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St Pete Serpents VS Boston Celtics
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Transcript
00:07The buzz is building from the sports craze town of Boston.
00:12They know each game presents a test of physical endurance, of mental focus, and their ability
00:19to match up against any style of play.
00:21And that challenge is right ahead, coming right up on 2K Sports.
00:27Welcome to 2K Sports.
00:28We have the NBA...
00:30Great to have you with us.
00:31I'm Kevin Harlan.
00:33Here at the table with me, Greg Anthony and Richard Jefferson.
00:36And over on the sidelines tonight, Allie LaForce.
00:40And taking a broader look here at the year-over-year scoring trend for Anfernee Simons.
00:46You can see his scoring numbers trending down as time goes on.
00:50It's not what you want to see, but maybe it's just time to shift his approach a little
00:55and start looking for other ways to get points out there on the floor.
00:59Now the starting group for the visitors.
01:01You've got Hachimura.
01:03Keon Ellis is out there with Mitch.
01:05Then there's Prince.
01:07And it's Kata in at the 5, roaming the paint.
01:10And for Boston.
01:11Pritchard and White are their guards.
01:14Dynamic duel of Brown and Tatum at the 3 and the 4.
01:17And it's Drummond in at the center position.
01:20Now when you talk about this game here tonight, Richard, these two teams like to get out and run.
01:26I expect both teams to be pushing the pace and making this a bit of a track meet.
01:31Conditioning will be tested.
01:33And once he got to the 10, I think he was surprised to find himself that wide open.
01:38But easy possessions like that literally are just a gift.
01:42You just dream of them.
01:43He will gladly take those.
01:45He took it right to the rack.
01:47And look, there's no one that can stop him.
01:51Here's Mitchell.
01:52Plays it up and banks it in.
01:54Mitchell's got his second bucket tonight.
01:56Boy, he is looking confident.
01:59Love how they're using him so far.
02:01Yeah, when he gets engaged this early in the game, it's bad news for the defense.
02:06He can roll this start throughout the rest of the game.
02:09Now here's Ellis.
02:10After Jalen Brown's miss.
02:12And then Hachimura with the jam.
02:15I love how under control Pachimura is.
02:19Able to push his plate through the contact and score.
02:22Nice work.
02:24What a great look here at this tremendous move from our AT&T Connected Cam point of view.
02:31Here's Kata.
02:32He's averaging a bit over five points a game.
02:36And stolen by Tatum.
02:42First 130 gone here in the first quarter.
02:45Out to White.
02:47Plenty of space.
02:49He's off on that one.
02:50They say it's a make or miss league.
02:52And there are some times that you miss.
02:55Greg, I'm sure their coach is very pleased with their offensive flow right now.
02:59I mean, it's harder than it looks to get it going like this.
03:03Now they just have to maintain it.
03:05And it's sent back by Prince.
03:08Still very early, but that's not the start they want.
03:11One for five shooting.
03:13Hachimura, no good.
03:15And close to making the defense pay for the lax coverage that time.
03:20And Richard, I'll say this.
03:21Is Jalen Brown's often at the heart of a debate about what his true value is?
03:26I think it's immense.
03:28Oh, I don't know what the debate is.
03:30I don't know the difference between megastar, superstar.
03:33But he is a proven all-star, an all-NBA player, and a finals MVP.
03:39The Celtics have gotten only one of six shots to drop for them to start this game.
03:43And so, the timeout by Joe Mazzula here.
03:46He made the decision to huddle up with his guys and talk about strategy.
03:57And making our way toward the finish line, this is a great time to check out the new power rankings.
04:03Take a look at the Pistons.
04:04They're gaining on some of the teams above them, trying hard to crack into that top five.
04:09But when you look at this visiting team, their position in the rankings really hasn't fluctuated.
04:15But there's still a little time for them to make some noise.
04:18And a late-season push could make all the difference.
04:22Brown finds Drummond.
04:25Nice ball movement by Boston.
04:27And the layup's good off the glass.
04:29Hey, that's Drummond.
04:31Throwback center who does almost all of his damage inside.
04:36Here's Mitchell.
04:37Mitchell lays it up off the glass.
04:40Mitchell's got six.
04:41Oh, this is the kind of start they were hoping for.
04:47Brown with it.
04:49He's been a factor in their offense on most nights with his scoring average at nearly 16 points a game.
04:55Pritchard from outside.
04:57The rebound by Cato.
04:59Gone five of seven today so far.
05:01Nice shooting to get this game underway.
05:03Ellis.
05:04That's short off the rim.
