Celtics beat Orlando, 109-98

ORLANDO — The lack of Enes Kanter meant the rebound battle would tougher than ever. No Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown meant that those Charlotte flashbacks were real for Kemba Walker.

But, as Orlando coach Steve Clifford noted before the game, the difference is that this is why Walker also has Gordon Hayward and Marcus Smart. And, last night, Grant Williams and Javonte Green too. And Daniel Theis.

Walker found that there was all kinds of support behind his own 37-point performance in the Celtics’ 109-98 win over Orlando.

Gordon, also answering the manpower shortage bell, responded with a 22-point, 14-rebound double-double.

Evan Fournier had just answered a Hayward three-point play with a bomb of his own when, with 2:49 left, Daniel Theis drew a foul fighting for a rebound and hit twice for a 103-95 lead.

Terrence Ross hit from downtown, both sides came up empty, and with 1:44 left Theis drove an open lane for a dunk, after getting called for an illegal pick on the previous possession.

Smart answered an Orlando miss with a floater for a 107-98 lead with 1:11 left.

This time Evan Fournier, a scourge with 30 points, missed. The crowd broke into another “We want Tacko” chant as Walker hit twice to put the game away.

The Celtics broke out with an 18-4 third quarter run that included a little something from everyone not named Walker – a pair of Javonte Green transition dunks, fine playmaking and a 3-pointer from Hayward, a back-breaking corner three from Semi Ojeleye.

The Celtics with their first lead since the first quarter, thus opened the fourth with an 82-77 lead that Walker immediately boosted with his fifth trey of the night, triggering an 8-2 run for a 90-79 edge. Grant Williams capped the run with his third 3-pointer.

Two Aaron Gordon free throws later, the Celtics gouged out five more points, including a Walker 3-pointer that drew loud cheers from the pro-Celtics crowd and was good for a 95-81 lead with 8:45 left.

Evan Fournier went on a one-man 5-0 run, including a 3-pointer that cut the Celtics edge to 95-86, prompting a Brad Stevens timeout. Green came out of the break with a drive and a free throw for a 12-point lead.

Orlando cut the Celtics lead to 98-92 with an Evan Fournier jumper that was changed, on video review, to a 3-pointer.

Almost a minute of scoreless havoc ensued for the next minute until Hayward, making a bouncing runner, converted a three-point play for a 101-92 lead.

Fournier immediately buried a 3-pointer in Theis’ face with 3:07 left.

Walker buried three of his four first half 3-pointers during a 1:09 stretch midway through the second quarter, the last triggering a 13-3 closing run that cut the Orlando lead to 57-53 by halftime.

Overall Walker put together a 27-point half on 10-for-16 shooting, including 4-for-8 from downtown. But the Celtics were also fortunate to be trailing by only three points, considering that Kanter’s absence left them exposed (30-21 rebound deficit) on the glass.

But as Daniel Theis opened the third quarter with a pick-and-roll dunk off a Smart lob, it was clear that the Celtics had saved some of that second quarter energy.

By the time Grant Williams hit a corner three at the 7:16 mark, the Celtics had cut the Orlando lead to 64-62. The Celtics’ next flurry, triggered by a Javonte Green transition dunk, was an extended 18-4 run that included a Theis bucket for the Celtics’ first lead (70-69) since the first quarter, some fine playmaking and a 3-pointer by Hayward, and another Green dunk to finish it off for an 82-73 lead.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/37lYvUi