The Boston Celtics have had their season halted and it is not certain that it will be resumed. When on the floor, they showed some serious signs of growth.
When the 2019 NBA season commenced, the expectations for the Boston Celtics were generally low. Sure, they were expected to make the playoffs but that’s not a high bar compared to the 2018 team that was expected to compete for a championship before ultimately flopping once they hit the court.
However, the 2019 Celtics were an absolute joy to watch. When the season was suspended, they were the third seed in the Eastern Conference. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both broke out in a huge way, while established veterans such as Marcus Smart, Kemba Walker, and Gordon Hayward were all key players as well.
As a result, the Celtics truly played as a team again rather than just a group of individuals, which was what helped them succeed under Brad Stevens in the past. It will be fun to watch them build on this in the future.
It’s a shame that we will most likely not get to see what this team could have done in the playoffs, but we still have some memorable moments to look back fondly on even in this time of crisis.
Jaylen Brown’s game tying buzzer-beater
Jaylen Brown might have flown under the radar a little bit among non-Celtics fans thanks to Jayson Tatum’s rise to stardom, but his play improved in a huge way. Brown averaged 20.4 points per game while shooting 49 percent from the field.
One of Brown’s signature moments came in the second matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Houston Rockets. The primetime game was tight in the final minutes of regulation and looked bleak for the Celtics. Jayson Tatum stepped to the free throw line with the team facing a three point deficit with just 5.1 seconds remaining.
Tatum missed the second free throw on purpose in order to give the Celtics a chance to get the ball back. The ball bounced from James Harden to Marcus Smart, who tossed it out to Brown beyond the arc. Brown fired the tying shot and drained it at the buzzer.
JAYLEN SENDS IT TO OT!!! pic.twitter.com/E5SMOss32I
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 1, 2020
Sadly the Celtics didn’t get it done in overtime and wound up losing the game anyways, but this certainly helped Brown get some well deserved recognition on a national stage.
Marcus Smart blocks Jarrett Allen
Marcus Smart has become a fan favorite in Boston, and for good reason. Smart’s tenacity is matched by few others in the NBA, as he is always willing to go the extra mile defensively to give the Celtics a chance to win.
That tenacity was exemplified by his block against Nets’ center Jarrett Allen. Despite an eight inch height disadvantage, Smart met Allen at the rim and denied his dunk attempt following an offensive rebound.
ABSOLUTELY NOT ❌ pic.twitter.com/wi7lXzJxDi
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 4, 2020
Smart then paid homage to Dikembe Mutumbo by wagging his finger following the block. Out of all the defensive highlights Smart has, this one might be the most improbable.
Unfortunately, despite the incredible block the Boston Celtics would go on to lose this game in overtime. That puts a damper on things, but it doesn’t prevent this from being one of their most amazing plays.
Jayson Tatum dunks on Al Horford
It stung a bit when Al Horford left the Boston Celtics for the Philadelphia 76ers. The Celtics certainly dodged a bullet by not giving him a four-year deal worth $109 million, but his presence both on the court and off was very valuable during his tenure in Boston.
Prior to the season opener, Jayson Tatum joked that it a goal of his to dunk on Horford. It took him until the fourth and final matchup of the season between the Celtics and the 76ers, but he got it done.
The Celtics got off to a hot start in the first quarter, and Tatum added fuel to the fire when he drove past Ben Simmons and rose up over Horford to throw it down. The Celtics went on to win 116-95.
https://twitter.com/celtics/status/1223787338452463619
It is now one of Tatum’s many memorable plays, and he will look to add to those when he is able to hit the court again. Hopefully there will be many more dunks over the 76ers for Tatum in the coming years.
Jayson Tatum dominates in double-OT win
The second matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers was easily the game of the year for the Boston Celtics. They took home a 141-133 win in double overtime and the story of the game was Jayson Tatum dropping 39 points.
In the fourth quarter and overtime periods, Tatum outscored Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard 17-5. This was a pivotal point in the season for Tatum personally, as he outplayed one of the best players in the NBA with the world watching.
Tatum would make his debut in the All-Star game just a short time after posting this dominant performance. He and the Celtics rode a serious high going into the All-Star break following this victory, as he truly etched his place as one of the game’s top young players.
This was one of many games that Tatum was able to take over, but this one gets recognition due to the competition. It’s not very often that Kawhi Leonard isn’t the best player on the floor, but this was one of those times.