Celts go with the flow
Offense on point in rout of Pacers
Only two teams rank higher defensively than the Celtics --- top-ranked Oklahoma City and the Indiana team that walked onto the Garden floor last night with the second-best defensive rating in the NBA.
So maybe this was a mirage, though for a Celtics team that put its fifth straight 30-plus assist night on the board in a 135-108 win over the Pacers, offensive flow has become a trend, even against one of the league’s stingiest units.
No one’s calling this a solved problem. But the ball is clearly moving with a precision that was lacking earlier in the season.
“It was hard to find good clips at the start of the year,” said coach Brad Stevens, whose team secured its fourth straight win. “And I think some of that was because we were pressing; some of that was because we missed shots when the ball was moving. All looks a little bit better when it finishes with a make, but that’s who we have to be.
“I mean, there’s going to be plenty of moments where we’re going to be bottled up and somebody’s going to have to go and do what they do in an individual way. And you know, obviously we’ve got a couple of guys, especially Kyrie (Irving) and Jayson (Tatum) and guys like that that can go and do that. But I think that they draw so much attention and everybody else benefits so much from the attention that they draw, that when they ball’s popping it’s a lot — it’s hard to guard.”
The Celtics addressed many issues during their team meeting after their Dec. 22 loss to Milwaukee at the Garden. But ball movement, as opposed to isolation basketball and players trying to win on their own, was a major topic.
This recent run may be a sign that the points made during that meeting left an impression.
“We could pinpoint a lot of turning points,” Irving said. “We just want to build that chemistry first. Just getting with one another, really put everything out there and then move on from that point. At that point, playing against Milwaukee, we weren’t at rock bottom, but we needed to address some (expletive) in this locker room.
“It’s just good to get stuff out in the air,” he said. “As grown men and guys that have expectations for themselves, it was good to hear guys talk about what they wanted for themselves and what they wanted for this team.”
And now this — a team with legitimate pace that has been near the bottom of the league in that category all season.
“It’s our pace. Coach has challenged us to play with more pace, and we’ve been really trying to play with more purpose on offense,” said Al Horford. “It’s that and we’re all understanding that we’re trying to play faster, get the ball moving, and it’s really working for us.”
One game after placing eight players in double figures during a win over Brooklyn, seven Celtics cracked that range last night, with Marcus Morris and Jaylen Brown (off the bench) breaking out with 22-point performances.
Tatum, who triggered the game-long run with an 11point first quarter, finished with 20 on 9-for-15 shooting.
“Well, you see the type of connection that we have out there in terms of our pickand-roll and what we do and how we talk is pretty seamless,” said Irving. “We came in the same time and have this understanding of where our journeys have started and where it is now and an appreciation of where we are. So we just want to take full advantage of it for this year.”
True to their groove, the Celtics opened the fourth quarter with a 6-0 run that started and ended on Gordon Hayward baskets, the latter for a 111-80 lead.
Terry Rozier, who helped the flow with back-to-back treys in the third quarter, didn’t need long to put this one to rest, converting a four-point play with 8:32 left for a 117-90 lead.
“Real fun,” Irving said of what it’s like to play in this offense right now. “Making shots helps, helps cover up a lot of mistakes.”