05:05And he's very confident from that range.
05:08But you can't make them all.
05:10White.
05:10Wide open.
05:11He fires.
05:12Thrills it from outside.
05:14He has five.
05:15And they don't want to get in a habit of giving him open looks from three.
05:20First quarter still, but not who you want to leave open.
05:23And it's Hatchimura in the corner.
05:26Trying to answer back.
05:27But that three is off the mark.
05:32Richard with a wide open look.
05:33And they're unable to get the time basket there.
05:37And the stroke definitely lacking confidence this quarter.
05:41Nothing on target.
05:43Tata's shot is off.
05:45And here's Tatum.
05:47He'll bring it up for the Boston Celtics.
05:49They trail by three.
05:51The last time these two clubs came together was also in this building.
05:54With an unfortunate ending for the home team.
05:56And their last time against this club, they really fell short at the free throw line.
06:01Here's Mitchell following the basket by Jalen Brown.
06:05And they pick up two.
06:07Just no resistance on the inside.
06:09That's their fifth consecutive make in the paint.
06:16Now Pritchard.
06:18Still without a basket.
06:24Austin shooting their first shots of the night from a charity strike.
06:32That free throw good from Pritchard.
06:35Pritchard, if you're a top team right now, you're really trying to perform your best to set the tone for
06:41the playoffs.
06:41To really get that mindset, aren't you?
06:43Yeah, teams that end on a win streak often carry some positive momentum in the first round.
06:48But don't allow for it to get you over conflict.
06:51Here's what Boston's going with right now.
06:54Garza's checked in.
06:55And Sam Hauser's subbed in for Brown.
06:58No surprise there.
06:59He's about as automatic as it gets from the stripe.
07:03I hope I didn't jinx him.
07:04And Keita gets it to go.
07:06The plan of attack is obvious.
07:08Get the ball inside.
07:10It goes strong to the rim.
07:12Pritchard with the ball.
07:13Covered by Mitchell.
07:14Pritchard gets the bucket.
07:16He saw a path to the rim.
07:17And he took it.
07:18The defense just couldn't stop him.
07:22Pass to Keita.
07:24Here's Hachimura.
07:26That one a little long.
07:28Not his best efficiency this quarter.
07:30Sometimes that's how it goes.
07:32Here's Tatum.
07:33Now in the scoring column with that bucket.
07:35One for two this game.
07:37This dude is well built.
07:39He's especially six foot eight.
07:41Look, he's going to score inside if he gets that close.
07:44Here's Mitchell.
07:45And they call the foul.
07:47So he's got the and one chance here to make it a three-point play.
07:51And he has flat out taken over this quarter.
07:54Keep feeding the beast.
07:56Starting.
07:57Time home.
07:59All 18.
08:08It seems like every shot these guys have been putting up has been going in.
08:12This month's top shooters.
08:14Look at Watson.
08:15So solid around the basket.
08:17Currently third in the league.
08:18It would be hard to imagine him shooting the ball much better than he has.
08:23He has been on fire.
08:31The Celtics have gone six of 13 from the field.
08:34Just under the 50% mark.
08:36A nice shot by Simon.
08:38And you've got to get out on the head if you're the defense.
08:41Simon's too big a threat from deep.
08:46Mitchell's shot is good.
08:47But Mitchell's got 13.
08:49They should continue to get the ball inside.
08:52The defense struggling to contain them.
08:55And Simon's wide open.
08:57He'll fight.
08:58Off target with his three.
09:00Gone 0 of 2 from deep here.
09:02Let's check in now with our Allie LaForce who's got a story for us.
09:06Allie.
09:07Hey, Kevin.
09:08The Celtics understand that they'll be tested.
09:10Jalen Brown said growth is a journey with ups and downs.
09:13You have to stay with it.
09:14You can't complain.
09:15Don't let it break your spirit.
09:16We've just got to keep building the right habits, keep being versatile, and keep learning from these experiences.
09:22Kevin, back to you.
09:23Always looking to get better.
09:25Thank you, Allie.
09:27Nice ball movement there.
09:28That's how you break down the defense.
09:31Gone 1 of 3 from beyond the arc so far in the game.
09:36Mitchell kicks to Hachimura.
09:39Shoots over Hauser.
09:40And stolen by Simon.
09:44And a fast break now for the Celtics.
09:49Here's Minot.
09:51He's covered by Watson.
09:53Minot.
09:54Good.
09:55Minot's got the game tied up here for the Celtics.
09:59And it's Hachimura in the corner.
10:02Off target from three-point ring.
