Marcus Morris, Jayson Tatum push Celtics to rout of weary Pacers

BOSTON — There’s no secret to the Boston Celtics recent roll.

The Celtics continued to share the offensive load, and the results showed again in a 135-113 rout of the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night for their fourth straight win.


“It’s not too often that we’re going to put up 135 points, but I feel like consistently over the last few games, we’ve done a great job of making shots,” said Kyrie Irving, who had 12 points in 24 minutes before getting to rest the entire fourth quarter.

“We’re making shots. We’re continuing to make each other better and make those plays that we weren’t making at the beginning of the season.”

The Celtics had 32 assists — their fifth straight game with 30 or more — and put together their highest scoring game this season. Boston (25-15) also ended a three-game skid against the Pacers, who entered the night third in the Eastern Conference having won seven of eight.

“It just looked like we were gassed tonight,” Indiana coach Nate McMillan said. “We knew they could come out fast and they did. They came out very aggressive, attacking us and just we weren’t able to establish anything defensively against this group.”

Marcus Morris had 22 points and eight rebounds, Jaylen Brown also scored 22 points and Jayson Tatum had 20 for the Celtics, who have won five of six.

Gordon Hayward had 14 points, Daniel Theis added 12 points and six rebounds off the bench, and Terry Rozier had 12 points and five assists.

Domantas Sabonis had 20 points and seven rebounds for the Pacers (27-14), who had won seven of eight. Thaddeus Young had 10 points and eight rebounds, and Victor Oladipo scored 17 points.

The Pacers never led and fell to 5-2 in the second of back-to-back games this season. They wilted in the second half after beating Cleveland 123-115 the previous night.

“They just beat us in every category today,” Oladipo said. “Everything you can imagine, they beat us in.”

Boston led 68-53 at halftime after shooting 56.5 percent (26 for 46) in the first half.

Indiana used a 10-2 run early in the third and cut the margin to 79-67 on Sabonis’ hook shot with 5:31 left in the period, but Boston took off again and topped 100 points before the quarter was over.

Theis converted a three-point play to start the Celtics on a 12-3 run, and Boston closed out the period with another surge, getting back-to-back 3-pointers by Rozier for a 100-74 lead with 1:27 left.

KEEP SHARING

The Celtics’ string of 30-plus assist games is their longest since a six-game run in March and April of 1987.

“We’re all understanding that we’re trying to play faster and the ball movement has been working for us,” said Al Horford, who led Boston with eight assists. “It keeps the defense on their toes, really makes the other team work. It’s kind of contagious.”

OUT-PACED

Boston’s point total was also the most allowed by Indiana this season — eight more points than Charlotte scored on the Pacers on Nov. 27.

“The fourth game of a five-game road trip and you’re playing Boston on a back-to-back,” McMillan said. “In a situation like that, you knew they were going to try to be aggressive, run us out of the building right from the start. And we just never could keep up with them.”

TIP-INS  


Pacers: Tyreke Evans scored 15 points and Kyle O’Quinn had 11. … Bojan Bogdanovic was called for a technical foul with 8:43 left in the first quarter. … Young was called for another technical for saying something from the Pacers’ bench with two minutes left in the third quarter, and coach Nate McMillan got one with 16 seconds left in the period. … C Myles Turner was out with a sore right shoulder.

Celtics: Scored 68 in the first half, one point shy of their season-high for points in a half. … Topped their previous high of 133 points scored against Chicago on Dec. 6. … Tatum scored nine of Boston’s first 11 points and had 11 in the first quarter, going 5 for 6.

UP NEXT

Pacers: At New York on Friday night.

Celtics: Open up a three-game road trip Thursday night at Miami.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Kyrie Irving’s 26 points lead Boston past Pelicans

NEW ORLEANS— Anthony Davis had just trimmed New Orleans’ deficit to a seemingly surmountable seven points when Boston’s Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum combined to quickly squash any notion of a comeback.

