For the first time in two seasons the Celtics had a chance to go over .500. Instead Anthony Morrow and Reggie Jackson annihilated us. The Celtics once again played two very different games, in the first half they looked like a playoff team, and in the second half they looked like a team on a fast lane to the Lottery again. You can’t predict certain players just shooting lights out the way Morrow and Jackson did in that second half, but being out hustled is something that’s just unacceptable. However, their were some bright spots for the Celtics so let’s get into those first.
FOUR UP
1: Rajon Rondo
He looked impressive and in control the whole game. He was knocking down threes, picking apart the defense with his passes, and pushing the pace beautifully in the first half. He finished with a final tally of 20 points, 12 assists, and 9 rebounds, a near triple-double. Unfortunately the rest of team didn’t match his poise in the second half.
2. James Young Sighting!!
I’ve been screaming since game one to get this kid in the game, and last night with no Marcus Smart or Marcus Thorton he finally got his chance. His still very raw defensively getting beat backdoor a few times by Lance Thomas and he still needs to add a few pounds to that body so he can bang with some of the big guys down low. However, he still looks a lot more poised on the offensive end than his age shows and he made his only shot attempt of the night. With no real scorers on this bench, expect Stevens to give him more of a chance, and hopefully early in the game so he doesn’t just go in cold.
3: Balanced Scoring Attack
The Celtics starting five showed great balance all scoring 14 points and up lead by Rondo who had 20. Celtics starters put up 79 points on 32 field goals. Of those 32 field goals 25 of them were assisted on. Too bad the second unit was the complete opposite.
4: Ouick Starts
Since returning from the West coast trip the Celtics have been good with coming out of the gate running and having quick starts. Tonight they jumped out to an 18-3 lead on the Thunder. Unfortunately, they’ve rarely been able to hold on to their huge margin leads, but nonetheless it’s encouraging to see the ability to jump at teams in a hurry. When Boston officially gets a second unit that can either enlarge or maintain a lead they might be able to win games more comfortably.
FOUR DOWN
1: Bench Play
Celtics bench was stagnant and had no answer for OKC. They combined for a horrendous-59 highlighted by -21 from Evan Turner. They were outscored by Anthony Morrow 28-15, and only put up 12 shots in a combined 68 minutes. These types of performances are something the Celtics just don’t have enough talent to overcome.
2: Avery Bradley
Bradley is ultra aggressive on the offensive end which has had its ups, but tonight was not one of them. The veteran shot a woeful 2-9 from deep and scored 17 points, but took 19 shots to get there. He was also torched by Thunder guard Reggie Jackson who went to lead the game in scoring with 28 points. This is the second consecutive game in which Bradley has been bested by an opponents point guard. His defense is something that isn’t as much a strength for him as it used to be.
3: Celtics against Zone defense
The Celtics got a taste of that Thunder zone defense and looked lost. With the lack of players that could create for themselves, Boston was left jacking perimeter shots instead of scoring in the paint which their the best at in the league. After 6 games the Celtics averaged 47 points per game in the paint, last night they only scored 30 points. Expect teams to throw this zone defense at Boston throughout the year.
4: Effort
When Lance Thomas is grabbing 5 offensive rebounds away from multiple Celtics it was clear this team was out working us thoroughly. It’s not rare for the Celtics to be limited talent wise, but being out hustled by another team is something that can not happen if we want to win anything close to 30 games. Last night the Celtics played the rare role of being the favorite, and they came out like they already won the game in the second half. If Celtics narrowly miss the postseason this game will be part of the reason why.
