People spend all day waiting of kick off.
Super Bowl Sunday generally means one thing (outside of 2019-20)
Matinee Celtics Basketball.
This time around, the 2nd seeded Memphis Grizzlies were coming to town.
Not only that, but Jayson Tatum made 3 FGM.
The Celts still won by double digits .
Against teams .500 or better (aka good teams), the Celts are now an NBA best 22-9.
Did you know their intented starting lineup has played just 29 minutes together this season!
And yet, they’re 41-16.
That’s what this 4 game streak is.
It’s love and trust not just in yourself, but in your teammates.
A true “we not me” approach.
Let’s dive in.
What choice do I have if he keeps turning in these dominant performances?
After securing his first 20/10 game of his career, what does DWhite do?
He comes back and drops 23/3/10 on 8-20 (4-9) splits in his 40 minutes.
It’s basically an All Star level.
But wait, I said All Star level.
How could that be?
Well Jrue Holiday is an All Star while putting up 19.1/5.2/7.1 on 46/36% splits.
To say White’s production (and efficiency) has been massive for this team is a gigantic understatement.
Over these last 10, he has 4.
He’s moving the ball and creating for others.
Most importantly, he’s taking care of the ball despite this uptick in usage.
- A few things have happened since the end of January.
Four straight games with at least 4 3PM.
Since that 2/6 date, Hauser has taken 33 total 3PA.
The proof is in the pudding.
No pull ups, no coming off screens, just playing the drive and kick game with perfection.
There’s no denying that Hauser’s slump lasted about 27 games.
He was brutal in December (28%) and January (31%).
- I’d like another quick update on Mazzulla Ball if that’s alright with you.
That it was all just a luck hot streak.
Well, last night the Celts made 21 3PM.
It marked the 11th time this has happened during the season.
Of those 11 times, 5 have come since after Christmas.
So, 6 came from their early season start, 5 have come over the last 2+ months.
That sort of hurts the idea that the Celts shooting wasn’t sustainable right?
That it was all just early season luck?
It’s Mazzulla Ball.
Either you believe in it or you don’t.
I want him gripping and ripping that thing whenever he has an open look.
I trust his work.
First it was his corner three from Grant at the 3:41 mark to put the Celts up 10.
Then it was his wing three with 90 seconds left that was basically the final nail in the coffin.
- Against a physical team like the Grizzlies, you have to hold your own on the boards.
MEM is 2nd in the NBA in rebounding and 3rd in the NBA in OREB.
Even without Steven Adams, this team hits the glass.
It’s a big reason why they are 5th in the NBA in 2nd chance points.
Well, the Celts won the rebounding battle 54-34 and allowed just 3 OREB.
Rob did most of the work (16), but three other players had at least 7 rebounds.
Since becoming a Celtic, Muscala is averaging 11/3/1 on 53/46% splits in just 16 minutes a night.
He’s been a perfect fit for how this team plays.
Granted, watching him try and defend Ja Morant in space was brutal.
Muscala didn’t stand a fucking chance.
At the same time, what 4th center is guarding Ja Morant in space?
What I care about is that Rob’s body is still holding up despite playing 30+ minutes every night.
- Same is true for Payton Pritchard.
The Bad
- I’d say Tatum’s 3-16 (1-8) shooting fits in this section.
I’m not someone who thinks Tatum played poorly in this game, his impact was undeniable.
I just think he shot like shit.
Both can be true.
Over his last 7 games, Tatum’s average is great at 26.3.
That’s the good news.
Then bad news is he’s shooting 40/35%.
During this 4 game winning streak, he’s shooting just 38/31%.
Something tells me Tatum could use the All Star break.
I hope he gets drafted on Joe’s team and Joe gives him a quick hook.
You miss this in real time?
That’s why you review.
To STILL say it didn’t touch the rim was very pathetic.
- Trying to stay in front of Ja Morant seems impossible.
He just takes off from so goddamn far and is so goddamn fast.
One second you think you have perfect positioning and then the next he’s already finished at the rim.
The Ugly
- Really the only thing that fits for this section was the 3rd quarter.
Holy shit was that thing brutal.
It started with the Celts going 1-12 from the floor to open things up.
What even is that?
How is that even possible?
They took care of the ball, but then decided to not show up on either end.
Offensively, they finished with 21 points on 29/16% splits.
That’s, very bad.
Defensively, they allowed 33 points on 66/55% shooting.
That’s, also very bad.
No real offense, nobody is making a shot, poor defense, just gross basketball.
And now comes the big one.
A rematch with a Bucks team that has won 10 in a row.
After kicking the shit out of MIL on Christmas, this one is huge for a number of reasons.
Going into that building and find a way to win could have big time implications moving forward.
