Tatum’s jumper lifts Celtics
Bucket with 2.9 left splits two-game set
CELTICS 122 PISTONS 120
Marcus Smart began the season with the goal of improving his shot selection, though one of his basic shooting principles remains the same, as chilling as it may be for some.
“If I’m open, I’m shooting,” he said. “If the guy’s closing out, I’ve gotta be able to do what I’ve been doing my whole career and that’s getting to the rim, playmaking for not just myself but for others. So that’s it, just making the read.”
As the Celtics discovered Sunday, Smart’s ability to make plays — especially for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown — is vital as the Celtics try to find some momentum. There was, for instance, his pass to Tatum for the winning shot in the Celtics’ 122-120 win over Detroit, thus splitting their two-game, weekend miniseries with the Pistons.
When Blake Griffin switched onto Tatum with seconds to play, Smart looped over the pass. Tatum lost the Pistons star with that now-famous jab step before leaning back for an easy and open 16-footer from the left elbow with 2.9 seconds to play, then blocked Griffin’s threepointer at the buzzer.
Though Tatum (24 points) and Brown (31, five 3-pointers) continue to shoot up the charts as one of the most talented young duos in the NBA, Smart’s playmaking was once again the glue, with the guard chipping in 17 points and nine assists. The assist part seems to be picking up steam.
“Marcus Smart is the heart and soul of this team,” said Brown. “His energy and his poise on the offensive end have been great for us. We’ve asked him to step up and play the point guard position and he’s matched that. He’s got me easy baskets, he’s gotten Jayson easy baskets and he’s gotten himself easy baskets as well. I’m proud to see Marcus Smart’s growth and the responsibility that he’s gotten, he’s handled it well in the first seven games.”
Smart’s renewed emphasis as a playmaker has certainly helped from an efficiency standpoint — Sunday his cold spot was a 1-for-5 3-point performance — but the combination of sub-par early defense and a hot start by the Pistons had the Celtics grappling for the lead all afternoon.
And this time the shots that didn’t fall in their Friday night loss to the Pistons, when the Celtics missed their last 10 attempts, found net.
Daniel Theis’ layup off a Smart assist with 1:56 left was good for a 115-113 lead, and though the Celtics’ center missed the attached free throw, Detroit’s Jerami Grant stepped out of bounds with the rebound. Smart converted the ensuing play, briefly for a fourpoint lead, until Derrick Rose scored on the other end.
Blake Griffin hit once from the line with 1:16 left, leaving the Celtics ahead by a point.
Mason Plumlee drew a foul attempting to post up Theis and with 42.2 seconds left, an sank both free throws to give Detroit a 118117 lead.
Tatum drove, kicked out to Brown on the right side, and the C’s wing drained a three for a 120-118 lead.
Detroit took possession with 34 seconds left and when Derrick Rose drove from the backcourt, Tatum blocked the shot out of bounds. Semi Ojeleye, though, fouled Grant, who hit twice with 22 seconds left for a 120-120 tie.
It doesn’t always happen, but this time the Celtics honored the Brad Stevens mantra of making the right play.
“Obviously big plays, big shots that we had that we didn’t have the first game,” said Brown. “But to be honest we allowed the game to be closer than it should have been. Give a lot of credit again to Detroit. I thought we played a lot better defense and they still hit some tough shots. They’re well-coached and played well the whole game. We have to do a better job of raising our intensity and stopping guys. The game doesn’t have to come down to those last-minute possessions, but when they do – it’s a process.”
You have to want to change: Though Kemba Walker is expected to return at some point this month, Smart has wholly tackled the challenge of running this offense.
“Listen, I think he’s tried, I think he’s really tried,” said Brad Stevens. “These seven games, he’s the only guy above five assists on our team. So he’s trying to get us organized, he’s trying to get us in a place where everybody can be successful. He knew time and score at the end when we were talking in the huddle and when we got the ball to Jayson with however many seconds left to shoot it only with enough time that they would have to heave it. And so his thoughtfulness in that moment is huge. I think he’s just one of those guys, right? Nobody’s gonna say anything if he drives it in there and makes it. And he’s bailed us out on so many occasions over the years. He’s trying to do the right thing on every possession.”
Defense still a work in progress: Detroit’s shooting dropped precipitously, going from 53.7 percent (50 percent from three) in the first half to 43 percent (40) over the last two quarters. But with his team ranking 21st in defensive efficiency, Stevens needs to see a lot more.
“I think I’ll go back and look and say it was better than the result,” said Stevens. “I thought they did hit a lot of tough shots. They had several plays in the first half, in the second quarter, where the shot clock got all the way down and they came up with a ball and laid it in or they hit a shot right at the horn. But we played better defense today. Our energy was good today. That’s why you have to bring it every night, right? Because these guys are NBA players. They’re going to make tough shots sometimes.”