The Celtics come out and power through the 4th quarter to walk away with a big 115-101 win against the Hornets. The Celtics have been on absolute tear lately and have looked like the best team in the NBA and it all boils down to excellent ball movement and defense. There is no doubt in my mind, and we have heard it from NBA coaches as well, that this is the best defense in the league. I think coming into this season, everyone though that defense was going to be the calling card of this team but what has surprised most people has been the offensive punch we have been playing with lately. Tonight is a great game that highlights all of the things we have done well this calendar year. 

We assisted on 30 of our 46 makes and Jayson Tatum has continued to play at an MVP-type level. I said it after last game too but Tatum is not going out taking a million shots but is going out and making the right plays over and over and that makes this team so much better. That seems to be contagious too because outside of Tatum, everyone else seems to be doing it as well. Tonight, Smart had 9 assists, White had 8 and JB had 5. EVERYBODY is contributing and that is a beautiful sight to see.

This podcast is brought to you by our friends at Venture Greens Nutrition. They have the best CBD products in the world including tinctures, salves and gear and all of their products are made and manufactured in the United States. Check them out at venturegreensnutrition.com and use code Celticstake15 for 15% off!

This podcast is also brought to you by The Basketball Podcast Network and DraftKings.  Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app now, use promo code TBPN, bet JUST FIVE DOLLARS on any NBA team to win their game and win TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS IN FREE BETS. If they win, YOU WIN with promo code TBPN this week at DraftKings Sportsbook — an Authorized Sports Betting Partner of the NBA

The Celtics come out and power through the 4th quarter to walk away with a big 115-101 win against the Hornets. The Celtics have been on absolute tear lately and have looked like the best team in the NBA and it all boils down to excellent ball movement and defense. There is no doubt in my mind, and we have heard it from NBA coaches as well, that this is the best defense in the league. I think coming into this season, everyone though that defense was going to be the calling card of this team but what has surprised most people has been the offensive punch we have been playing with lately. Tonight is a great game that highlights all of the things we have done well this calendar year. 

We assisted on 30 of our 46 makes and Jayson Tatum has continued to play at an MVP-type level. I said it after last game too but Tatum is not going out taking a million shots but is going out and making the right plays over and over and that makes this team so much better. That seems to be contagious too because outside of Tatum, everyone else seems to be doing it as well. Tonight, Smart had 9 assists, White had 8 and JB had 5. EVERYBODY is contributing and that is a beautiful sight to see.

This podcast is brought to you by our friends at Venture Greens Nutrition. They have the best CBD products in the world including tinctures, salves and gear and all of their products are made and manufactured in the United States. Check them out at venturegreensnutrition.com and use code Celticstake15 for 15% off!

This podcast is also brought to you by The Basketball Podcast Network and DraftKings.  Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app now, use promo code TBPN, bet JUST FIVE DOLLARS on any NBA team to win their game and win TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS IN FREE BETS. If they win, YOU WIN with promo code TBPN this week at DraftKings Sportsbook — an Authorized Sports Betting Partner of the NBA

Jayson Tatum went God Mode today and played one of the best games of his career. He ended the night with 54pts and I don't think he took a bad shot all night. In games where players are going off, there tend to be a lot of heat checks and I don't think we saw any of that for Tatum. All night long, he made the right basketball play and it was super impressive to watch. This calendar year, we have seen Tatum step up and have watched his game evolve. There are certainly still iso plays here and there BUT we are seeing him using his body and getting to the rim for better shots and also making the right passes out of doubles. Second half Tatum and First Half Tatum don't even seem like the same player and I am here for it. 

The last several years have brought up several narratives including the fact that Jaylen and Jayson can't play together and they don't make anyone around them better. This calendar year has completely shot that narrative down as they have both really changed their game to suit the team. Both of them have become definitively better passers and that has created several open shot opportunities for teammates. We are also seeing the Jays playing off of each other which we have all been calling for for years. Things are clicking at the right time as the Celtics look to continue the climb up the Eastern Conference Standings.

