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Boston Celtics: 3 takeaways from C’s beatdown over Kings

By Michael Ivanoskos

BOSTON, MA - JANUARY 25: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics goes to the basket past Davion Mitchell #15 of the Sacramento Kings during a game at TD Garden on January 25, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - JANUARY 25: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics goes to the basket past Davion Mitchell #15 of the Sacramento Kings during a game at TD Garden on January 25, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /
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Boston Celtics Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Boston Celtics Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /

Boston Celtics takeaway No. 1) Top-5 defense was stellar

The defense was a complete jailhouse. Throw away the proverbial key, for Tuesday night we saw an absolute lockdown performance.

The Boston Celtics held the Kings to a season-low 30 percent shooting performance as a team and they only put up a measly 75 points total.

For the C’s, it’s all about that 18 in terms of getting the next banner. For the Kings, it was all about that near 18 percent shooting in the opening frame.

Big props have to be given to unsung heroes in Marcus Smart and Robert Williams.

These two do a tremendous job of anchoring a top-five defense in the NBA — yes, entering Tuesday’s game the Boston Celtics were ranked fifth in defensive rating.

As I mentioned in the intro, Smart did not score on the night, but his impact and presence go far beyond buckets. He was a +36 out there and dished out seven dimes.

We have two tremendous scorers in Brown and Tatum already. As a complement, we need a point guard who guards well and distributes to the stars while being a controller of the offense.

The veteran guard did this in spades against the Kings, proving maybe he can adapt his game to suit the pair of All-Star wings.

Boston outrebounded Sacramento 72-51 — no, this is not a typo.

The rebounding effort was led by Robert Williams who had 17 boards to go with 13 points to complete his double-double.

On top of all this, the C’s perimeter defense was stifling. They held the Kings to 18 percent from distance, equating to just 6-33 shooting.

We saw playoff-caliber defense from the Celtics.

That’s one way to defend TD Garden.

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