Boston Celtics: Strong fourth quarter puts the team back on track

The Boston Celtics put together a fine final quarter in Tuesday’s game in Indiana, which should give them the boost they need early on.

After dropping the first game of the season against the Indiana Pacers, Tuesday’s matchup seemed very important for just the second week of the regular season. The Boston Celtics lost 108-107 against the Pacers on Sunday night following a late Domantas Sabonis layup. Tuesday’s game was set up to be another close one, and the narrative stayed true. The Celtics came out on top this time, although it didn’t feel like this would be the case through three quarters.

The Celtics trailed by eleven going into the final quarter after the Pacers dominated on the offensive end for the middle quarters. Indiana had six players end the night with strong double-figure totals and the Celtics had trouble stopping these shots from falling down. The Pacers were at their best in the pick-and-roll game. Sabonis didn’t put up numbers like he did the last time these two teams met, but he was effective again, especially as a decoy due to what the Celtics know he’s capable of. He finished the night with 11 rebounds and eight assists, showing yet again how good of a passer he is, especially when teammates are cutting into the lane.

Defending the pick-and-roll and the high post stood out as an area of concern for the Celtics. The Celtics don’t really have the mobile bigs to match the likes of Sabonis and Myles Turner, and that showed at times. Turner stretched the floor and went 3-of-6 from 3-point range. Tristan Thompson did about as well as he could’ve when guarding Turner, but Turner was able to get his way.

While Celtics star man Jayson Tatum was the star man of the night with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and a +19 presence on the floor, Thompson’s presence on the offensive glass was a foundation for the Celtics to go on and clinch this win. Seven of Thompson’s 10 rebounds on the night came on the offensive end, and this toughness from Boston’s new big man really set the tone for the rest of the squad.

Closing time for the Boston Celtics

The fourth quarter saw the Celtics outscore the Pacers 33-17. The Celtics improved in every aspect of their game. They didn’t allow a single 3-point shot in the quarter, after allowing 12 through three. On the offensive end, the Celtics went 9-17 themselves over the duration of the fourth quarter, taking smart shots and doing most of their work in the lane. Tatum went 4-6 in the fourth, getting to the charity strike with ease down the stretch. The offense was clicking for the Celtics, and Indiana didn’t have the tools to keep up with them.

Hustle plays were the real driving force in getting the Celtics over the line in this one. You had Thompson crashing the offensive glass, Tatum and Jaylen Brown combining for seven steals, and all-around solid defense to end the game. The pivotal play came with 26.4 seconds left on the clock, as Tatum and Brown put the pressure on Justin Holiday as he received the ball off of a Sabonis screen. The ball pops loose, Brown pounces, charges down the floor, and lays it in. This put the Celtics up by four and just about out of sight.

The Celtics are a solid team, but nobody is talking about them in terms of contending right now. They’re a team who aren’t going to go out and get big flashy wins, but they will grind out games. They have the right players on their team when you look at Marcus Smart, Thompson, and co. to be able to beat anybody when it comes down to hustle plays.

This is a gritty team and when head coach Brad Stevens helps them find their form, they’ll for sure be a force in the East yet again. The Boston Celtics aren’t a team that any opposition is going to enjoy going up against, and it’ll remain that way for some time.