Wednesday’s matchup between the Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies ended up in a blowout pretty rapidly, Boston going up by 21 simply earlier than the tip of the primary half. From that time, the Celtics lead solely grew, the ultimate margin being a 36-point victory. This resulted with them scoring 131 factors by the tip of the night time, their second-highest single-game whole this season.
Their highest got here in opposition to the Washington Wizards, Boston placing up 136 factors on their heads. En path to that whole, the Celtics tallied 31 assists, which was their season-high – that’s up till the matchup with Memphis the place they recorded 34 assists on the night time.
The ball was flowing freely, and everybody bought in on the motion. Payton Pritchard accounted for 9 assists, Jaylen Brown contributed 6 of his personal, Derrick White and Josh Minott had 4 apiece, and Anfernee Simons set his private season-high at 7.
68% of the crew’s made baskets got here off of a go, their second-highest mark of the season. One of many largest causes, and the perhaps most profitable a part of their gameplan tonight, was the fixed Neemias Queta pick-and-roll motion. Queta went 6-6 on the night time for 13 factors, 5 of these baskets coming off of assists.
Along with the assists, Boston additionally set their season-highs in margin of victory (36), three-point share (41.2%) and rebounds (68), whereas tying their season-highs in threes made (21), offensive (18) and defensive (40) rebounds, in addition to blocks (8). It was by far their most dominant and full sport thus far, and units a excessive bar for the remainder of the yr.
The expectations are comparatively low for this iteration of the Celtics, however even then, they must make the most of the sport the place they’re seen because the favorites. Memphis, enjoying this sport sans Ja Morant in addition to a number of of their different key guys who’ve but to take the ground this season, has been having a tough season. It was anticipated that Boston would have the upper-hand, however most individuals didn’t see a efficiency this dominant coming.
To this point this yr, Boston ranks twenty ninth in assists per sport, twenty seventh in three-point share per sport, twenty fifth in defensive rebounds per sport, 18th in whole rebounds per sport, and thirteenth in blocks per sport. Setting or assembly their season-highs in every of these classes all in the identical night time is a press release in and of itself, whatever the opponent. It’s a testomony to the gameplan of Joe Mazzulla and the remainder of the teaching employees, in addition to the execution of the gamers.
This can be a massive growth yr for Boston, so placing collectively performances like this are important to constructing confidence and consistency. A win like that is large for guys like Jordan Walsh who bought the beginning spot for simply the third time in his profession, taking full benefit with 7 factors, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, and a variety of massive defensive performs that don’t present up within the field rating.
The blowout additionally gave time for two-way participant, Ron Harper Jr. to see the ground and shut out the sport. In simply 4 minutes, Harper put up 6 factors and 1 massive block, taking pictures 2-2 from three. He seemed extraordinarily snug, and though it was a brief stint, he made essentially the most of it by giving us a fast preview of what he can do on the ground.
Perhaps essentially the most spectacular a part of the crew’s efficiency is that this got here on the second night time of a back-to-back, Boston dropping their second heart-breaker in opposition to the Philadelphia 76ers lower than 24 hours earlier than.
Mazzulla had this to say after the sport: “I favored the mindset that we had coming off a troublesome sport on the highway … to play the best way that we did, I believe that’s essential … we don’t have the report that displays it, however I believe we’ve constructed a mindset … we bought 2 practices the place we are able to get higher”
This was a large response from the Celtics, and so they get rewarded with their first multi-day break of the season, three days off earlier than they tackle the Los Angeles Clippers at residence. Boston might be trying to construct off of this victory in that sport.
