Blinksportsnews247The Boston Celtics defeated the Houston Rockets 116-107 on Sunday to complete their regular-season series sweep of the Denver Nuggets, who they had lost 102-100 on Friday.
The hosts, who are in the top ten in defensive rating, were told by Ime Udoka to pile on Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but the former scored eighteen points and pulled down seven rebounds.
The latter scored 13 points, pulled down 11 rebounds, and distributed 10 assists to record his third career triple-double. For the most part of the game, he was at the heart of the visitors’ pushing the tempo and setting up good opportunities; they ended with 31 assists on 43 field goals.
And when the key players for the Celtics were asked to sit out the game, Kristaps Porzingis filled in the scoring vacuum with a career-high 32 points. The seven-foot-three center pulled down six rebounds, had five of Boston’s 12 blocks, hit 6/11 threes, and tormented lesser players in the mid and low post.
Derrick White also contributed to the C’s victory with 21 points, a career-high 11 rebounds, and two blocks. White made more uncharacteristic blunders than normal but nevertheless improved offensively and contributed all around.
Now for a closer look at the key elements that helped the Celtics improve to 33-10: a 23-10 lead in second-chance scoring, another worrisome third quarter, and significant contributions from the second unit all helped Boston get back into the win column.
In the first period on Sunday, the Celtics fed Kristaps Porzingis multiple times after receiving just six shots in the last three-quarters of their 102-100 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday.
The nice thing about Boston’s intentionality was that it didn’t deviate from its offensive blueprint in the process. Against smaller opponents, it was frequently getting him the ball on pick-and-pops or passing it to the seven-foot-three center in the low post.Similar to Friday, the native of Latvia scored 15 points. In the first twelve minutes of play, he was the only player on either team to score more than ten goals.
Porzingis, who made three of five shots from outside the arc and pulled down two offensive rebounds, assisted the visitors in building a 10-0 lead in second-chance points.
That aided a 13-3 run that allowed the Celtics to seize control in the early going, propelling them to a 35-25 lead entering the second quarter.
Forcing five Houston turnovers in the second frame helped the C’s continue to push the pace, fueling outstanding ball movement that consistently created quality looks, often from three-point range.
And while Ime Udoka had the Rockets load up to slow down Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who combined for 14 points in the first 24 minutes, by keeping their foot on the gas, making the extra pass, staying well spaced and moving the ball side to side, the Celtics assisted on 19 of 26 field goals — five of which belonged to Brown — keying a 70-55 advantage at intermission.
Sam Hauser gave Boston another outstanding first-half showing. Replacing Jrue Holiday in the starting lineup, the third-year veteran scored nine points, dished out three assists, and sank three three-pointers.
Oshae Brissett also stepped up for the short-handed Celtics, who were without Holiday and Al Horford, scoring from the mid-range, euro-stepping his way to two points, dishing out two assists, and contributing to his team’s 19-0 advantage in second-chance scoring.
He keeps putting out a compelling argument for internally filling Boston’s enormous wing void.
Despite their improved play in the third quarter this season, the Celtics seem to lose their groove at halftime. It’s critical that they resolve the issue by the postseason. However, it appears more likely that they will need to make every effort to overcome it at this stage.
Failing to match the hosts’ energy, the Rockets ripped off an 11-0 run, storming back into the game and pulling within six, 83-77, with just under four minutes left in the period after an errant pass by Hauser led to a Jae’Sean Tate bucket.
While both teams committed five turnovers in the first 12 minutes after the break, Houston parlayed Boston’s giveaways into an 8-2 edge in points off those mistakes, helping them stay within ten, 90-80, entering the final frame.
But credit to the visitors, they regained their groove in the last 12 minutes, with Porzingis leading the charge offensively, generating six points, punishing Houston from the mid-post. Boston also got a spark off the bench from Luke Kornet, who twice rotated to register a rejection, grabbed two offensive rebounds, and had a second-chance bucket to help get his team back in the win column with a 116-107 victory.
Blinksportsnews247