10:05They hold the early advantage on the glass.
10:08Here's Hauser.
10:10Three-pointer.
10:11Simon.
10:12Hachimura grabs the miss.
10:14And he might have thrown himself off when he saw how much space he had from three.
10:19Watson, the pass to Kata.
10:21And it's wide right.
10:23Hits off the rim.
10:25The Celtics shooting well right out of the gates here at around 50%.
10:31Here's Shireman.
10:32And contact on the shot.
10:34So he'll be shooting free throws here.
10:36Rui Hachimura picks one up.
10:38Really, the right play defensively.
10:40If you can't block, force him to the line.
10:44Shireman.
10:47First free throw is good.
11:04Both shots good from a strike.
11:09We've got 13 seconds left to play in the first quarter.
11:12Pass to Gay.
11:13And a beautiful feed leads to a monster jam.
11:17And the one-hand slam just looks so pretty when it's in his hand.
11:22And he's the one doing the slam.
11:24Agreed.
11:24He is smooth as silk.
11:26Even on a power finish.
11:28The shot's good from Simon.
11:30And we talk about the importance of versatility.
11:33He's really got it all on the offensive end.
11:36And so, both teams trading buckets as we end the first quarter.
11:40It's the Celtics up by three.
11:42And back with the start of the second quarter in just a moment.
11:56And this has been a fairly close game through the first quarter.
11:59And we'll see what happens here in the second.
12:01Let's take a moment here to get your guys' take on scoring so far for the Celtics.
12:06They've really been dialed in from deep.
12:08This is a team that has a ton of confidence in their outside shooting ability.
12:12And I also have to bring up their passing game.
12:15They've been moving the ball with great precision so far.
12:18And creating great looks for their teammates.
12:21They've got James.
12:23And Gay is in at the center.
12:27Here's Brown.
12:29Here's Garza.
12:31And there's two corners.
12:33Working on the glass.
12:33Paying off that time.
12:35And those are the kind of nice inside looks they've got here in the first half.
12:41Pass to Gay.
12:43Yes!
12:44It's James picking up the assist.
12:46Gay's got his second basket.
12:48Celtics leading by three.
12:52Here's Brown.
12:55A rebound by Battle.
12:57The winning is beautiful right now.
12:5960% for the game.
13:01Pretty much everyone out there has been stroking it.
13:03Nice ball movement there.
13:05Delivered the pass right on time.
13:10Brown inside.
13:12Brown finished through the contact from Brown.
13:15And the balance Brown has on these takes.
13:18Refusing to let the D get the upper hand.
13:20When it comes to Jalen Brown, Greg,
13:22what qualities does he add to a team?
13:25Well, I love how active and physical he is.
13:29He poses such a difficult challenge on both sides of the ball.
13:34With a finals MVP award to his credit,
13:36you know he's as mentally tough as anyone in our league.
13:43Here in the second quarter with a little over a minute gone.
13:47To the paint.
13:48He is looking for Simons.
13:49And finds him.
13:51Hauser misses.
13:52And even without that three ball dropping for him,
13:55the defense should have done more on that last play.
13:58And there it is for him.
14:00Watson's got five.
14:02Moving it around.
14:03Eight of their last ten coming off assists.
14:09Brown deciding where to go with it.
14:12Brown on the drive.
14:14And Brown throws it down hard.
14:16Speed on display there from Brown.
14:18This man can turn on the Jets.
14:20He has another gear.
14:25He's checked in for Boston.
14:28Let's go to the 2K leaderboard
14:30and see which teams have been the NBA's best
14:32in the rebounding department.
14:33They are tenacious when it comes to attacking the backboard.
14:38Physical, smart, and determined.
14:40No surprise to see them at the top of the ranking.
14:44Gone a perfect 4 of 4 since the second quarter began.
14:47Perfect from the field.
14:49Ellis kicks to Watson.
14:52And trying for the go-ahead basket.
14:54It doesn't go in.
14:58Now it's against Simon.
15:01He made that one.
15:02Basket number three for him.
15:03He's also missed two.
15:05Paul Gritty inside.
15:06Simons amongst the big bodies.
15:10Outside Prince.
15:12And here's James outside.
15:15Rebounded by Hauser.
15:17Austin made it by four.
15:19And Simons has it in the corner.
15:22And the defense really pressing up on it.
15:25Made that a tough shot.
15:27Gone 0-2 from Heath here in the second.
15:30Over to the wing.
15:31Watson kicks to Ellis.
15:33Shoots over Hauser.
15:35Ellis can't get it to go.
