The Celtics claimed a 117-113 victory over the Cavaliers on Wednesday behind big nights from both Jayson Tatum and Al Horford.
Here’s the takeaway.
- Tatum once again scored 40 points with 41 points on 13-for-21 shooting, including 4-for-6 from 3-point range as well as 11-for-14 at the free-throw line Is. To an extent, he can thank Darius Garland, whose last-minute flurry of 3-pointers made the game competitive enough to justify leaving him on the floor. It also drew the Cavaliers a foul, allowing Tatum to make a pair of free throws after a 1-for-2 trip before being stuck at 39.
The big-scoring performance showed some progress after Tatum had struggled in consecutive games since the All-Star break.
Tatum said, “Just a few simple things found quickly.” “A layup in transition, getting a downhill finish to the basket, it opens things up. It’s not that I was frustrated or worried because I didn’t shoot the ball well coming off the break. Just the way to win.” Came here with a mindset to try and find.
Tatum passed Giannis Antetokounmpo for seventh all-time in points before a player turns 25, the most on that particular list, as Friday is his 25th birthday.
- After the game, reporters questioned Tatum and Majulla about the star’s minutes, which have been a concern this season given their usage last year. Tatum acknowledged that he understands and respects the sports science statistics that suggest he needs to rest, but he wants to play too much to sit out.
“The organization, Brad, sometimes wants me to play a little less, so we have conversations,” Tatum said. “It’s as simple as I love being outside, I love playing, I love competing, I love trying to win as much as I can.”
Tatum, of course, isn’t the only star who tries to stay on the court when all he wants is to rest. If coaches believe Tatum could use some time off the floor, the Celtics may need to take a tougher approach.
Majulla changed Tatum’s substitution pattern, giving him three walks instead of two. Tatum only played 35 minutes, less than his season average of 37.3.
“When we’re healthy, just finding little ways to get a different lineup to create a different rhythm, change his matchups when he’s out there on the offensive end,” Mazzulla said. “Change who he plays with, change who Jaylen plays with.”
- Al Horford had one of his best games of the season, shooting 8-for-10 from the field and 6-for-8 from behind the arc. His multiple triples helped stop various Cavaliers running in their tracks.
“I think after my second or third three I was like, ‘Man, this feels great,'” Horford said. “And at that point, you just try to live with it and take advantage of those opportunities.”
Horford, who is shooting a healthy 43 percent from 3-point range this season, is taking more triples than ever before — 65 percent of his shots come from behind the arc, which ranks him 98th for the position league-wide. Keeps in percentile. Prior to this season, 3-pointers had never been made on more than 44 percent of his shots.
Joe Majulla said, “He’s constantly trying to find little ways to reinvent his game.” “What he does, you can’t even put into words what he means to our team.”
- Robert Williams looked a little bouncier and more like himself in 30 minutes. Three of his four field goals were alley-oops, and he finished 4-for-4 with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
A reporter asked Williams if Wednesday was the best he’s felt in a while.
Williams said, “Yeah, start playing a few more minutes, get a little more conditioning under me.” “I think I broke like 30 that night, so hopefully it continues.”
- The Celtics won an important coach’s challenge after leading by 13 in the fourth quarter. Marcus Smart had 4:40 left on the clock while he and Donovan Mitchell battled for rebounds, but Mazzulla called timeout and issued the challenge. , which was successful. The challenge erased the Cavaliers’ possession and drew a foul on Smart, and on the ensuing possession, Tatum buried a 3-pointer to push the lead back up to 16.
- Grant Williams, who has struggled recently, received the DNP-CD on Wednesday. Mike Muscala replaced him and shot 0-for-3 from the field.
When Mazzulla was asked about Grant’s lack of floor time, he simply said “matchup” and left it at that until a second reporter asked for a follow-up.
“Just the matchup on the offensive end, as far as the distance between the floor and rim protection,” Mazzulla said. “And so when Mike was in, we were able to play a different defensive lineup. I didn’t want to turn these people into that other unit much. And so they played, because of their subpattern, we went with a big, we stayed at 13 a little bit more and didn’t change that second unit, which is big for us.
Williams’ teammates usually treat him like a younger brother, but on Wednesday he struck a more sympathetic tone.
“He knows what he brings to this team and the type of player he is,” Jaylen Brown said. “He’s been able to extract value in this league, so a few games here and there don’t mean more or less depending on what the coaching staff thinks. Grant has helped us win playoff games. Grant helped us reach the final last year, so obviously, we are going to need him.
“So keep his head up, he’ll be fine. He’s a professional, so we have to keep going.”
- The Celtics started the third quarter with a crucial 7-0 run that saved the Cavaliers from the double-digit deficit they would try to get out of for the rest of the night. That run was fueled by a double-big starting lineup that dominated last year but struggled at times this season.
“We’re comfortable with each other,” said Robert Williams. “We just have to get back into a rhythm a little bit. Like riding a bike. Play a few more games and we’re done. Get them under your belt and find out how we can bring energy to the whole team.
Still, this lineup hasn’t been near as effective this season thanks to a much smaller sample size of 121 possessions. Smart, Williams, Brown, Tatum, and Horford have been outscored by 16.7 points per 100 possessions, which puts them in the 10th percentile league-wide.
Brown said, “It’s a new year, but when we’re all on the same page, we’re all healthy, I think we’ve got a good chance to win any ballgame.” “So I think the focus is just staying healthy, taking care of your body, and coming out and playing sports. Getting the chemistry, but also building the right habits. I think that’s important, especially Heading into the playoffs, just have to keep going and build the right habits.”
The Celtics face the Nets at home on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET.