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Celtics protect home court, take 3–2 series lead
For the last three days, every green-teamer was left wondering — what happened to the Celtics?
On Wednesday night at TD Garden, the Celtics emphatically suspended all doubts about their ability to respond, thumping the Wizards by a 123–101 tally.
I loved just about everything about this game. Where else can I start, though, than with the play of Avery Bradley? In what was easily his best performance of the playoffs — and maybe his playoff career — Bradley dropped 29/6/3 on 12/19 shooting. Just stellar stuff. 25 of his points came in the first half, and it was just what the doctor ordered. The Celtics needed a strong start to this game, and Avery locked in from jump street.
Next up, we have to credit Jae Crowder. Let’s all be frank about this — Crowder has been one of the biggest scapegoats among the Celtics’ fan base during the team’s recent struggles. I’m not sure it’s deserved, but it’s reality. While Jae’s 6/15 shooting night wasn’t ideal by any means, I will always take an 18/8/2 stat line from him. Throw in a +19, and this was a return to form for Crowder when the green needed it most.
Oh, and about the money-maker; Al Horford is absolutely silencing his haters. His performance tonight — 19/6/7 with 3 blocks on 8/9 shooting — can only be described as stellar. Horford supporters have needed to be patient at times this season, and the criticisms of his quiet disappearing act were certainly valid at times. But there’s no more beef. The Celtics would be in the heart of golf season if not for Al Horford. The ways in which he both anchors and lifts this team are endless.
I wrote before Game 5 that Brad Stevens needed to give Marcus Smart’s minutes to Terry Rozier. While Rozier impressed once again during his time on the floor, Marcus kept his minutes — and he reverted back to vintage Marcus. Pitching in 9/11/6 with 2 steals and a block, it was exactly the performance Boston needed from their bulldog. I can’t figure out Marcus Smart. Neither can you. But neither of us care, if this is the Marcus Smart we get.
You know what the best part of the entire recap is, though? I don’t have to mention Isaiah Thomas until the seventh paragraph. The load that Isaiah has been shouldering through these incredibly difficult times has been unacceptable. It was real nice to see his teammates step up to the plate for him in this game. I didn’t feel like there was a single time where we needed IT to take over. That is a really, really good sign. If the C’s are able to move on, they’ll need the type of team effort they got tonight against the guys waiting on deck in Cleveland.
The last guy I’ll shout out for the Celtics is the young pup — Jaylen Brown was quietly very good in this game. His 0/3/2 stat line in 26 minutes seems underwhelming, but he brought a defensive energy that the Celtics have been lacking for the last few games. This was the other change I called for yesterday; though he didn’t crack the starting lineup, he saw a huge increase in minutes. It paid off, and his +17 helps to paint the picture.
Of course, you don’t come away with a 22-point victory in a crucial Game 5 by simply playing good basketball. It’s always a two-way street, and the Wizards gave Washington fans a night to forget (the Caps didn’t help, either). John Wall’s 21/4/4 line is solid for many players in the NBA, but certainly well below his standards.
Pardon me for the brief rant, but this is the point in the blog where I have to address it — the complaining is outrageous. I didn’t select that photo of Wall for no reason. I’m starting to think that every guy on Washington’s roster is classically conditioned, upon hearing the sound of a referee’s whistle, to assume the palms-to-the-rafters pose and get argumentative with the nearest official. Watch for it next game. And every game. These guys are making a run for LeBron’s throne in the bitching department.
But reeling it back in to the Celtics’ perspective, it was simply a great team win. I loved the way Boston played defense tonight. It seemed like the C’s were far less willing to switch on Washington’s high picks, and they finally started going underneath the picks being set for John Wall. They forced Wall to become a jump shooter, and that is by far the most effective way to neutralize him.
All in all, a phenomenal night at the Garden. As I said in my post yesterday, none of this should be surprising. Washington wins on their home court and loses away from it. That’s the way it is.
I still think a road team will win a game in this series. Here’s to hoping the sixth time’s a charm.
