Celtics Rolling with Four Straight Wins
The Boston Celtics continue to play some of their best basketball of the year, defeating the Denver Nuggets 111-103 on Wednesday night.
Avery Bradley had a season-high 27 points and Kelly Olynyk added 17 off of the bench as the Celtics led from the start in winning their fourth straight.
Jae Crowder continues to impress under the radar as he scored 13 points to go along with two steals and two blocked shots.
As a team, the Celtics had 15 steals, all part of forcing 20 Denver turnovers. This was the fourth straight game that Boston forced 20 or more turnovers.
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During the recent win streak, Boston has moved up from eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings to fifth. The Celtics still trail the Atlantic Division leading Toronto Raptors by five games, as Toronto has reeled off nine straight wins.
While no ground has been gained on Toronto, the Celtics have played themselves into prime position heading into the final two weeks before the All-Star break. Five of their remaining eight games before the break are against teams with losing records, including back-to-back games this weekend against the Orlando Magic.
At least one player from the Celtics will be representing Boston at the All-Star weekend festivities. Marcus Smart has been selected to the Rising Stars Challenge, a game for first and second-year players that pits American players versus players from around the world.
Though Smart has only played in 25 games this season, his game has continued to mature. Individual stats aren’t going to wow anyone, as of now, though he continues to impress on the defensive end. Over the last five games, he is averaging 2.2 steals per game.
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Another player that fans, teammates, and coaches are hoping gets selected to play in the All-Star game is Isaiah Thomas. He wasn’t voted in as a starter and will find out Thursday night if he’s been selected as a reserve.
Thomas is averaging nearly 22 points per game this season, sometimes seemingly winning games all by himself. He has also had 27 games this year in which he’s had over 20 points and five assists in a game.
There is a chance that the Celtics will be represented by three players All-Star weekend. Olynyk could find himself in the three-point competition if the stars align. He is shooting 44% from behind the arc this season and should garner some consideration to be selected.
Three players possibly representing the Boston Celtics at the All-Star festivities? That’s a far cry from a year ago when many of these current teammates were just getting to know each other for the first time and Boston seemed destined for a non-playoff season.
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Now? The Celtics are putting complete games together and are marching towards another playoff berth. It’s too early to celebrate, but it’s not to early to smile at the work the players have put in this season. Let’s hope a few of them get their just rewards come All-Star weekend.