15:37And so Brown will bring it up for the Boston Celtics.
15:40And guys, you just can't afford to give away points from the foul line.
15:45Not in the NBA.
15:46Teams are just too talented.
15:48Oh, that is well said.
15:49They're being handed three points and just couldn't convert.
15:53And it doesn't seem like the analytics folks are often fans of the mid-range jumper.
15:58But Richard, where do you stand on that?
16:00Well, I think great players have to use the mid-range jumper.
16:04Because most teams are protecting the paint and the three-point line.
16:08So for the best players, the shot creators, the guys that need to score buckets,
16:12they've got to have an in-between game.
16:15Jason Tatum, he's checked in for the Celtics.
16:21He makes one of two that time.
16:23Celtics leading by three.
16:28Round inside.
16:30Working on Prince.
16:35Here's Ellis.
16:36He's been a reliable scorer for him as he's averaging up over 13 points a game.
16:41Oh, what a finish.
16:43Is Rurie showing off that athletic ability?
16:47Celtics shooting 48% from the field.
16:49Not bad at all.
16:52Three-pointer.
16:53Seidman.
16:54That one misses.
16:56And after connecting twice from deep in the first quarter,
16:59he hasn't been able to drain another here in the second.
17:02The Celtics shooting 36% in the second quarter.
17:06They really haven't found their rhythm yet offensively.
17:08Brown with the bucket.
17:10The mid-range is not an issue for Brown.
17:13And it's just another weapon in his arsenal now.
17:16And Watson has it in the corner.
17:18Inside.
17:19Here's Hachimura.
17:20That's good.
17:21And the assist goes to Watson.
17:23Hachimura's got his third basket of the night.
17:27Celtics have gone 5-12 from the field here in the second.
17:30Simons from outside.
17:31It's hauled in by Watson.
17:33He's been off.
17:34Still, they're up.
17:35So, not all is lost.
17:37Hachimura kicks to Prince.
17:39There's Ellis with the three-ball.
17:42Rebounded by the Celtics.
17:44Tatum's got his fourth rebound in this one.
17:46Simons with the ball.
17:47And Hachimura picks him up defensively.
17:49That is downright unguardable.
17:53Simons knows when to go for it.
17:57Here's Ellis.
17:59Banked in off the glass.
18:04Wow.
18:05Here's Brown.
18:06He's got nine.
18:07And so, the timeout by Joe Missoula here.
18:11He's ready to talk things through with him.
18:13Lots of moments, RJ, shine through in the career of Jason Tatum.
18:18The one that sticks out to me was the moment of relief after they won the final.
18:22The redid it, quote, will live in Celtics' infamy.
18:26Echoing that of the great Kevin Garnett.
18:39And here is Tatum.
18:41Nine-point game is last outing.
18:43Tatum setting the pick for Pritchard.
18:47Pulls up on the elbow.
18:49Rebound by Mitchell.
18:52They've gotten seven of their 12 field goal attempts to drop here in the second quarter.
18:55Up over 50%.
18:56Here's Kada.
18:58A miss that time.
18:59Would have put him up.
19:00Look, the defense was locked in on him there.
19:03They know how dangerous he can be, and they guarded him perfectly.
19:07He gets that one.
19:08And it's a great piece of work to get to the hoop there.
19:11Just tore the deep to shreds.
19:15Pass to Hachimura.
19:17Hands stolen by Tatum.
19:20And a fast break now for the Celtics.
19:23Off the mark there with the three-point shot.
19:26Gone 0-3 from beyond the arc to start the second quarter.
19:30Here's Mitchell trying to get open is Hachimura.
19:32And foul on the shot.
19:34He'll shoot two at the free-throw line.
19:37Yeah, easy call.
19:41And the first one drops.
19:54And Mitchell drops them both.
19:58The Celtics with the lead.
20:00And now, Allie LaForce has something for us from the sideline.
20:05Jason Tatum keeping the main thing the main thing.
20:08He said there are players that get caught up in the lifestyle, and they choose that over the game.
20:13The money is a plus, yes.
20:14But I truly love the game because I love basketball.
20:17Not for the things that come with it.
20:19Guys, back to you.
20:19You'll love to hear it.
20:21Hey, Allie, thank you very much for the report.
20:24Those plays can make a difference in a game like this.
20:28Well, you know it's going to fire up, Greg.
20:31Everybody on that bench.
20:33And you can feel the jolt of energy that he sent through his team.
20:36That is a huge boost in a tight game like this.
20:39Pursues the offensive glass with purpose.
