The Boston Celtics picked up a nice bounce-back win against the New York Knicks after losing in such a disappointing fashion at the buzzer Thursday night only to then blow them out Saturday by a final score of 99-74.
Unlike their last bout against this same squad, Boston was in complete control of the second half this time around and never gave New York a chance to cut into the lead.
Jaylen Brown was the star performer on the night in which he recorded his first career triple-double, finishing with 21 points, 11 boards, and 11 dimes on an efficient 9-15 shooting from the floor.
This is one of the first satisfying wins for the Boston Celtics in a while and is a good chance for them to build some momentum moving forward.
With this, here are some of the good, the bad, and the ugly from the blowout victory:
The good: The Boston Celtics maintained control of the game until the end
It is no secret that the Boston Celtics have been awful in the second half of games and that is especially true in the fourth quarter. Too many times this season the Cs have gone cold in crucial moments and given away games they previously had total control over.
Four of their 21 losses this season have come after blowing leads of 19 or more, including their previous game against the Knickerbockers.
Biggest leads by the Celtics in what became losses this season: 19, 19, 19 and now 25.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) January 7, 2022
Teams with 25-point leads were 138-1 this season before tonight.
The Celtics were not interested in adding to that statistic Saturday night and were able to see off the Knicks with a complete second half on both ends of the floor.
On the offensive side of things, the ball was moving well, players were moving with purpose, and it was leading to good looks. They finished with 26 assists on 36 made baskets tonight and it’s no coincidence that the assist numbers are high when the offense doesn’t settle for too many isolation sets.
It wasn’t just their offense that allowed them to maintain control, however, but also their defense. They managed to hold New York to 18 or fewer points for the final three quarters of action.
Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III were the leaders on the defensive end and both filled up the stat sheet, with the former finishing with four steals and the latter finishing with four blocks.
The Time Lord’s defensive impact was felt all night and he made a contest on nearly every New York attempt inside.
The C’s will need to put up more balanced performances like this if they are to make a push in the standings before the playoffs.