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Tim BontempsESPN
Lake Buena Vista, Fla. – When Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward hung the court with his ankle late at night in the fourth quarter of his first-round series game 1 against the Philadelphia 76ers, he was in jeopardy as a contender, presenting Boston’s position as a reliable championship.
The Celtics were written by many following Halward’s injury. A team is already relying on big minutes and it will be until at least the Eastern Conference finals on the formation of five excellent perimeter players – Kemba Waker, Jalen Brown, Jason Tatum, Marcus Smart and Hayward.
But in this playfly, the Celtics just couldn’t survive without Hayward – they’ve gotten rich. And, following the destruction of the Toronto Raptors on Sunday afternoon at Boston 112-94, in Game 1 of this expected Eastern Conference semifinal series, the Celtics proved they were firmly in the conversation of exiting the East and returning to the NBA Finals. For the first time in a decade.
“I believe in everyone in that locker room,” Tatum said. “We’ve spent a lot of time together here, putting in work every day, we get ready.
“It won’t be perfect in every game.”
To succeed without Halward, the Celtics – who averaged 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists but could be the team’s best passer and can defend a lot of places on the floor – must take a big step for each of their remaining players on the perimeter. Roles.
That was exactly what happened on Sunday – especially from Kemba Waker and Marcus Smart.
Wacker – playing in his first second-round playoff game despite being in his ninth NBA season – introduced Philadelphia’s porous pick-and-roll defense in the first round. Moving forward against Toronto’s more formidable defenders, his life was expected to be more difficult.
Instead, Walker was aggressively Boston’s best player, finishing with 18 points and 10 assists in 32 minutes. More importantly, he had just two turnovers against Toronto’s spectacular defense, keeping Boston under control whenever he was on the court.
“I think Kemba has played a really good game,” said Celtics head coach Brad Stevens. “It’s hard to play against those people. There were a couple of times we got stuck because our calls were late and because we weren’t at our spot.
“We have to stay on our spot, you have to run at speed, you just have to do what you have to do to get inches on these guys. And then when you get an inch, it’s best to catch up. Up.”
The Celtics, however, were not thankful to Toronto for the initial lineup, the work of both Waker Kar and Hayward’s replacement in Smart. Because Boston’s other perimeter players are Flasher – Tatum and Brown are mer filling stars, while Waker and Hayward were Flash-free-agent signatures – could fly under the radar at smart times.
Spend time watching the Celtics, though, and it quickly becomes clear that Boston also goes smart.
The game opened with a knock down 3 in the open corner, helping Boston to an immediate 11-3 lead, he would never give up. But when Smart made the shot on Sunday, when he scored 21 points from a 3-point range to 5-point-9, it was his play at the other end that spoke the truth for the Celtics.
Toronto repeatedly entered the all-star Pascal Siakam on the right block in front of Smart in the post-ups – sacrificing about six inches in that matchup. But Smart, one of the league’s best individual defenders, repeatedly won the matchup. And, in a play about how the game was a symbol, Smart made an outstanding play in transition to give Fred Wenville a surprise double-team in center court, stealing the ball from him in order to get Robert Williams. Dive without a raptor within its 40 feet.
Smart finished with a game-high plus-27 in its 31 minutes, and is easily destructive on the spot, helping to catch Siakam and Vanville in a combined 8-32-32 performance, including a 2-for-14 from the 3-point range.
“After Gordon is out, he’s definitely been a big success for our team,” Smart said. “But he’s definitely involved other people in other ways, including myself. Just picking bits and pieces, even if he scores the ball, plays defense, he can do a few things. I’ve met a lot of guys around who are pretty good. At the offensive end.
“My job is to make sure we stay very connected on the defensive end. This way, through me, I make a slack for Gordon and everyone else.”
Smart did its job in Game 1. Still, in order for Boston to survive, it needs to take at least something from the rest of its roster. Daniel Thiss was trembling on Sunday, but a combination of him and Robert Williams at the center put Mark Gasol and Serge Ibaka ahead. Brad Wanamaker, who has been a solid, reliable player on the bench for the entire season supporting Walker, got seven points and six rebounds in 5 minutes, while Sammy O’Groats made an open corner and saved Toronto’s wing on the perimeter. Its 23 minutes.
The Celtics will continue to need small contributions to maintain the momentum they have created in the first five games of Play Small.
“What a guy isn’t going to do [Gordon] “Every night he does it statistically,” Stevens said. “We have to do it through the committee. In the Philly series, Grant [Williams] Came from the bench and big moments came. Brad [Wanamaker] Came from the bench, big moments came. Marcus was his normal self. Marcus was incredible on both ends today, and I felt like Sammy filled that other spot well today.
“We need another body to throw at all these different people, because they run it so well, so we’re not trying to replace it with one person.”
Boston’s strength depends on the players on that perimeter to train hard all season. It was a formula that, with Hayward, it seemed that the result could come to the Celtics this year whose success they had a year earlier.
These pieces, even without Hayward, fit better around this time. That’s why, when Tatum was asked if he had any worries about whether these Boston posts could mirror what the Ason Sun started like last year – with five straight victories, including four straight losses – they were all smiling.
“You had to bring it last year,” Tatum said. “This is different. This is just a different atmosphere, a different team … but last year is behind us. This is just different around.
“We know it’s not going to be easy. They’re rescue champs for a reason.”
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