Boston Celtics: 3 takeaways from rock-fight against Pacers
In the 41st game of the season, the Boston Celtics outlasted the Indiana Pacers, winning by a final score of 101-98. This victory brings the C’s to just one game below .500, a record they will look to improve on in the second half of the season.
In one of the most clunky, sleep-inducing games of the year, Boston backpedaled into a victory against the similarly struggling Pacers. Both teams came into Monday’s contest with a 2-11 record in games decided by five or fewer points, indicating their overall failures in clutch situations.
However, one of these teams had to win, and that just happened to be the boys in green. The four quarters of regulation had a similar feel to most Celtics games of the last month — build a minor lead through the first 36 minutes, then get caught going through the motions, leading to a blown lead in the final period.
They ended up down four with just under a minute left, but the C’s found a way to win with star Jayson Tatum hitting a game-tying baseline jumper with little time remaining.
In overtime, it was largely a different story, with the Boston Celtics executing offensive sets with more purpose and energy.
Hoping to build off this ugly win, let’s look at 3 takeaways from the team’s 20th victory of the year:
Boston Celtics takeaway No. 1) Extremely short rotations
The Boston Celtics offense looked as bad as ever down the stretch, with multiple no-pass possessions taking place when the team needed points.
The Boston ball-handler was often crossing the halfcourt line with only 17 seconds left on the shot clock, and beginning their action with ten or fewer seconds. That kind of offense is not a recipe for success, asking a lot from your individual shot-making instead of an actual scheme.
However, a reason for this may have been the increased minutes every rotational player saw on Monday. After Marcus Smart went down with an injury in the second half, coach Ime Udoka went to a seven-man rotation, only using Josh Richardson, Grant Williams, and Dennis Schroder off the bench.
Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Robert Williams all played more than 40 minutes, while Richardson played 38 off the bench.
Including overtime, multiple players were on the court for 20 straight minutes, numbers usually seen in playoff-type atmospheres. It was certainly noticeable, as players looked gassed both on offense and on the bench, leading to below-average play in general.
Although it’s encouraging to see the Boston Celtics try to secure a win by any means necessary, coach Udoka is going to have to trust his younger players with valuable minutes sooner or later. Wings Aaron Nesmith and Romeo Langford can both contribute in their own right but have struggled to get consistent playing time in the rotation.
In recent weeks, Udoka has mentioned how Grant and Richardson are the only two C’s players having above-average shooting seasons. With this in mind, he finally made the change to play those two in the closing lineup, alongside the trio of Tatum, Brown, and Williams.
This decision ultimately makes the Boston Celtics a more productive offensive team, surrounding their young stars with capable shooters.