NBA
Celtics Bounce Back Behind Kyrie’s 20 Points
The Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets played the second game of a two-game series Sunday night. The Celtics got a narrow 115-112 victory against the Hornets. The Celtics received major offensive relief from the usual suspects. Kyrie Irving led the way for the Celtics, scoring 20 points. Jayson Tatum was close behind Irving, scoring 16 points. The most impressive part of this win has to be the Celtics staying strong in the closing minutes. It is good for a team to get that experience in a close game, even if it is the pre-season.
Robert Williams is Fitting in
Last game, I critiqued Robert Williams because he wasn’t able to assert himself in the game, and win the game. Sunday night, he proved me wrong. Williams scored five points and recorded a block. Although those don’t seem like big numbers, it’s because his impact surpassed the score sheet. Williams was incredibly active on defense in the 10 minutes he played, getting the game-saving block with 16 seconds remaining.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens and veteran Al Horford had kind words to say about Williams after the game. Stevens said after the game.
“I thought Robert’s defense gave us some options there late”. In addition, Williams’s mentor Al Horford was quoted saying, ““[I’m] very impressed by his energy level. You can already tell he’s very committed to trying to do the right thing– [getting] here early, working extra, really getting after it. On the defensive end, what really impresses me about him is his impact on the ball, his ability to contest and change people’s shots.”
Player of the Game: Kyrie Irving
When a player leads the team in scoring and is the main table setter, then it’s hard not to give him the player of the game. Irving did exactly that. Kung-Fu Kyrie is in full effect, and we should see him continue to fill up the stat sheet while leading his team to victories. An honorable mention should be given to Terry Rozier, who brought energy to the court with his defense and offense, making the game fun to watch.
The Celtics will be defending the Garden again on Tuesday against their conference rivals, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Irving will be resting for this game, but is expected to be back for the pre-season finale. Expect Rozier and Wanamaker to get more minutes against Cavs rookie Collin Sexton.
Photo Credit
Highlight Store via Flickr
