‘He willed us back’: Brad Stevens praises Kemba Walker for 32-point performance in win over Pacers
"When that thing was 18-4, he was the loudest voice."
Just minutes into Friday’s game against the Indiana Pacers, the Celtics were already in trouble.
The Pacers got off to a hot start, going up 18-4 less than five minutes into the action. The Celtics were staring down at potentially a fourth consecutive loss, until Kemba Walker decided to do something about it.
Right after Celtics coach Brad Stevens called a timeout following the basket that put the Pacers up by 14, Walker attacked, getting Pacers center Myles Turner to foul him while shooting. Walker made both shots, gathered the defensive rebound on the following possession, then nailed a 28-foot 3-pointer.
After both teams traded two points, Walker buried another 3-pointer. He got back on defense, got a steal, and was fouled while shooting in transition. Walker got back to the line and made both shots. All of a sudden, the Celtics were down only four points, erasing 10 from the Pacers’ 14-point lead in just two minutes.
Walker added an assist before checking out with three-plus minutes left in the first. While the Celtics still trailed when Walker left, his 10 points put them in a position to get back in the game, and the Celtics took a 32-31 lead going into the second quarter.
Walker ultimately finished with a season-high 32 points, making 10-of-19 shots, and added in six dimes. Stevens gave Walker plenty of credit after Friday’s 118-112 win.
“I just thought I don’t think we win the game without his will tonight,” Stevens told reporters. “Like, I think that no matter how everybody’s playing, when that thing was 18-4, he was the loudest voice, he willed us back into that thing.
“Now we’re back on our footing, we have a little bit of confidence, which had been shot right this week. And so that’s what that’s what really good players do. And that’s what veterans do. So guys that have been there, done that and done it for a long time do. And so I really thought he led us tonight.”
Walker’s latest season-high comes in a year that’s been marred by inconsistency for him. In the Celtics’ latest road trip, Walker shot a combined 13-for-40 (including a 5-for-21 shooting performance against the Pelicans) and averaged 17.5 points over the last two games.
Walker’s hoping for more performances like Friday night’s moving forward.
“Hopefully we can continue to play like this, the way we played tonight, with some consistency and some togetherness,” Walker said. “We just stayed together, you know. Especially when, early on in the game when those guys started off hot. We didn’t put our heads down, we just kept building each other up.”
If there is something that has been consistent for Walker, it’s his performances after sitting the backend of a back-to-back. Walker’s looked like his All-Star self in such games, averaging 27.3 points while shooting 52.8 percent from the field and 46.9 percent from 3-point territory over four of those games, via NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg.
Kemba Walker’s next-day production after sitting out the second night of a back-to-back in February (4 games):
27.3 PPG
38-72 FG (52.8 FG%)
15-32 3PT (46.9 3PT%)— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) February 27, 2021
Whatever the case, Stevens was happy to see someone else step up outside of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown and for the Celtics to get a win.
“You know, those guys aren’t always going to be able to do what they’ve done and so we do have to pick up for them,” Stevens said. “So yes, it was good. But it’s just nice to get a win this week.”
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