C’s no trouble in ‘Bubble’
Brown steps up for a shorthanded win
Brad Stevens broke out the Bubble Wrap last night.
Al Horford and Jayson Tatum officially were rested, and when the Celtics play the bottom-feeding Hawks tomorrow, there will be even more of that rustling plastic sound.
Preservation is now the key with NBA All-Star guard Kyrie Irving today having a second knee surgery within the last month and Marcus Smart, in the words of the Celtics coach, not expected “back for the foreseeable near future.”
Enter Jabari Bird, who became the first Celtic with that surname since 1992 to hit a 3-pointer, and point center Greg Monroe with his second career triple-double on 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Monroe also became the first Celtics center since Robert Parish in 1987 to record a triple-double.
Jonathan Gibson, who spent the winter in China and signed yesterday for the rest of the season, hit three 3-pointers in his first four shots for the Celtics, as if he was still starring for the Qingdao Doublestar Eagles.
Marcus Morris was ejected for the second time in a week, this time following a beef with Chicago’s Bobby Portis, who was also tossed. Morris’ brother, Washington’s Markieff, was also ejected last night, perhaps setting an NBA record for twins.
The Celtics’ Morris went on Twitter to apologize for the second time in a week.
Above all, the Celtics owed this wild 111-104 win over Chicago to Jaylen Brown’s finest performance in the NBA. The forward erupted for career highs in points (32) and 3-pointers (seven). He shot 7-for-10 from downtown and 11-for-19 overall.
After awhile it was all a bit dizzying, as Monroe later admitted, though his role as playmaking big man may be something to watch once the playoffs begin.
“I just think it kind of evolved tonight, guys resting, guys hurt. Morris gets tossed, I guess it ran through me by default,” said Monroe with a laugh. “It’s just about moving the ball. I think everything was within in the offense. Guys were making the right reads as far as cutting, guys were coming off shooting and making shots. It was just another game for me. I think guys just made more shots.
“Nothing surprises me with this team,” he continued. “No matter who gets it, no matter who is on the court, good things happen.”
Nowhere was that more apparent than in Brown’s tipoff-to-final-buzzer attack on the basket.
“No Al, no J.T. tonight. Coach told me to be aggressive,” said the second-year forward. “So just coming out and playing basketball and trying to be aggressive. Going into the playoffs, this group we have now is all we’ve got. Like Terry (Rozier) said, no fear and no doubt in our eyes. So we’ve got to come out and play hard regardless of who’s on the floor.”
In the meantime, Toronto clinched the Eastern Conference’s top seed with a win last night over Indiana. And, Philadelphia beat Cleveland to move past the Cavs into the third-place position in the conference.
As for the Celtics, they remain steady in the second spot ahead of the Sixers with three games left to play. The C’s can set their sights on the No. 7 spot currently occupied by Milwaukee, because that will be their first-round opponent.
Brad Stevens plans to work his playoff rotation into shape over the next three games, knowing Irving will not be returning down the road. But that kind of disruption has yet to bother this team.
“I think we only had one original starter from the beginning of the year out there. I think that was me,” said Brown. “Everyone else has been in and out of the lineup, so for us to be able to continue to win games despite whatever else is going on is amazing.”
Beyond amazing, though, it’s also the only way for this team to survive — with contributions from the most improbable of players.
“Everything matters, whether you’re playing tonight or you’re not playing tonight, right?” said Stevens. “There’s a purpose behind what you’re doing and you’re learning something that you take to the next game. You know, you feel even more comfortable putting those guys in the next time, and I think that’s a big part of it. That’s a big deal.”