Three-pointers have change into synonymous with the Boston Celtics over the previous few seasons. They’ve used the facility of math to win the margins night time in and night time out, and maintain a championship stage of success.
“I really feel like some groups ought to perhaps not take as many threes however these groups shouldn’t be us,” Payton Pritchard replied when requested concerning the upward pattern in threes across the league Saturday. “We’re the perfect at doing it. Why would we alter?”
Simply two days later, Pritchard and the Cs fired up their season-low in long-range makes an attempt, taking pictures simply 33 of them of their 108-104 loss to the Orlando Magic. Earlier than Monday, the Celtics had shot at the very least 41 threes each time they took the ground. By optimizing the three, they managed to capitalize on the maths and outscore opponents by a median of 10.2 factors per recreation on these margins alone.
The dearth of makes an attempt towards Orlando wasn’t precisely by selection, although. The Magic put a ton of strain on Boston and ran them off of the three-point line. There’s no getting round it — the change in gameplan rattled the Cs. They went stone chilly within the second half, scoring simply 45 whole factors.
Once they weren’t in a position to create open appears from three, Boston began to depend on isolation. It labored to an extent. Jaylen Brown was wonderful; he constantly received inside, used his power, and racked up factors within the paint.
Outdoors of him, it wasn’t fairly. Their offense seemed stagnant. There was a wholesome serving of compelled passes, troublesome photographs, and total sloppy play. Up till the closing minutes, the Cs solely had two second-half assists.
Thoughts you, it didn’t assist that Jayson Tatum was a last-minute scratch, however they’re not going to win many video games after they’re solely dishing two dimes in a half.
They did handle to present the hosts a scare on the finish of the sport, although. The Celtics made a rapid push to chop the result in only one, and so they did it by transferring the ball and creating open appears.
That first play the place they received Derrick White an open three was peak Celtics basketball. Al Horford did an amazing job of creating a fast learn out of the quick roll and it resulted in a giant bucket.
Orlando was in a position to take the Cs out of their wheelhouse for almost all of the night time and it received them the sport. They managed to outscore Boston by 15 from distance, which nearly by no means occurs.
This wasn’t the primary time we’ve seen groups throw off the Celtics by operating them off of the three-point line, both. Two of their three playoff losses within the spring got here in video games the place they shot lower than 35 threes.
Boston continues to be an elite group with out the excess of long-range bombs, however they’re not at their finest. It’s how opponents could make the champs really feel mortal.
