For the Boston Celtics, the month of February has just one blemish on the schedule. On the 16th, the final game before the All-Star break, the C’s dropped a shocker to the Detriot Pistons by a score of 112-111.
That loss would snap a season-best nine-game win streak.
During their first game back from the break, Boston would go on to rout the depleted Brooklyn Nets 129-106. Heading into Saturday’s noontime matchup, Ime Udoka’s squad had revenge on their mind as they looked to start a new streak and avenge the aforementioned one-point loss.
The Boston Celtics had also won six straight road games prior to the matinee. While they entered the game as ten-point favorites, it was anything from a blowout early on.
Detriot managed to trail by just two points entering the half.
C’s fans may have had deja vu as the third quarter progressed, as Boston was outscored 28-22 and entered the fourth trailing by four points.
It took no time for the shamrocks to erase those depressing memories and take command. Even on a day where Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were not their best, the dynamic duo finished with 53 combined points.
Jayson Tatum also added a team-high 11 rebounds.
Tatum’s playmaking started out strong as he posted five assists in the first quarter. Unfortunately, the three-time All-Star only posted one assist during the remaining three quarters. This appears to be the main issue with the wing as he’s yet to consistently show he can be an elite passer.
The bench unit stepped up big time to pick up the slack. With Jaylen Brown shooting just 10-24 shooting from the floor and 1-6 from deep, scoring was surely needed.
Second-year guard Payton Pritchard and third-year forward Grant Williams stepped up and scored a combined 32 points on 12-18 shooting from the floor. Before the break, Williams had shown that he can be relied on as a 3-point shooter, but to see him score double figures without hitting a triple is huge.
For Payton Pritchard, the 27 minutes of run marked the most he’s seen since December 29th.
Coach Udoka opted to stick with Pritchard down the stretch as the 24-year-old had the hot hand scoring 19 points.
Robert Williams III continued to come through on both ends for the C’s, posting 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and one block. His frontcourt partner, Al Horford, chipped in with eight points, five rebounds, and three assists on 4-6 shooting from the floor.
It was a quiet afternoon for the usually productive Derrick White, who posted just three points on 1-3 shooting from the floor.
The win for Boston marks their 19th since January 1st; a stretch in which they hold the best record in the NBA (19-7).
With the 113-104 victory Boston climbs to a season-best 36-26 and inches closer to a higher seed in the east.
Without any further delay, here are the takeaways:
Boston Celtics takeaway No. 1) Al Horford has plenty in the tank
When it was announced that Al Horford was returning to Boston, expectations weren’t sky-high. Horford had been used sparingly in Oklahoma City and was well past his prime at age 35.
To see Al log 36 minutes of action at this point in the season is encouraging. Ime Udoka continues to use Al in key situations and to eat up minutes all game long. With Daniel Theis still gearing up for consistent rotational minutes, Horford has had no problem picking up more minutes.
While he’s not the same Al Horford that signed with Boston in 2016, he still led all Celtics in plus/minus posting a +16.
It will be interesting to see if the Dominican big man gets any rest days as the Celtics push towards the playoffs.
It has to be comforting for the Celts to know that Horford can still log 30 plus minutes a night when they need.