20:42Drummond knows who he is, and boy, does he attack it.
20:47Near the three-point line, it's Ellis.
20:49Andre Drummond grabs the miss.
20:52Drummond's got four rebounds in this game.
20:54And the rebound battle split evenly thus far.
20:58A shot by Pritchard, no good.
21:01Gone 8 of 15 since we began the second quarter.
21:04Excellent shooting.
21:06And stolen by Drummond.
21:08And up the court come the Celtics on the break.
21:10Here's Simon.
21:12And the flam dunk by Simon.
21:14And how about the explosiveness of Simon's?
21:18Can he get up and finish with power?
21:24Here's Hachimura.
21:26And here's Prince outside.
21:29Austin grabs the miss.
21:30And I thought that was going to drop.
21:33It looks good from here.
21:34Pass to Simon.
21:36Back to Tatum.
21:39No good on the triple.
21:40And he didn't punish them for the weak coverage there.
21:44But they can't count on him to continue missing.
21:47And then Mitchell in the dunk.
21:49And he's an automatic finisher when he gets into that area.
21:53He is.
21:53And he picks the simple one-hand stuff to get the two points.
21:57Tatum wide open.
21:58He fires one.
21:59That three off the mark.
22:02Mitchell outside.
22:06Ellis kicks to Prince.
22:08One second left.
22:09And it is good at the buzzer.
22:12Wow.
22:14One eye on the rim.
22:15One eye on the clock.
22:17Nice job.
22:18He didn't even look worried about the time on the clock.
22:21Nice way to end a quarter.
22:23What a performance from Anfernee Simons.
22:26He has been the story for the Boston Celtics.
22:29He notched eight points in the quarter.
22:31And has that terrific basketball instinct on display.
22:34Now we have a moment to go courtside.
22:36Allie LaForest has got something for us.
22:39Well, Jason, you hold the lead going into halftime.
22:41What's been your advantage so far?
22:45For most of the half, we were really good defensively.
22:48We let our foot off the gas a little bit.
22:51So we got to do a better job.
22:52Keep the pedal to the metal, guys.
22:55Terrific stuff, Allie.
22:56Thank you so much.
22:57And we'll be back for the third quarter, right after this halftime break.
23:13Hey, folks.
23:14Are you as excited as we are?
23:16Not possible.
23:17Lots to catch up on in the first half.
23:19But first, let's examine the power rankings as the season winds down.
23:25If we had power rankings on this show, I think the percentage points would be pretty close
23:31between the three of us.
23:33It doesn't matter if it's a fraction of a percent or 100%.
23:36I'd still be at the top.
23:38Well, it definitely does matter, Shaq.
23:40And that's the difference between a tight race.
23:42And it's being unanimous.
23:44That's the difference.
23:45That sounds like what a guy in last place would say.
23:47Ouch.
23:50Swinging back over to that first half for the Celtics now.
23:54They're in a tight one.
23:56Contributions from their bench, providing once again the importance of depth.
24:00Yeah, with the way their starters play, they may also need their subs in the second half.
24:05And I'm not talking submarine sandwiches, even though I'm hungry right now.
24:11And that's a halftime wrap.
24:13Let's get back to the second half with the call by Kevin Harlan and the crew.
24:31And after a fairly even first couple of quarters, the second half could turn out to be a quick one
24:35as both teams try to gain an edge.
25:06The Celtics shooting.
25:0747% from the four.
25:09Getting it done.
25:09The wing pairing.
25:11It's white and brown.
25:12Tatum out there with Andre Drummond.
25:14And it's Pritchard in at the one.
25:16And that's the group for Joe Mazzula as we begin the second half.
25:21Prince can hit.
25:25To the inside.
25:26Tatum.
25:27And slam dunk by Tatum.
25:29Oh, this is how aggressive Tatum is.
25:32Excellent job of getting to the rim in a finish.
25:35Just light work.
25:36Here's Mitchell.
25:38To the hoop.
25:39And then Mitchell at the dunk.
25:41Just the kind of play they need in a game this close.
25:44You know, that's the kind of aggression they want from their four leader.
25:48No doubt.
25:48That's the kind of play that can energize the whole team.
25:51And they will take it in a close game like this.
25:54I'm shocked that didn't turn into three points.
25:57I mean, he makes you pay on those nearly every time.
26:00That gives them the lead.
26:03Mitchell's got four this quarter.
26:05And they're beginning to just flat out fall apart defensively right now.
26:08Especially on the interior.
26:11Tatum drills it from distance.
26:13You know, this man Tatum can strike so quickly.
