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Boston Celtics: Fundamentals shine through to salvage near disastrous week

By Jason Haskins

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 02: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics dunks during the first half of the game against the Houston Rockets at TD Garden on April 02, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 02: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics dunks during the first half of the game against the Houston Rockets at TD Garden on April 02, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images) /
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There is something magical that occurs when the Boston Celtics move around the court with ease, pass with precision, and form a collective unit. They win, and win in style.

It’s a shame that only happened once this past week and has been a far-too-invisible presence in the course of the 2020-21 season. If only the Celtics could capture this glimmer of hope, bottle it, and take a large drink to propel them the rest of the way.

Boston, in midst of a seven-game home stand, defeated the Houston Rockets on Friday night. The Celtics put on a clinic in passing the ball and held the lead most of the game, resulting in a 118-102 victory.

Marcus Smart dished out ten assists and Boston had 35 as a team. Games like this where Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown aren’t forced to carry the load — simply contribute to it — has Boston teetering on the edge of greatness.

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Games like those from earlier in the week, however, begs the question: What exactly is going on in the franchise’s hallowed halls?

Twice this week the Celtics sleepwalked through two quarters (plus) in suffering losses to the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks.

Sure, there was no Brown for the Pelicans game. Tatum practically willed the team early, scoring 16 first quarter points to keep the Celtics close.  New Orleans slowly grew their lead and maintained it, leading by 17 with 5:50 remaining. Boston was able to close the gap to three with under a minute left but fell 115-109.

Against Dallas, it was Robert Williams III who missed a game. Boston found themselves down by19 at halftime and 23 with 7:52 left. A furious effort, despite struggles from deep (11-47), brought Boston back within two. They had multiple opportunities to tie or take the lead, but silly mistakes and bad shots stalled the comeback in Boston’s 113-108 loss.

Boston Celtics: Player(s) spotlight

The week was disappointing in collecting only one win in three games.

Tatum continues to shine, though his shooting could stand to be a bit more consistent. He has been picking his moments, however, and in the two losses had outstanding fourth quarters. After going silent for the second and third quarters against Dallas, Tatum finished the night with 34 points, nine rebounds, and five assists.

Tatum finished the week averaging nearly a double-double with 28.3 points and 9 rebounds per game.

Williams, meanwhile, continues to take advantage of his increased minutes. In the victory over Houston, Williams had a game for the ages, finishing with a career-high 20 points on 9-9 shooting, bringing his shooting percentage to 72.7 percent on the season.

He was close to a triple-double against the Rockets, collecting nine rebounds and dishing out eight assists.

Evan Fournier made his debut against the Pelicans, delivering a forgettable performance of going 0-10 from the field and being held scoreless in 33 minutes of action.

After only scoring six against the Mavericks, Fournier made his presence known against the Rockets. He scored 23 points — 20 in the fourth quarter — and knocked down 7 three-pointers. The Boston Celtics have been looking for a consistent three-point shooter, one who strikes fear in opponents from the perimeter, and Fournier could provide exactly that.

Boston Celtics: Upcoming games

Four games are on the schedule for Boston this week, with a chance to climb the standings ladder in the Eastern Conference.

It is hopeful Brown, who limped off the court late against the Rockets, will be available to play in the coming days.

Boston (24-25) currently sits in the eighth spot but are only 1.5 games out of the fourth-seed, which is currently occupied by the Charlotte Hornets (25-23).

Action begins on Sunday (4/4) with this very Hornets team. It is the first matchup between the two teams this season and was supposed to be the homecoming for Gordon Hayward. Hayward, however, will miss at least the next four weeks with a sprained foot.

Charlotte will also be without rookie LaMelo Ball.

Coming to town on 4/6, the Philadelphia 76ers already own two wins against the Celtics this season. Both of those games were in January and both were without Tatum.

Those two losses followed a 30-point loss to the New York Knicks. It’s during that stretch where Boston’s troubles really started, as the Celtics were 8-3 entering the game against the Knicks.

Perhaps the fortunes can be reversed this week, especially so when New York comes to town on 4/9.

Boston closes out the week by hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves, who currently occupy last place in the Western Conference.

Next. Boston Celtics: Despite losses team still trending up. dark

At this point, a finish between fourth and sixth in the conference is still viable for the Celtics. If Boston is able to finally get all their players healthy and in sync, it’s entirely possible to reach such a goal. Team efforts like the one against Houston will also be nice to see down the stretch.

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