After three defeats in a row, including a loss to Wolves and a negative three-point record against the Clippers, the Celtics had to react to the Suns at home. Mission accomplished with a match mastered from start to finish.
The premises took the lead in the first quarter (32-20), a lead which was confirmed in the second (67-41) and which was not called into question in the second period. The visitors may have scored 67 points in the second half, they were unable to come closer to the score.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The inner weakness of the Suns. The absences of Deandre Ayton and JaVale McGee have clearly not gone unnoticed on the Suns side. The latter may have started for the first time this season the young Jalen Smith. This, despite his good production, could not prevent the domination of the Celtics on the rebound (51-37) and the number of points scored in the racket in favor of the Greens (64-46).
– The Celtics bench. Ime Udoka did well to reduce his rotation to eight players as the only three players on the bench (Payton Pritchard, Josh Richardson and Romeo Langford) were particularly productive with 46 points scored in all three. The opposing “second unit” was much less inspired with only half as many points scored (23) and overall very negative impacts on the score.
– No fatality in the lost balloons. Easily win a match by losing twice as many balls as the opposing team doesn’t happen every day. Despite 17 losses of ball, and only 9 balls provoked in their opponents, the Celtics did not suffer at all from this difference.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Robert Williams. First career triple-double for the young pivot of the Celtics who has shown constant activity. Without missing a shot, he was used as an opportunistic fixation point in attack. On top of that, he showed up in defense with five blocks.
✅ Marcus Smart. Very nice evening for the Celtics bulldog who, once is not customary, abandoned the three-point shot to get closer to the circle and hurt the Suns. He finished top scorer of the match (24 units), with his best offensive outing of his season.
✅ Jalen Smith. The young pivot may not have been the defensive anchor expected by the Suns, he still signed his career best game for his very first start with maximum efficiency in attack.
⛔ Devin Booker. Very difficult evening for the best scorer of the Suns who forced a lot behind the arc but also by approaching the circle, where the Celtics pivots hampered him a lot.
THE FOLLOWING
Celtics (16-19) : reception of the Magic, Sunday.
Suns (27-7) : trip to Charlotte, Sunday.
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