Stars, studs and duds: Celtics ‘toughed it out'

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CHARLOTTE – There is no escaping all the playoff talk that has engulfed the Boston Celtics recently.

The internet.

Newspapers.

Magazines.

It’s everywhere.

But as much as the Celtics have to be mindful of the big picture, taking care of the little things is what will ultimately get them to where they want to be – the playoffs.

Boston took a major step forward in that process on Monday night with a 116-103 win at Charlotte.

The victory pushed the Celtics (33-41) back into the eighth and final playoff spot while dropping Brooklyn (32-40) to ninth.

“Obviously we understood we needed this game,” said Boston’s Evan Turner who had 15 points, six rebounds and five assists. “Every game is important. We just toughed it out. We came out and played great team ball. We just need to string a few games along like this.”

Looking ahead at Boston’s schedule, every game will challenge them in some way whether it’s a team trying to firm up their playoff position or a team like Monday’s opponent who, like the Celtics, was trying to climb their way closer to being in the playoffs and not on the outside, looking in.

Being in the heart of a playoff push is exactly what Boston’s Avery Bradley envisioned for this young, scrappy Celtics team.

“I never counted us out from the beginning of the year,” Bradley said. “I knew that any goal is possible if you prepare the right way and have the right focus. We have this year, even though we’ve had our ups and downs. We definitely have a chance. We just have to continue to stay focused and follow our game plan and win games.”

 

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

 

STARS

Avery Bradley

No one’s play stood out more than Bradley who led all scorers with 30 points on 12-for-23 shooting. He also grabbed eight rebounds and two assists.

Kemba Walker

He really looked like a one-man band on the floor most of the night. Walker did a little bit of everything for the Hornets, scoring 28 points in addition to dishing out 12 assists without a single turnover.

 

STUDS

Evan Turner 

He continues to stuff the stat sheet for Boston as he totaled 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting, along with six rebounds and five assists.

Mo Williams

He didn’t shoot the ball particularly well (6-for-17, 2-for-8 on 3s), but Williams came up with some big plays in the fourth quarter that gave Charlotte a fighting chance on a night when they were for the most part, outplayed.

Marcus Smart

This was exactly the kind of game Smart needed in the worst way. After struggling with his shot lately, Smart had a solid 14 points on 5-for-9 shooting, along with four assists, three steals and a blocked shot that will be on the season-ending highlight reel for sure.

 

DUDS

Lance Stephenson

He finished with a DNP-CD (did not play - coaches decision) for the game which is surprising when you consider he was supposed to be Charlotte’s prized acquisition this offseason. This was just the latest indicator of how far Stephenson has fallen off in the eyes of head coach Steve Clifford. “Lance was disappointed,” Clifford said. “I give him credit, he said I know I can help the team and he handled it well.”

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