Irving closed out a 26-point, 10-assist performance with a 3-pointer and a tough baseline fade over Davis, and the Celtics pulled away late for a 124-107 victory over the Pelicans on Monday night.


Tatum, who scored 20, threw down a right-handed dunk while being fouled by Davis with 2:26 left, at which point Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry began subbing out starters and fans started filing out, resigned to just New Orleans’ second loss in 10 home games this season.

“It’s closing time at that point,” Irving said. “We knew that we had the game in control just based upon our defensive schemes that we had out there.



“At winning time like that, I have the confidence in my teammates and confidence in my coaching staff to make the right plays and seek out the mismatches that we want,” Irving added.

Davis finished with 27 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks, Nikola Mirotic hit six 3s as part of his 25 points, and Julius Randle added 15 points from the bench, but that wasn’t enough to end what is now a four-game losing streak for New Orleans.

Al Horford scored 20 points, and Marcus Morris had 19 points and 11 rebounds for Boston, which punished the Pelicans for their 22 turnovers, converting them into 32 points.



“That’s how we’re used to playing. That’s the team we know,” Boston guard Marcus Smart said. “We had different guys diving on the floor and doing multiple things on the defensive end.”

Irving had five steals, while Tatum and Horford each had three.

“We knew most of their plays and contested and used our length to our advantage,” Irving said. “When we’re playing at that type of level, then we’re tough to beat, because offensively it’ll take care of itself. … It felt good tonight to win like that because that’s who we are.”

The Celtics put up 39 3s, hitting 19, a statistic that Gentry thought was as telling as his team’s turnovers.

“It started with turnovers, but we gave up too many uncontested 3s,” Gentry said. “This team is a great 3-point shooting team anyway, so their bigs can shoot them, their perimeter guys can shoot them, and every time we got it within a workable distance, it was either a turnover or they made a 3.”

TIP-INS

Celtics: Terry Rozier scored 14 points. He also was assessed a technical foul in the second quarter after he tossed the ball away during a stoppage. … Boston outscored New Orleans 42-34 in the paint. … The Celtics improved to 6-7 on the road.

Pelicans: Jrue Holiday scored 13 points but also finished with eight turnovers. … Forward Solomon Hill saw action for the first time since Nov. 1. He saw no playing time in 12 straight games before his 20 minutes against Boston. He had four rebounds, two points and an assist. … New Orleans was 27 of 29 on three throws, but went 12 of 32 from 3.

SETTING THE TONE

New Orleans trailed nearly the entire game, falling behind early because of eight first-quarter turnovers that led to 11 Celtics points. Holiday, playing point guard instead of shooting guard while Elfrid Payton sits out with a broken finger, turned ball over five times in the opening period.

The Celtics opened up their largest lead with an 11-0 run that began with three straight three-point possessions: Irving’s floater in the lane as he was fouled, Irving’s 3-pointer and Tatum’s driving layup while being fouled.


Rozier’s layup capped the burst and made it 80-60 midway through the third quarter.

Soon after, Randle’s free throws and Darius Miller’s 3 ignited an 11-2 Pelicans run to close the period, trimming Boston’s lead to 10 heading to the fourth.

Davis scored five straight points on a short fade as he was fouled and a pair of free throws to cut it to 93-87 with nearly nine minutes to play.

But Boston never let it get closer than that.

UP NEXT

Celtics host Cleveland on Friday night.

Pelicans host Washington on Wednesday night.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Healthy Celtics set to make noise in NBA Eastern Conference

The Boston Celtics — with Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward back from injury and youngsters Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum maturing all the time — are tipped for big things in an NBA Eastern Conference now devoid of LeBron James.

James and the Cavaliers denied the injury-hit Celtics in game seven of the Eastern Conference finals last season, but a full-strength Boston squad has caught the attention of many — including Klay Thompson of the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors.