Jayson Tatum went God Mode today and played one of the best games of his career. He ended the night with 54pts and I don't think he took a bad shot all night. In games where players are going off, there tend to be a lot of heat checks and I don't think we saw any of that for Tatum. All night long, he made the right basketball play and it was super impressive to watch. This calendar year, we have seen Tatum step up and have watched his game evolve. There are certainly still iso plays here and there BUT we are seeing him using his body and getting to the rim for better shots and also making the right passes out of doubles. Second half Tatum and First Half Tatum don't even seem like the same player and I am here for it. 

The last several years have brought up several narratives including the fact that Jaylen and Jayson can't play together and they don't make anyone around them better. This calendar year has completely shot that narrative down as they have both really changed their game to suit the team. Both of them have become definitively better passers and that has created several open shot opportunities for teammates. We are also seeing the Jays playing off of each other which we have all been calling for for years. Things are clicking at the right time as the Celtics look to continue the climb up the Eastern Conference Standings.

No JB tonight against the Grizzlies who have the third best record in the NBA and we saw a complete team performance. Despite allowing 18pts on 14 turnovers and giving up 17 offensive rebounds, the Celtics put together a pretty complete game. Through the first half, I would've given Smart the Player of the Game but then Al went off and then Tatum scored 21pts in the 4th quarter. Everybody contributed tonight and that is the part that makes you very confident in this team making a long postseason run. This version of Jayson Tatum was All-NBA worthy tonight. He did a great job of recognizing the double team early and making the right play out of it but he also attacked the rim more tonight than I can remember all season long. With tonight's win, the Celtics move above the Cavs into the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference just 2 games behind the 2 seed! With JB set to return this weekend, our game versus the Nets on Sunday should certainly be a fun one. 

No JB tonight against the Grizzlies who have the third best record in the NBA and we saw a complete team performance. Despite allowing 18pts on 14 turnovers and giving up 17 offensive rebounds, the Celtics put together a pretty complete game. Through the first half, I would've given Smart the Player of the Game but then Al went off and then Tatum scored 21pts in the 4th quarter. Everybody contributed tonight and that is the part that makes you very confident in this team making a long postseason run. This version of Jayson Tatum was All-NBA worthy tonight. He did a great job of recognizing the double team early and making the right play out of it but he also attacked the rim more tonight than I can remember all season long. With tonight's win, the Celtics move above the Cavs into the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference just 2 games behind the 2 seed! With JB set to return this weekend, our game versus the Nets on Sunday should certainly be a fun one. 

Jaylen Brown went down early in this one with an ankle injury so we can start by saying "I hope that doesn't hold him out long." As soon as he left, the energy shifted on the court and the Hawks started going on a run. It stayed competitive until back to back possessions where we fouled on 3 pt shots which led to them ending the quarter on a 9-0 run fueled strictly by FTs. The Hawks continued stretching the lead to as much as 17 but ended the half up 14. When the third quarter started, everything changed. The Celtics outscored the Hawks 31-13 in the third and 25-20 in the fourth. Their defense stepped up in a major way but we got massive contributions off the bench including 18pts from both Derrick White, who had a monster third quarter, and Grant Williams, who hit back to back 3s in the fourth clinching this victory. Jayson Tatum was the star tonight though doing a little bit of everything highlighted by his 33pts and 7ast. This is a much needed victory and hopefully a spring board leading into our game Thursday against Ja Morant and the Grizzlies.

This podcast is brought to you by our friends at Venture Greens Nutrition. They have the best CBD products in the world including tinctures, salves and gear and all of their products are made and manufactured in the United States. Check them out at venturegreensnutrition.com and use code Celticstake15 for 15% off!

This podcast is also brought to you by The Basketball Podcast Network and DraftKings.  Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app now, use promo code TBPN, bet JUST FIVE DOLLARS on any NBA team to win their game and win TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS IN FREE BETS. If they win, YOU WIN with promo code TBPN this week at DraftKings Sportsbook — an Authorized Sports Betting Partner of the NBA

Jaylen Brown went down early in this one with an ankle injury so we can start by saying "I hope that doesn't hold him out long." As soon as he left, the energy shifted on the court and the Hawks started going on a run. It stayed competitive until back to back possessions where we fouled on 3 pt shots which led to them ending the quarter on a 9-0 run fueled strictly by FTs. The Hawks continued stretching the lead to as much as 17 but ended the half up 14. When the third quarter started, everything changed. The Celtics outscored the Hawks 31-13 in the third and 25-20 in the fourth. Their defense stepped up in a major way but we got massive contributions off the bench including 18pts from both Derrick White, who had a monster third quarter, and Grant Williams, who hit back to back 3s in the fourth clinching this victory. Jayson Tatum was the star tonight though doing a little bit of everything highlighted by his 33pts and 7ast. This is a much needed victory and hopefully a spring board leading into our game Thursday against Ja Morant and the Grizzlies.

