In a thrilling matchup last night at the TD Garden in Boston, the more rested and experienced Boston Celtics faced off against the young and tired Houston Rockets. From the tip, this contest to probably no surprise to anyone around the league, was dominated by the dynamic duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
They went out and proved once again why they are considered one of the best pairings in the league, and as reporters mentioned after the game, perhaps on their way to being the best duo of all time. Brown led the way with a blazing 39 points, while Tatum chipped in with 38 of his own. Man.. oh so close to a double 40 piece from the pair! Tatum finished with one point less than Jaylen, however the play of the game still belonged to him with this incredible windmill dunk. JT pulled this out in the last game in a post-whistle dunk that didn't count, should we expect to see more of this new high flying trick?
Despite the relentless and dominant performances from Tatum and Brown, the rest of the Celtics starters struggled to find their rhythm offensively. None of the other starters or players on roster scored in double figures expect for the "Timelord", Rob Williams. The team received a much needed boost off the bench (once again) from Rob Williams. Williams had a standout performance, finishing with 11 points and 15 rebounds in just 21 minutes of play. His impressive net rating of +19 was a key factor in the Celtics' victory. Rob A.K.A, LOB Williams is so back.
Regarding Rob, is it time to address the elephant in the room yet? Why is Rob Williams not yet in the starting rotation? Is it possibly to ramp him up slowly, or has he lost his starting position for the foreseeable future? Mazzulla was asked about the possibility of putting Williams back into the starting lineup, and he told reporters that he would do "whatever was best for the team"even if that meant keeping Rob in a bench role capacity. It's clear that Williams has the talent and energy to make a significant impact, and it will be interesting to see how Mazzulla chooses to utilize him moving forward.
Coach Joe Mazzulla was not available to coach last night, but is expected to return on Thursday night for the Celtics' seventh and final home game in a row against the Los Angeles Clippers. In his absence, the team was able to maintain their early season form and extend their winning streak to three games.
Overall, it was a strong showing by the Celtics last night, and with Tatum and Brown leading the charge, they look poised to continue their winning ways. Thursday's matchup against the Clippers will be a tough test, but with the team playing at home and Mazzulla back on the bench, the Celtics will be ready to take on any challenge. Let's go Celtics!
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