player grades from NBA Play-in victory

The Boston Celtics picked up an impressive victory in the NBA’s inaugural play-in tournament, defeating the Washington Wizards by a final score of 118-100. After an up-and-down season which ultimately led to a .500 record, Boston finds itself in a first-round matchup against the almighty Brooklyn Nets.

They will undoubtedly be massive underdogs for this upcoming series, but that did not stop them on Tuesday night, beating the streaking Wizards despite 12 of ESPN’s 16 experts picking them to lose. The Celtics took control of the game in the second half, starting the third quarter off on a 17-2 run.

The Cs did not come out of this game fully healthy, however, with starting center Robert Williams re-aggravating his turf toe injury. After the game, coach Brad Stevens described it as a toe hyperextension, saying he will get treatment. Additionally, Marcus Smart twisted his ankle in the second quarter, but came back and played the rest of the game, with no sign of any discomfort.

The Boston Celtics played some of their best basketball of the season

They chose just the right time to do so, with their playoff series with Brooklyn beginning on Saturday. With that being said, let’s grade the performances of important players after the big win.

Boston Celtics Grades: Jayson Tatum (A+)

The easiest grade to give, Jayson Tatum carried the Celtics to the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference with one of the best games of his career. Finishing with 50 points on 14-of-32 shooting, 5-of-12 from three, and a perfect 17-of-17 from the line, he scored at will against the smaller Washington defenders. Scoring 23 of his 50 in the third quarter alone, Tatum gave the Celtics a comfortable lead, holding it the rest of the way.

He was able to score anywhere on the court, hitting fadeaway mid-rangers and stepback isolation threes while also driving aggressively to the rim. If the opposing defender gave him any sort of room, he drove by them, either finishing at the cup or drawing a foul with ease. This tendency has taken his game to the next level over the past month, tapping into his aggressive nature to get easy points at the free-throw line. This aggressiveness led the Wizards to get into foul trouble, as Rui Hachimura picked up five fouls in his first ten minutes of action. As a team, Washington committed 31 fouls to the Celtics’ 17.

To go along with his splendid shooting performance, JT finished with eight rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and only two turnovers. For the main ball-handler, two turnovers in 41 minutes are completely acceptable, showing how much he has improved running the offense. He finished with a +/- of +25, displaying his impact on the team, especially after Jaylen Brown is sidelined for the year.

On a night when not many complementary players had it going, the Boston Celtics needed a superstar performance from their superstar player, and they got one.

Boston Celtics Grades: Kemba Walker (A)

Tatum got most of his help from Kemba Walker, who continued his great play over the past month. Scoring 29 points on 10-of-24 shooting and 6-of-14 from downtown, Walker made Washington pay whenever they left him open. Forced into a second-star role due to injuries, Kemba delivered, hitting clutch shot after clutch shot to secure the Celtics the win.

He used his quickness expertly around off-ball screens to create open looks for himself, as he did not do much of his damage in isolation. With Tatum having the game that he did, he was often overlooked, as multiple defenders focused on the superstar. Kemba took full advantage of this, reminding everyone of the player he is capable of being.

On the defensive side of the ball, he drew multiple charges, sacrificing his body for the good of the team. He may be undersized, but he knows how to make the most out of his physical limitations, making it difficult for the opposition to operate in their offense.

Walker will need to continue this type of play if the Boston Celtics want any chance of defeating almighty Brooklyn.

Boston Celtics Grades: Tristan Thompson (A-)

Tristan Thompson was forced into a greater role after the unfortunate injury to Robert Williams, who could not play for the majority of the second half. This gave TT the brunt of the minutes on Tuesday, finishing with 12 points and 12 rebounds in 30 minutes.

Thompson excelled in this specific matchup, being able to guard either Alex Len or Robin Lopez in the post comfortably. He outmuscles each of those big men, leading to six of the Celtics’ 14 offensive rebounds on the night. In the first half, he struggled to make an impact, scoring six points and three rebounds.

In the second half, he came out with a new energy, along with the rest of the Celtics team, fighting for loose balls to get extra possessions. He even made a nice pass to the corner, something that Thompson has struggled with in Celtic green. The offense did not completely run through him, a habit that Thompson falls into sometimes, allowing both Tatum and Walker to do their thing.

Thompson got himself open under the rim quite a lot, drawing contact on multiple occasions – he finished 4-of-8 from the free-throw line. That type of aggressiveness was seen up and down the roster, shooting a combined 32 free throws.

Boston Celtics Grades: Marcus Smart (B-)

On the offensive end, Marcus Smart did not do much of anything in this game, only scoring seven points on eight shot attempts. However, he did dish out six assists and recorded a +/- of +23 in his 35 minutes of play, speaking to how valuable he is to this team.

He had the assignment of Russell Westbrook most of the night, sometimes switching onto Bradley Beal. He held Westbrook to an inefficient 20 points, shooting 6-of-18 from the floor. He was not able to use his quickness and explosiveness towards the rim against Smart, as he matched him step for step on any drive. This forced him into a lot of jump shots, missing all four of his three-point attempts.

When a big and strong guard matches Westbrook’s level of intensity, it’s difficult for him to find avenues to score if his jump shot isn’t falling. Along with this, he only finished with five assists, an extremely low number for the triple-double machine.

With good defense on the Wizards’ star backcourt and not taking any head-scratcher Marcus Smart shots in this game, a decent grade is in order.

Boston Celtics Grades: Evan Fournier (C+)

Evan Fournier struggled in his Boston Celtics playoff debut, only shooting 3-of-11 from the field for eight points. He hit a clutch three down the stretch to ice the game, but couldn’t find his rhythm for most of the contest.

Despite not finding his stroke, Fournier contributed in other ways, acting as a secondary ball-handler, running most of the pick-and-roll when Tatum was out of the play. He found Thompson under the basket a few times, leading to easy points. That is the value of bringing in a player such as Fournier at the trade deadline – he can create for both himself and others.

He finished the game with six rebounds and four assists in 36 minutes. He held up well on the defensive end against the not-so-dangerous Washington wings in this one, but it will be interesting to see who he defends against the stacked Brooklyn lineup.

Boston will need Fournier to find his offensive form to defeat a championship favorite in the first round.

Romeo Langford and Aaron Nesmith both contributed to the victory as well, playing 14 minutes off the bench a piece. They held up defensively and are not complete zero’s on offense (looking at you, Semi Ojeleye). Look for them to both stay in the playoff rotation, especially if Robert Williams’ injury is an extended one.

It was refreshing to get a victory in the most important game of the year. However, there might not be many more wins on the season, as your Boston Celtics face off against Brooklyn in game one on Saturday night.