This podcast is brought to you by our friends at Venture Greens Nutrition. They have the best CBD products in the world including tinctures, salves and gear and all of their products are made and manufactured in the United States. Check them out at venturegreensnutrition.com and use code Celticstake15 for 15% off!

This podcast is also brought to you by The Basketball Podcast Network and DraftKings.  Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app now, use promo code TBPN, bet JUST FIVE DOLLARS on any NBA team to win their game and win TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS IN FREE BETS. If they win, YOU WIN with promo code TBPN this week at DraftKings Sportsbook — an Authorized Sports Betting Partner of the NBA

This was truly a game decided by the 3 and that is typically not a good thing for the Celtics. The Celtics fell 128-107 to the Pacers and the big difference came from beyond the arc. The Celtics shot 12-43 (27.9%) while the Pacers, who have been a 33% 3pt shooting team this season, shot 17-33 (51.5%). The Celtics have hung their hat on the defensive end all season long and tonight was not their night. Coming off the back to back, Ime decided to rest Al (which I'm not complaining about) but that means other guys need to step up and that didn't really happen on the defensive end. This turned into a shoot out early and instead of clamping down defensively, we let the Pacers fly past us while our defense collapsed in to stop the drive and they kicked out for open 3 after open 3 and that continued for 4 straight quarters ultimately putting this one away. The Celtics head back to Boston for a game on Tuesday against the Hawks. A bounceback win would be huge for this group as we hope to climb the standings a bit in a very condensed Eastern Conference.

This podcast is brought to you by our friends at Venture Greens Nutrition. They have the best CBD products in the world including tinctures, salves and gear and all of their products are made and manufactured in the United States. Check them out at venturegreensnutrition.com and use code Celticstake15 for 15% off!

This podcast is also brought to you by The Basketball Podcast Network and DraftKings.  Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app now, use promo code TBPN, bet JUST FIVE DOLLARS on any NBA team to win their game and win TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS IN FREE BETS. If they win, YOU WIN with promo code TBPN this week at DraftKings Sportsbook — an Authorized Sports Betting Partner of the NBA

This was truly a game decided by the 3 and that is typically not a good thing for the Celtics. The Celtics fell 128-107 to the Pacers and the big difference came from beyond the arc. The Celtics shot 12-43 (27.9%) while the Pacers, who have been a 33% 3pt shooting team this season, shot 17-33 (51.5%). The Celtics have hung their hat on the defensive end all season long and tonight was not their night. Coming off the back to back, Ime decided to rest Al (which I'm not complaining about) but that means other guys need to step up and that didn't really happen on the defensive end. This turned into a shoot out early and instead of clamping down defensively, we let the Pacers fly past us while our defense collapsed in to stop the drive and they kicked out for open 3 after open 3 and that continued for 4 straight quarters ultimately putting this one away. The Celtics head back to Boston for a game on Tuesday against the Hawks. A bounceback win would be huge for this group as we hope to climb the standings a bit in a very condensed Eastern Conference.

This podcast is brought to you by our friends at Venture Greens Nutrition. They have the best CBD products in the world including tinctures, salves and gear and all of their products are made and manufactured in the United States. Check them out at venturegreensnutrition.com and use code Celticstake15 for 15% off!

This podcast is also brought to you by The Basketball Podcast Network and DraftKings.  Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app now, use promo code TBPN, bet JUST FIVE DOLLARS on any NBA team to win their game and win TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS IN FREE BETS. If they win, YOU WIN with promo code TBPN this week at DraftKings Sportsbook — an Authorized Sports Betting Partner of the NBA