Stars, studs and duds: Celtics ‘keep fighting'

Share

BOSTON -- Trailing by five points with less than a minute to play, the Celtics seemed one missed shot away from having another good comeback come up short.

But as we have seen numerous times this season, the Celtics (32-23) continue to find ways to win in improbable fashion with the latest chapter in this season-long narrative coming in the form of Wednesday’s 139-134 overtime win against the Los Angeles Clippers.

When it gets late in games that are close, the Celtics have managed to frequently step their game up in an unexpected and relatively successful, way.

“We see it happening,” said Boston’s Jae Crowder. “It takes all five guys to stay in the moment.”

That mentality has helped the Celtics weather the multiple storms that have afflicted this team from injuries to inconsistent play to a rotation with players constantly in and out of it.

“Keep fighting,” said Boston’s Isaiah Thomas. “That’s what this team is about.”

Here are the Stars, Studs and Duds from Wednesday’s game.

STARS

Isaiah Thomas: This was yet another game that validated Thomas’ all-star credentials. He led all scorers with 36 points which included the game-tying basket that forced overtime. In addition to his scoring, Thomas finished with his sixth double-double this season by adding a team-high 11 assists.

Chris Paul: A perennial all-star out West, Paul did all he could to give the Clippers a chance to win. He scored 35 points on 13-for-21 shooting along with tallying a game-high 13 assists.

STUDS

DeAndre Jordan: Boston’s struggles with limiting big men continued on Wednesday with Jordan being the latest to have his way against Boston’s front line. Jordan finished with 21 points and a game-high 16 rebounds for his team-leading 32nd double-double this season.

Jared Sullinger: As good as Jordan was, he could have been potentially more dominant if not for Sullinger’s strong play in the second half. For the game, Sullinger had a double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds in addition to seven assists.

J.J. Redick: Redick is known for his long-range shooting, but he caused problems for Boston’s defense off the dribble as well. He finished with 27 points on 9-for-14 shooting.

Marcus Smart: A strong second quarter by Smart was a major factor in Boston shifting the momentum Los Angeles had at the start of the game. He would finish with 17 points, 13 of which came in the second quarter. He also had four rebounds and four assists.

DUDS

Both teams' defense: For large chunks of the game, it seemed the only time these two were slowed down was when an official time-out was called. “It wasn’t a very – for two great defensive teams, I don’t know what happened on the night before the all-star break,” said Clippers head coach Doc Rivers. “I think our defenses went on break. Both of ours, before.” The Celtics allowed the Clippers to shoot 51.8 percent from the field while the Celtics connected on a not-so-shabby 49.5 percent of their shots.

Lance Stephenson:  He chipped in with 12 points off the bench for Los Angeles, but committed a major gaffe in the fourth quarter when he picked up a technical foul for jawing with the Celtics bench. “That’s just Lance Stephenson being Lance Stephenson,” said Boston’s Jae Crowder who was among the Celtics Stephenson was talking to when he was whistled for the technical.

Contact Us