26:17He can just stop, pop, and pull up on a dime.
26:20Hey, Greg, kind of a combo forward.
26:22Tatum at 6'8".
26:23More than capable of playing up at the power forward position.
26:27And that's where he's mostly played the last few seasons.
26:31And his rebounding is more than just serviceable.
26:35Credit him for the strength he's ahead of over his career.
26:38Three-point shooting since the half has been about as good as you could ask for.
26:53All right, a chance to check out stance for him.
26:55And when it comes to his scoring, he's enjoying a fantastic run.
27:01He's brought his points-per-game average up thanks to the work he's done in the past 10.
27:05And maybe he's got another big one in store tonight.
27:14And his hot hand continues.
27:1610 of 11 from the floor and looking for more.
27:19Nicely done.
27:20They continue to attack inside.
27:22And that's 10 points in a row in the paintball.
27:26Two free throws coming up and they call the shooting foul.
27:29And a look now at the Boston Celtics' upcoming schedule.
27:33On Saturday, they'll be taking on Tyrese Maxey and the Philadelphia 76ers.
27:39Then on Monday, they'll be facing LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets.
27:44And that game against Houston, it's a chance for them to come out and knock off the top dog in
27:51the league.
27:52A win there can be a big step forward for this team.
27:57Oh, free throw's good from Pritchard.
28:02Two minutes gone in this third quarter now.
28:06Here's Mitchell.
28:08And he gets the bucket.
28:10Mitchell's got eight points in the quarter.
28:12And obviously his momentum from the last game has carried over here tonight.
28:16He's just riding the wave of momentum right now.
28:19Getting to his spots and keeping things simple on the offensive side.
28:23And it's Jason Tatum with the foul.
28:25That is his first foul of the game.
28:28And really just a great play to sacrifice his body and take the charge.
28:36Here's Mitchell.
28:38A rebound by the Celtics.
28:40I thought he had that all sewn up.
28:42But somehow the defense just threw him off.
28:45Brown gets it done inside.
28:47Wanting it more.
28:49Jalen Brown, this man competes.
28:51And teammates, they take notice of things like that.
28:54Mitchell takes it off the glass.
28:57Mitchell's got 27.
28:58That's the kind of aggressive and assertive play they need as we get closer and closer to crunch time.
29:05And so the timeout by Joe Mazzula here.
29:09Coach needs a moment to talk things over.
29:20And let's take a moment to look at some stats for White.
29:23How the second half of the season has shaped up for him.
29:26He's averaging 8 points, 2 assists, and 2 rebounds.
29:30And you look at those numbers, but really his main asset is being a playmaker.
29:35Great handle.
29:36Great vision.
29:37That's how he drops so many dimes.
29:40Now here's White.
29:415 points in the game.
29:44And he drops in the layup off the glass.
29:47White's got 7 points.
29:48Man, this guy is a scoring machine.
29:51I mean, I know I'm not the only one to describe him that way.
29:55Now what's the pass to Mitchell?
29:57From deep, Prince.
29:59And it's Derek White with the rebound.
30:01Austin leading by 5.
30:03Down low.
30:04Here's Brown.
30:05And then Brown with the dunk.
30:07Such a great athlete.
30:09An elite athlete.
30:10JB is at his best, in my opinion, when he is attacking the rim.
30:15Now, here's Mitchell.
30:1727 points for him.
30:19Count the basket.
30:20And he has been on fire this quarter in terms of his scoring.
30:24Hopefully, that fire spreads to his other guys and they can rally.
30:30Tatum against Hachimura.
30:33Tatum dishes to Drummond on the wing ground.
30:38Shot clock at 5.
30:39A 3 from Tatum.
30:41That's good.
30:42He's 5 for 9.
30:43And since halftime, he has been a different player.
30:51Gone 6 of 10 from the field in the third quarter.
30:55Here's Mitchell.
30:57Pass to Kata.
30:58Over Drummond.
31:00Kata's shot is off.
31:02Celtics have gone 7-9 from the field to start this second half.
31:06Some tremendous shooting from them.
31:08A 3 ball.
31:10And it's White missing.
31:12Gone 0-2 from deep to start things here in the second half.
31:15Gets Prince on the wing.
31:18Oh, good with the triple.
31:19And the great shooters know when they've got enough opening to go for the 3.
31:24I didn't think it was a bad choice on that possession.
31:27Big miscommunication on defense.
31:30He recognizes it and quickly takes advantage.
31:34Yeah, they're going to do a much better job of putting a little bit of pressure on him on his
31:37way to the hoop.
