Jayson Tatum heats up late, leads Celtics over 76ers: 8 takeaways
On a night when the Celtics’ primary weapon – the 3-pointer – was misfiring, Jayson Tatum overwhelmed the 76ers.
The Celtics came alive in the fourth quarter and pulled away from a short-handed 76ers team down the stretch on Tuesday to claim their ninth straight win 117-99.
Here are the takeaways.
1. Jayson Tatum started the fourth quarter with just 14 points, but he poured in 15 over the final 12 minutes. His final frame started when he rattled in a jumper over Kelly Oubre through contact, and he forced his way to the free-throw line seven times, in addition to a couple of loud baskets at the rim.
On a night when the Celtics’ primary weapon – the 3-pointer – was misfiring, Tatum’s ability to overwhelm an opposing defense and turn a close game into a blowout was critical.
Afterward, Tatum was asked about the team’s ability to adjust to obstacles more quickly this year.
“I think it’s a combination of all of those things, maturing,” he said. “Obviously adding pieces and guys that have done special things in this league – Jrue has won a championship. And just learning from our mistakes. In past years, looking past opponents or if they have guys out, we might let our guard down. I think we’ve just done a better job of learning from those mistakes that we’ve made in the past.”
2. The Celtics shot just 5-for-22 from 3-point range, marking the first time they won this season while making fewer than 10 triples in a game. Their previous low was a victory over the Wizards earlier this month when they made 11.
Mazzulla, who has notoriously defended the team’s 3-point heavy attack, loved it.
“This game was probably one of our best games of the year, from the standpoint of we were able to win a different way, and this game showed a template of how teams are going to guard us, and it gives us another thing to practice,” Mazzulla said. “I thought our guys did a great job.”
For all the talk about how much the Celtics love threes, the truth seems to be that what the Celtics really like is efficient, reliable offense. When teams allow the Celtics to create 2-on-1s, they do it. When teams allow the Celtics to post up, they do it. And, of course, when teams allow the Celtics to take 3-pointers, they are happy to do it.
“I mean, [Mazzulla] never told us to shoot 44 threes a night,” Tatum said. “It’s all about taking the right shots, respecting each other’s space. We usually do a good job of finding the advantage.”
3. While the Celtics were limited from 3-point range by the Sixers’ willingness to switch everything – as well as physicality that Kristaps Porzingis described as “borderline fouling all the time” – the Sixers’ defense was porous around the basket without Joel Embiid. The Celtics won the paint battle 64-42 – their second straight 20-point win in the paint after they outscored the Knicks 58-38 on Saturday.
4. No one took advantage of the Celtics’ edge in the paint more than Jaylen Brown, who scored 31 points and converted every field goal in the paint save for a dagger triple in the fourth quarter. Brown powered through lackluster Sixers defenders to the rim, scoring 18 points in the first half and finishing 11-for-14 from the field.
“He’s just always in attack mode,” Mazzulla said. “I love what Jaylen’s doing. I love the work he’s putting in, I love the poise he’s playing with on the offensive end, I love the way he’s getting different baskets whether he’s handling, whether it’s in transition, the poise he’s playing with in the post, he’s really reading the game and taking advantage of it.”
Brown called it his “responsibility” to get to the rim.
“Sometimes I’ll pass up threes in order to try to get a paint touch because we need a little bit more of those to help our 3-point shooting even more,” Brown said. “A lot of times I take it upon myself just to try to get to the paint, even if I do have a wide-open shot because I know if the defense collapses, then we’ll be able to get some open threes down the line.”
5. The Celtics generally want to win the shot margin, and the Sixers took 96 field-goal attempts to the Celtics’ 76 on Tuesday.
The good news: The Celtics outshot the Sixers 37-12 at the free-throw line, which made up the difference. Brown, Tatum and Porzingis combined for 33 of those free throws.
Mazzulla called the Celtics’ ability to win a game despite odd numbers “beautiful.”
“It gives us something to study, something to work on,” Mazzulla said. “Grateful that we were able to play that game.”
6. Derrick White finished with a stat line that would make Ozzy Osbourne proud: Six points, six rebounds and six assists.
7. The Sixers have now lost three of their last four games and are now 33-25. With Embiid out for the foreseeable future, they find themselves in an awkward position in the standings – sliding away from the Knicks at No. 4 (2.5 games back) and clinging to a half-game lead over the surging Heat, as well as the Magic and Pacers. The No. 9 Bulls are six games back, so the Sixers’ floor is likely No. 8, but that would put them in the play-in tournament, which is an uncomfortable place.
Incidentally, it could also mean that if Embiid returns healthy, the Sixers could be the least desirable first-round matchup for whichever top seed draws them. Their playoff positioning will be interesting.
8. The Celtics improved to 46-12, leading the 2-seed Cavaliers by 7.5 games after Max Strus swished a buzzer-beater from behind half court to help them beat the Mavericks.
“We don’t talk about [the lead] much,” Tatum said. “We really just try to get better every single day. It sounds cliché and it sounds boring, but maybe last year we rushed or looked past opponents and were just ready to get to the playoffs. With this year, we’re really taking it one day at a time. …
“It’s all about playing good basketball.”
The Celtics face Luka Doncic and the Mavericks at home on Friday.
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