“I like the team out East in Boston,” Thompson said in pre-season musings on who might pose the biggest threat to a Warriors title three-peat. “I think that they are going to be a team to reckon with.”

Celtics guard Irving thinks so, too.

“Can we beat Golden State in a seven-game series? Yes,” says Irving. “Because of who we have and what we’re establishing here, not just for this season but hopefully for the next few years — something that’s pretty special.”

Irving missed the last 15 games of the regular season and the playoffs, but the former Cavaliers star says now that he’s healthy, his prior experience against the Warriors could help put the Celtics over the top if they come up against the reigning champs.

He admits that “the whole league is on notice” when it comes to the Warriors’ aim of achieving a fourth title in five years.

“But there’s one factor that they’re aware of and I’m aware of and that’s that I’ve seen them up close. I know what it takes.”

As the season approached, Irving indicated he didn’t want his impending free agency in 2019 to detract from the Celtics’ more immediate goals.

“I believe Boston is the place for me,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the challenge this year.”

Aiding that challenge will be Hayward, who missed 81 games after frightening ankle and leg injuries in last year’s season-opener.


“It’s scary to think about some of the opportunities we’re going to have going forward,” Irving said.

Hayward says last season’s adversity strengthened the Celtics, with Tatum, Brown and Terry Rozier rising to the occasion.

“There’s going to be situations where somebody is going to get hurt again, somebody’s going to be sick, somebody’s going to be having a bad game as it happens every year for every team,” he said. “To have so many guys that we can rely on, that can go get a bucket, that can go get a big-time stop — that’s huge for us as a team.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Celtics missing 6 players for Wizards game

BOSTON — The Boston Celtics were without six players for their game against the Washington Wizards.

The team said Wednesday that Kyrie Irving will sit out with a sore left knee. Al Horford will miss his second straight game with an illness. Jaylen Brown remains in the concussion protocol. Marcus Smart sprained his right thumb and is listed as out. Daniel Theis tore a ligament in his left knee and is out for the rest of the season.

That’s on top of Gordon Hayward, who has been out since opening night with a broken ankle.

Jayson Tatum, who was listed as probable with tightness in his lower back, was able to play and started for the short-handed Celtics.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Kyrie Irving helps Celtics pull away to beat Grizzlies

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Kyrie Irving scored 20 points, Jayson Tatum had 19 points and nine rebounds and the Boston Celtics pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 102-93 on Saturday night.

Al Horford added 15 points for Boston. The Celtics shot 49 percent, including 14 of 30 (46.7 percent) from outside the arc.

Marc Gasol led Memphis with 30 points and 10 rebounds. Tyreke Evans added 25 points, and Dillon Brooks had with 14 points, hitting a season-best four 3-pointers.

After Memphis used a 21-point third quarter by Gasol to take a 73-71 lead after three, the Celtics opened the final frame with the first 16 points for an 87-73 lead. That put the game out of reach as Memphis lost its 17th in the last 19.

Gasol got untracked in the early part of the third, scoring 10 points before the midway point of the frame. That pulled Memphis even with the Celtics.

And then Gasol kept scoring, converting 8 of 10 shots and tallying 21 points in the frame.

That helped Memphis take a 73-71 lead heading to the fourth. But the Grizzlies couldn’t maintain the momentum missing its first seven shots as Boston rebuilt the lead to double digits.

The Celtics shot well early, hanging around 60 percent through the early stages of the second quarter. That, combined with missing only two of their first seven shots from outside the arc, helped the Boston margin swell to 21 points.

Memphis would make a bit of a dent in the lead, mainly behind its reserves. The Celtics still maintained a 48-40 lead at intermission.

TIP-INS

Celtics: Rookie F Daniel Theis, who broke his nose in Friday’s loss to Utah, was back in action against the Grizzlies, wearing a mask. … Tatum, who entered the game, leading the league in 3-point shooting at 50 percent (48-96), made both of his shots from outside the arc in the game.

