Celts Hold 'Em Off, Avoid Being Pist On! Victory Cigar vs DET 12/4

[Shak_Celts]

We won. The NBA is trying to test us with seven in five, let’s get these other wins to show them who we are! Cavs got one, but we’re coming!!

[bfchs123]

Turned on the TV and Hauser was taking it to the hoop, hitting fading 3’s, etc. He’s got a lot more game than spot 3pt shooter

I actually think he should do more fake 3’s and either drive to the rim or hit a wide open step up jump shot. He’s such a threat from 3 that defenders bite at the 3pt attempt every time, will create some easy looks.

[Fencer reregistered]

JB and KP delivered needed star-level performances, but it was Hauser and Pritchard who stepped up as needed to make a fairly easy W without Tatum possible, so they got my votes.

Luke was good too; Derrick a bit off offensively — good overall team win

11 assists, 0 turnovers

Also 2 steals, 2 blocks

Seems like a pretty unusual stat line, actually.

[ThePigeon]

Didn't understand why Joe pulled Peterson out without inserting him again.
Kornet is a beast in the last two games. He seems more athletic and aggressive to me. How is it possible?
Also, like to see more Queta in these kind of games where the opposing big blitz - roll to the dunker spot and dunk

JB, KP, PP, Hauser and White with great games

[Smart2Nesmith43]

I thought that was one of the best passing games of Jaylen Brown's career. Can't remember him hunting the skip pass to the corner three point shooter with that kind of ruthlessness before.

Being in complete control against a team that hot from three is really impressive too.

[Fencer reregistered]

Didn't understand why Joe pulled Peterson out without inserting him again.
Kornet is a beast in the last two games. He seems more athletic and aggressive to me. How is it possible?
Also, like to see more Queta in these kind of games where the opposing big blitz - roll to the dunker spot and dunk

JB, KP, PP, Hauser and White with great games

Kornet was quoted as saying that he feels he had been over-concerned with fouling.

While he didn't add that part (to my knowledge), I conjecture a coach figured that out and he was his usual coachable self.

[ConstableGeneva]

Cs held the Heat to 40.2% effective FG%. That's our best defensive eFG% this season and the Heat's worst eFG%.

The Celtics followed up their best defensive game of the season (per allowed eFG%) with their worst defensive game of the season (63.1%) lol, the second best shooting game of the Pistons this season.

In Mazzulla era, the Celtics previously lost 12 of the 14 games (incl. playoffs) where they've allowed at least 63% opponent eFG%. Let's not tempt fate again.

Updated numbers w/ Tatum OFF the floor:
Our defensive rating is 118.4. That would rank 28th in the league. (Only teams worse are the Wizards and Jazz)
Our defensive eFG% is 57.5%. That would be the worst in the league. (Lakers currently at 56.5% opponent eFG%)

(Defensive numbers are even worse with both Holiday and Tatum OFF the floor.)

[ConstableGeneva]

18-4 matches our best start after 22 games in Stevens era (2017-18 & 2022-23).

After 22 games:

2017-18: +7.1 net, 17th in offense, 1st in defense
2022-23: +9.8 net, 1st in offense, 17th in defense
2024-25: +11.6 net, 1st in offense, 10th in defense

[Fierce1]

Seeing what's happening with Lebron, KD, and Steph, every Celtic win can't be taken for granted.

Celtics making it look easy, so some Celtic fans are not content with just winning.

There's this sentiment that the Celtics should win in a certain way.

Just try being a Sixer fan for one day.

[Jammer]

Pretty ugly losing to Detroit by 10, but Detroit shot 51.3% from 3 (20-39), about 51% from 2 and had 10 steals. Lucky to get a win against that kind of shooting even though Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday did not play.

An Alternative Perspective:

Pts. + Rebounds + (0.5 x Assists) + Steals + (0.5 x Blocks) - Missed Field Goals - (0.5 x Missed Free Throws) - Turnovers - Fouls

+24.5 Jaylen Brown 39 minutes
+24 Kristaps Porzingis 29 minutes
+18 Luke Kornet 21 minutes

+17.5 Sam Hauser 31 minutes
+14.5 Al Horford 30 minutes
+13.5 Payton Pritchard 34 minutes
+13.5 Derrick White 38 minutes

+2 Xavier Tillman 8 minutes
+1 Drew Peterson 3 minutes
-1 Jordan Walsh 7 minutes

Team Total = 127.5

[Bad-Thoma]

It's not the size of our PP that matters, it's how we use him.

[ConstableGeneva]

With Tatum skipping the game, the Celtics got the best games of the season (per Game Score on BBRef) from Hauser and Porzingis plus the 2nd best game of JB. Another 30-assist game from the team including season-highs from White (11) and Brown (9).

Celtics recording 20 3-pointers, 10 steals, 5 blocks, and 30 assists in a game => 7x (six in Mazzula era)

[Fencer reregistered]

It's not the size of our PP that matters, it's how we use him.

It's not the meat -- it's the emotion.

[sam_I_am]

Bisme with the cigar for a great title for thread.

Last night JB was the complete package. Yes, he got sloppy at times with his passing and turnovers but the quick way he penetrated and dished was at a level we have never seen. Last night he played like a guy you can build around - not just an elite scorer and two way SF but a playmaker with gravity.

With the emergence of White as the third best player and a Klay Thompson type star, the emergence of PP as an IT lite 6th man of the year candidate and the return of Porzingas at peak form….this team is scary good.

They can rest 2 starters and still dominate lesser teams and compete with elite teams. This means the bench players are going to get a lot of meaningful minutes which will only improve the quality of bench players.

Already this team looks a lot better than last year and I haven’t even mentioned that JT is a legit MVP favorite along with Jokic.

[ConstableGeneva]

VC/CP:

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

[31to6]

JB and KP delivered needed star-level performances, but it was Hauser and Pritchard who stepped up as needed to make a fairly easy W without Tatum possible, so they got my votes.

Luke was good too; Derrick a bit off offensively — good overall team win

11 assists, 0 turnovers

Also 2 steals, 2 blocks

Seems like a pretty unusual stat line, actually.

Out of respect for his assists I should have said "in terms of his shooting" instead of "offensively"
He was, as usual, awesome defensively, even with the refs calling a couple of fouls on him that surprised me

[keevsnick1]

Good game. Its pretty impressive that the C's can go up against a team that shoots 51% from three and makes 20 and still win by double digits. That's an automatic win for the Pistons against most other teams.

[shackles10]

Seeing what's happening with Lebron, KD, and Steph, every Celtic win can't be taken for granted.

Celtics making it look easy, so some Celtic fans are not content with just winning.

There's this sentiment that the Celtics should win in a certain way.

Just try being a Sixer fan for one day.

[ConstableGeneva]

Holy ****, Brown and White had 17 and 19 potential assists respectively in this game. They both average less than half of that (8.1 and 8.3).

[31to6]

Holy ****, Brown and White had 17 and 19 potential assists respectively in this game. They both average less than half of that (8.1 and 8.3).

there are benefits to resting everyone -- including Tatum -- strategically throughout the season