The Boston Celtics had an outburst against the Washington Wizards on Friday night for the dramatic, but they were able to manage to secure their fourth consecutive victory.
Once again, it was the dynamic duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown who led the way for the Cs. Tatum had 32 points on the night, and Brown climbed 27 points and 13 rebounds.
Celtics-Wizards Highlights: C Holds Late to Win, 116-107
While Tatum and Brown were the stars, there was still enough to take away from Boston’s victory. This is what we are overreacting to as the Celtics improve to 7-3.
Tacko Fall needs more minutes.
If only the Celtics had played in front of a packed TD Garden on Friday night.
Tackomania would have been wild when the 7 foot 5 phenomenon performed for the short-lived Cs. With Tristan Thompson, Robert Williams and Grant Williams all out due to health and safety protocols, Fall got extensive minutes. He utilized most of it.
Fall finished in 19 minutes with four points, eight rebounds and three blocks. One of the blocks was a denial of former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook.
The big man has shown that he has the potential to play meaningful minutes for the Cs when asked. There’s no doubt he’s earned the confidence of head coach Brad Stevens, so we’ll have to wait and see if we can get more Tacko Time as the season progresses.
Verdict: Overreaction
2. Semi Oil Oil becomes a solid rotation player.
Oil junkies, like Fall, have been called upon to play big minutes with the Celtics shorthand. He was in the starting lineup and although he was not strong at the gate, he made a big contribution in the third quarter.
The 26-year-old finished in 27 minutes with eight points and five rebounds and was a +23 on the floor. He was a pleasant surprise over his last few games and played with much more confidence and aggression than years ago.
At this point, it’s hard to deny that Oeljeye is becoming a reliable rotation player for this C’s team. That says a lot after being considered on the grid bubble in the campaign.
Verdict: Not an overreaction
3. Celtics have a second half problem.
Sure, the Celtics got the W, but what happened in the fourth quarter was an abomination. In the blink of an eye, a 28-point lead shrank to four against one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA.
This sloppiness in the second half was a problem for the Celtics dating back to last season. The turnover also does them no favors (Friday 21). It all needs to be figured out if this team is a true contender in the East.
Verdict: Not an overreaction