Grizzlies: The Celtics outscored Memphis 31-12 in the first quarter, marking the 14th time in the last 18 games that the Grizzlies were outscored in a quarter by at least nine points. … Gasol’s 21 points in the third were one shy of a Memphis record for points in a quarter.

UP NEXT

Celtics: At Indiana on Monday night

Grizzlies: At Golden State on Wednesday night.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Irving takes charge, Celtics beat Hawks for 9th straight win

ATLANTA — Kyrie Irving took charge in a fashion only he can.

Dribbling and weaving through the lane and around the perimeter, Irving scored from all over and kept his teammates involved all night.

“It’s a beautiful game when it’s played the right way,” the four-time All-Star said. “It’s not going to look good every possession, but you’ve got to be able to move onto the next play. I understand that better than most.”

Irving scored 35 points, Jayson Tatum added 21 and the Boston Celtics held off the Atlanta Hawks 110-107 Monday night for their ninth straight victory.

Irving’s 3 from the right wing put the Celtics up 104-103 — the game’s 25th lead change — with 1:37 remaining, and Boston led the rest of the way.

Dennis Schroder had 23 points for the rebuilding Hawks, who dropped to 2-9 a night after a surprising two-point win at Cleveland.

“It would’ve been sweet to win two in a row against those kinds of teams,” Schroder said. “But we ended up
short.”

Boston improved to 9-2, best in the NBA, and has its longest winning streak in seven years.

Al Horford had 15 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in his best game against the Hawks. Horford spent his first nine seasons in Atlanta before leaving as a free agent ahead of last season and had totals of 20 points and 17 rebounds in three games against his former team.

Irving had his first 30-point game as a Celtic on a night packed with highlights. He dribbled between his legs and behind his back before hitting a floater off the glass from the left baseline to put Boston up 46-44. He had two impressive assists late in the third with long, one-handed passes that led to 3s by Marcus Smart and Tatum, the latter giving Boston a 72-71 lead.

Irving either scored or assisted on every basket of a 16-2 run in the third that put the Celtics up by seven. He finished with seven assists.

“He’s just very unique,” Horford said. “He has a good sense of how teams are playing him.”

The Celtics started to pull away and took their biggest lead at 10 on Semi Ojeleye’s 3 early in the fourth, but the Hawks came back to take a few brief leads in the final period.

“To compete the way we did and give ourselves a chance to win, we got better tonight and we can learn from it,” Atlanta coach Mike Budenhozler said.

THAT’S A DRAG

Boston coach Brad Stevens wasn’t pleased with the ball movement or defense early in the third, storming the floor to call timeout after Atlanta’s Luke Babbit hit a 3 to put the Hawks up 57-54.

“You could just tell mentally and physically we were dragging a little bit,” Irving said. “That’s going to happen sometimes considering how hard we play, but we don’t want to make that a habit for us. No excuse.”

RAINING DOWN

Budenholzer joked before the game that he regretted having his assistants work with the 6-foot-10 Horford a couple of years ago to develop a strong presence beyond the perimeter. Horford, who went just 1 for 5 on 3s, entered the game shooting nearly 52 percent on 33 attempts from the arc.

“I think there was just a real push from us and a credit to him that he could do it,” Budenholzer said.
“It’s part of the way the game is, and his passing just opens up the court even more for him to drive and attack. He’s such a good player, such a smart player.”

TIP-INS

Celtics: Irving has scored more points — 245 — than any player in his first 11 games with Boston. … With Marcus Morris getting the night off to rest his sore left knee, Aron Baynes started at center and finished with just two points and three rebounds in 15 minutes.

Hawks: Malcolm Delaney returned after missing two games with a sprained right ankle and had 13 points. Marco Belinelli scored 19 despite a sore left Achilles.

UP NEXT

Celtics: Host the Lakers on Wednesday night.
Hawks: Off until they visit Detroit on Friday night.

source: sports.inquirer.net