The Celtics won by a landslide against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night. The final score was 110-88. The Celtics were happy to have Gordon Hayward back for the first time since early November. Putting him back to the lineup adds versatility where almost anyone can switch defenders and be fine.
All 12 Celtics that played scored the ball, including all of the starting five scoring in double figures. The Cavs fought for most of the game, but towards the end of the third quarter the C’s started to pull away. With Marcus Smart missing this game, and it being a blowout, everyone on the bench played.
The Celtics were led by Kemba Walker who scored 22 points on 13 shot attempts. Another good night from Walker, something that seems to happen often. Jaylen Brown continues to make his case for being an all star as he scored 20 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Brown’s ability to take advantage of mismatches has drastically improved this season.
Jayson Tatum scored 19 points and brought in 11 rebounds. He has learned to use his long arms to help him rebound the ball. He has continued to gain more confidence in his shot throughout the season. Hayward scored just 14 points in his first game back. He doesn’t look like he lost a step, he just wasn’t getting a lot of touches. He shot 7-10 for the game.
The Celtics center position was the biggest question mark going into the season, and it still is. They have used a group of Daniel Theis, Enes Kanter, and Robert Williams. Daniel Theis has been the biggest surprise, as he has been starting the most of the three. His ability to defend the paint and spread the floor on offense is a great addition to the team.
The Cavs only had two players scored in double figures, Tristan Thompson and Jordan Clarkson. Thomson showed the Celtics a hole in their team, and that is rebounding. He grabbed 11 rebounds, 8 of which were on the offensive glass.
The Celtics look to carry this big win to Indiana to take on the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. The Pacers (15-9) have been surprisingly good this year without star player Victor Oladipo.
