Forsberg: Eight Celtics thoughts after eventful OT win vs. Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Is there a bad win?
That’s what Boston Celtics interim coach Joe Mazzulla wondered out loud when asked to characterize his team’s eyesore of a victory over the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night.
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Mazzulla likes to nitpick even the glitziest of wins, but you can understand his point. A win is a win is a win. Especially when it comes against a team that seemingly owned a whole bunch of real estate in his team’s head after last season’s Finals meeting.
It’s easier to play the "survive and advance" card in the postseason but ultimately, an ugly win is a whole lot better than what could have been a really ugly loss.
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"You’re going to need games like this, right," said Jayson Tatum. "There’s going to be a handful of playoff games where you don’t necessarily shoot the ball well, maybe even on the road, under 40 percent, 73 percent from the free-throw line, 17 turnovers, and still find a way to win. I think that just shows the depth of our team that, on a below average night for us, we can still find a way to win.
"That’s all that matters at the end of the night. Did you win or did you lose?"
Here are eight thoughts on the Celtics after an unattractive win with the team now riding an eight-game winning streak:
Credit Jaylen Brown with the save
Brown hit a game-tying 3-pointer with 18.6 seconds to play in regulation to force the extra session, but his biggest play of the night might have been one that won’t even show up in the box score.
The Celtics couldn’t get out of their own way despite an eight-point lead with 37.2 seconds remaining in overtime. Al Horford, who was otherwise spectacular on this night, got whistled for a (questionable though upheld on video review) 3-point foul. Marcus Smart committed a backcourt turnover leading to a Donte DiVincenzo 3-pointer to make it a one-possession game with 30.4 seconds to play.
Then this happened …
With shades of Jakobi Meyers, Smart launched a pass to nowhere and Brown hurled himself -- and his injured groin -- into the scorer’s table to save another turnover.
The Warriors still got a last gasp but, because they had no timeouts remaining, had to settle for a mid-court heave rather than the better look a turnover might have generated.
Thank goodness for Robert Williams
The Celtics might have been down 20 at halftime if not for Robert Williams III's efforts. The big man, who missed the first meeting in Golden State while still rehabbing from offseason knee surgery, was all over the offensive glass as Boston’s half-court offense routinely sputtered.
Consider this: Boston’s offensive rebound rate was 44.4 percent when Williams III was on the court on Thursday night. It plummeted to 25.8 without him. For context, the Rockets lead the NBA while rebounding 33.7 percent of their misses; the Nets are last in the NBA at 22.4 percent.
This continues a theme for the Celtics. Boston’s offensive rebound rate for the season is 34.2 percent with Williams III on the court. It’s 23.9 without him.
As Boston’s 3-point shooting has cooled from the start of the year, Williams III’s rebounding rate has been a huge reason the team’s offense has remained elite.
Brown keeps up with Steph Curry
In his first game back after missing more than a week with a groin injury, the Celtics dispatched Brown to chase Curry around for much of Thursday’s game.
"S---, that was a perfect way for me to make my introduction back into the lineup," said Brown. "They started me on Curry and challenged me to be ready to chase him around. Just to give him a different look."
