C’s work on boards still hurts
CELTICS NOTEBOOK
TORONTO — The Celtics are now 27th in the NBA in both rebounding percentage and defensive rebounding percentage, and last night’s performance against the Raptors helped push their status downward.
Toronto out-rebounded the Celts, 50-33, in its 114106 victory. That margin included a 17-6 differential on the offensive glass.
Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas plucked 11 of his 23 rebounds off the offensive glass, and guard DeMar DeRozan had 13 rebounds, four more than Celtics leader Al Horford, who had nine.
“We can probably all do a better job at that,” the Celtics center said. “Today was tough. Could definitely do better at that.”
Added coach Brad Stevens: “We’ve got to shore up the rebounding. That’s a huge part of our defensive issues. I thought they were clearly the more physical team for those (last) 12 minutes.”
Tribute for Al
Horford returns to Atlanta for the first time with the Celts on Friday night. Management has prepared a video tribute for Horford.
And right now he doesn’t want to hear about it.
“I know we’re going back, but my focus is on the game tonight,” he said pregame. “I’m really trying to be the kind of person that takes it game by game. (Toronto) is a big game for us. I can’t let that happen.”
The Hawks crowd can be unpredictable about these tributes. When Joe Johnson returned as a member of the Nets in 2012, the swingman was booed during his tribute. Johnson was openly critical of the Hawks late in his time there, something the crowd never forgot.
Big Thomas fan
Not that the Raptors need much more in the way of a scouting report concerning Isaiah Thomas.
But the Celtics guard’s recent fourth-quarter tear looks very familiar to Terrence Ross, who played one season (2010-11) with Thomas at the University of Washington.
Ask about Thomas’ lategame feats, Ross goes back to Washington’s win against Arizona in the championship game of the 2011 Pac10 tournament. Thomas scored 28 points and hit the game-winner.
“He used to take over a lot — very dominant, very comfortable with the ball, makes great decisions. He’s just gotten better each year,” the Raptors guard said. “He just took over (in 2011), start to finish, willed us to a victory.”
The only difference Ross can see is Thomas’ systematic improvement from one season to the next.
“I wasn’t surprised,” he said of Thomas’ 52-point performance against Miami, which included a franchise record 29-point fourth quarter. “Despite his size, he’s very efficient in the paint. He always knew how to use his body; he kind of jumps into the defender and extends, takes their length out of the way every time he drives. But he’s got better at it.”
On the starters’ line
The Celtics went into their second straight game without Avery Bradley (Achilles tendon), and Tyler Zeller (sinus infection) is talking to specialists about the unusually long illness.
For Stevens it was another night when he could’t use the starting lineup. The Bradley/ Thomas/ Hordford/ Jae Crowder/Amir Johnson combination started only 20-of-37 games.
“More often than not, we haven’t had all five, but it’s been good to build our depth and good to try new things, and other than that, not good,” Stevens said. “I think it’s a positive any time different guys get a chance to play, different guys to play a role. We feel good about Marcus ( Smart) starting regardless of who’s out, and you’re going to inevitably go with somebody who’s playing a little bit less off the bench. So that’s been great for guys like Terry ( Rozier) and Jaylen ( Brown) and younger guys that we need to help us down the road.”