Stevens said the Celtics are generally a quiet team. That doesn’t always matter when he’s too loud to talk a lot anyway. But now that all voices can be heard, communication will be key.
“The collective voice of a group is going to be important,” said Stevens. “I think everyone will have to make sure they do everything possible to communicate and help each other.”
The Boston starters played the first half and were outplayed, 47-42. Center Enes Kanter led the Celtics with 11 points and 10 rebounds. The Celtics criticize the Suns on Sunday at 1:30 pm
Other observations of the game:
▪ All-Star point guard Kemba Walker sat down as he continued to work to regain strength in his left knee. It seems this is all part of Boston’s plan to be too cautious with Walker as the team prepares for the playoffs in about four weeks. Obviously, the Celtics would prefer that he never had a knee problem, but there don’t seem to have been any recent setbacks. Walker participated in the full practice on Thursday.
▪ Stevens said before the game that he intended to use only eight players in the first half, and stuck to that plan, with Brad Wanamaker, Kanter and Semi Ojeleye as backups. Each starter played more than 15 minutes in half 20 minutes. There is value in getting a good extended career.
“I think we are not in as good shape as we thought,” forward Jaylen Brown said.
▪ There weren’t a ton of outstanding plays for the Celtics, but Brown had a pair. It started the game with a spinning baseline downturn, and then added a sharp pull-up in off-dribble traffic.
▪ Jayson Tatum was just 1 of 6 in his 18 minutes, and he missed a couple of them quite a bit. But Stevens never worries about the shooting coming in, and he certainly isn’t going to worry about the shooting in a scrimmage that follows a four-month layoff.
▪ Tremont Waters probably had the best stretch of the crew in the second half, showing off their fast hands, amazing vision and skillful passing. The rookie finished with 7 points, 5 assists and 3 steals.
▪ The best moment of the game came when Thunder striker Andre Roberson registered during the third quarter. Roberson has been sidelined since his patellar tendon ruptured in January 2018. He received a standing ovation from his teammates on Friday.
“He is my brother, man,” said Kanter, one of Roberson’s former Thunder teammates. “Was so happy”.
▪ Great Thunder Man Steven Adams has taken just 10 triples in his seven-year career. So naturally, he started Friday’s game by lifting one from the correct arc. Maybe that was just to confuse the Celtics, because Adams spent the rest of the first half partying with dunk after dunk. Communication from Boston was certainly not excellent at times, but that was to be expected. Also, players knew that this game doesn’t count.
“The good news is that no one gets stronger than Steven Adams,” said Stevens, “so that’s a good thing for us.” “
▪ Mike Gorman and Brian Scalabrine called the game from an NBC Sports Boston studio, and if you didn’t know, you really couldn’t have said it. It was a smooth production, particularly given the circumstances.
▪ The Pacers announced that great All-Star player Domantas Sabonis is leaving Orlando to seek treatment for plantar fasciitis. ESPN reported that there is a possibility that the condition will keep him out for the rest of the season. That could have major ramifications for the Celtics. Indiana and Philadelphia are currently tied for fifth in the East, and the Celtics will likely face the finalist in sixth place. Without Sabonis, the Pacers are likely to wobble a bit in qualifying games, making them more likely to face Boston in the first round of the playoffs without their best player.
▪ Romeo Langford missed the game due to a gastrointestinal problem.
Adam Himmelsbach can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @adamhimmelsbach.