31:40Austin making some changes.
31:42Cars is checked in.
31:43And it's Simon's in for Derek White.
31:54Doing it well here in the third, about 50%.
31:59Here's Mitchell.
32:00Uses the glass to finish the layup.
32:03Mitchell's got 14 points now in the second half.
32:05But for his sake, I hope they can come back.
32:08You hate to see the performance he's having be wasted in a loss.
32:12And Peyton Watson gets the whistle that time.
32:14That is his first foul of the game.
32:17Austin making a switch here.
32:19Hauser's checked in.
32:26And Peyton Watson gets the whistle that time.
32:29That'll be his second foul of the game.
32:32And you can see he just didn't get squared up with his feet.
32:43Off the inbound pass.
32:44And there are the Celtics with another basket.
32:47And this is what Simon's does best.
32:50Once he catches fire, this guy is a tough one to put out.
32:55And while we have a second, let's see which squads have topped the league in assists during the past month.
33:00And what stands out during this recent stretch is just how well they passed the basketball.
33:06I mean, this is a club that has become really unselfish.
33:10Free throw drops for Mitchell.
33:21And Mitchell drops them both.
33:26And here's Tatum.
33:27He'll bring it up for the Boston Celtics.
33:29That will be a getaway game for them.
33:31A one-game road trip.
33:33And this is the game plan for him.
33:35He's a big part of their floor spacing.
33:38Yeah, you gotta know where he is at all times.
33:40Especially when he's roaming around the perimeter ready to fire.
33:44Rate of baskets assisted.
33:45It's a stat I really like.
33:47It tells the story of how well you are playing team offense.
33:50Oh, another huge night for Tatum.
33:52One of the top scorers in the NBA.
33:55Jason beats you in so many different ways.
33:59Now, here's Watson.
34:00Seven points in the game.
34:03Ellis kicks to Watson.
34:06Mitchell in the corner.
34:08From outside, off the mark.
34:10Boston leading by 11.
34:16We've got 148 left of the third.
34:19Brown outside.
34:21Garza.
34:21Great positioning on the putback.
34:23Hard to imagine them losing this game if they can keep shooting like that.
34:29Pass to Kata.
34:31Prince, right side.
34:33To the left wing.
34:35Stolen by Tatum.
34:37To the middle.
34:38He is looking for Simons.
34:40And finds him.
34:41And so it looks like the Celtics will retain possession here.
34:45And right now, let's watch that terrific swat.
34:48And that has got to help the morale of this team.
34:52Let's see if that sets up a run here.
34:55And some changes here for the Celtics.
34:57My nod's checked in.
34:58And it's Gonzalez in for Jalen Brown.
35:121.21 left to play in the third.
35:16Here's Garza.
35:18On to Gonzalez.
35:20Shoots the three.
35:21The rebound by Kata.
35:24Kata's got rebound number seven for him tonight.
35:27Now let's the pass to Prince.
35:30Rebound Boston.
35:31Oh, wow.
35:32He's going to have to score this quarter.
35:33And it's not for a lack of trying.
35:35They just need him to make something.
35:37They grab their own miss.
35:39Simons from outside.
35:41Does not find the basket.
35:42He's shooting 50% from the floor on 14 tries.
35:47Mitchell passes to Kata.
35:50Good.
35:51And it's Mitchell picking up the assist.
35:54Mitchell's got three assists now in this one.
35:57There's 38 seconds left in the third.
36:00Simons from outside.
36:02It's hauled in by Watson.
36:04And, you know, he's a threat from deep, no doubt about it.
36:07But it just has not been there for him tonight.
36:09You might want to change your game plan a little bit offensively.
36:13Now that's where you like your shots to come from.
36:20Here's Simons on the money from 12 feet away.
36:23Simons has got 18 points.
36:25You've got to keep track of Simons all over the floor.
36:29Give him an inch of space and he'll burn you.
36:33Kicks it out to Ellis.
36:35Buries it from three-point range.
36:38Drew the defense and made the proper read, hitting his teammates on the perimeter.
36:42With one on the clock, that one, no good.
36:46And so it's the Boston Celtics in the driver's seat, up eight points at the end of the quarter.
36:51They've dictated the pace, pushed the ball at every chance, and it's paying off for them.
36:56We'll return shortly.
37:10While we have the chance now, folks, let's go to our State Farm assist of the game.
37:15And the winner today, the big fella here with the sweetest of dimes.
37:20What a plus it is to have a post player who's got this ability to find.
37:24I feel like we've seen more slip-passing big men in the league today than we've ever seen.
37:31Fourth quarter of action is upon us.
37:33Thanks, as always, for joining us.
37:35They've got Payton Watson.
37:37Rui Hachimura out there with James.
37:40And it's Larson in at the two-guard position.
37:43James misses.
37:45Austin laden by eight.
37:50Hauser with the ball.
37:56First personal foul.
37:58First team foul.
38:00At the line for the Celtics.
38:03Sam Hauser.
38:05At the line for Tusha.
38:07First free throw is good.
38:22And good on the second.
38:23So, he makes them both.
38:25Impeccable from the line since halftime.
38:31Here's James.
38:33Shock up two there.
38:38And so, it's Boston with it.
38:4113 points was their biggest lead in the game.
38:47Brown outside.
38:51Pass to Minot takes a three.
38:54And the basket by Hauser.
38:57Hauser's got five points now in the quarter.
38:59And perimeter scoring.
39:01I have to imagine it was a topic of discussion at halftime.
39:06And you see this so much more nowadays in the NBA.
39:09The team's putting a larger emphasis on jacking up threes.
39:13Here's Brown.
39:14Rui Hachimura picking up that last basket.
39:18Sheets from the elbow.
39:20It's hauled in by Watson.
39:22Watson's got his fifth rebound right now in the game.
39:25Down low.
39:28Garza pulls it in.
39:31Garza's got five rebounds tonight.
39:33There's Brown with the three.
39:35Gay with the rebound.
39:38Gone two of four from the field since we started the final quarter of play.
39:42Here's battle.
39:44Sinks the triple.
39:45And I don't care how far from the bucket he is.
39:49You've got to have a man on him.
39:51He's just too good from deep.
39:52And so Joe Mazzula calls for the timeout.
39:56He knows every possession is critical now.
40:00Jason Tatum.
40:01He's checked in for the suburbs.
40:03Right now, let's take a second to catch up with Allie LaForce on the sidelines.
40:07During that last break, I heard Joe Mazzula as he talked with the team.
40:10He told his guys, let's not waste this advantage.
40:13Hold on to it.
40:14Stay aggressive.
40:15Let's not give up ground.
40:16Coach wants to see his team staying strong out there, guys.
40:19Allie, thank you so much.
40:21A nice shot by Simons.
40:26Gone three of five here in the fourth quarter.
40:29Pretty good numbers coming out of the break.
40:30Pass to Watson.
40:31Here's James.
40:36Rebounded by the Celtics.
40:38Simons has got his fourth rebound in this line.
40:41And here is Tatum.
40:43Trains it from beyond the arc.
40:45And now an 11-point Celtic lead.
40:48This is not the same guy we saw in the first half.
40:51Credit him for finding a way to shake off those first two quarters.
40:55Over to the left wing.
41:00Just over two and a half minutes played now here in the final quarter of regulation.
41:10From outside the arc, Tatum trains the top triple.
41:14As a player, a rough first half, it can wake you up.
41:17Sometimes it leads to much improved play in the second half.
41:21Looking to end the run.
41:23Up again.
41:24It's good on the flip end.
41:26And he's doing everything he can offensively to lift them out of this hole.
41:30But I'm not sure his hot shooting can do it alone.
41:36Now Brown.
41:38To the inside.
41:41And he dunks it down.
41:42He may not have that traditional power forward build.
41:46But his bounce?
41:47Well, that kind of levels the playing field.
41:52James, the pass to Watson.
41:55Up to the right wing.
41:57Here's Hachimura.
41:59Rebound by the Celtics.
42:01Tatum's got his seventh rebound here tonight.
42:04Here's Minot.
42:05A shot's good.
42:06Brown making the play.
42:08Brown's got his fourth assist with that last one here tonight.
42:12Gone.
42:134 of 10 here in the final period.
42:15Not the time to go cold.
42:16James dishes to Watson.
42:18To the left side wing.
42:21And that one's good.
42:23Battle.
42:24Battle's got six in the quarter.
42:25And what kind of defense was that?
42:27Yeah, you can't give up wide open threes like that.
42:30What are you doing?
42:32Simons from outside.
42:34The rebound by Cato.
42:37Cato's got his eighth rebound here tonight.
42:39He had six points from long range in the first half.
42:42But nothing's fallen here since.
42:46Here's Tatum.
42:48Here's Tatum.
42:49Tatum.
42:50Look, they are in front right now because of him.
42:53He keeps draining these shots at a ridiculous clip.
42:57And it's Hachimura in the corner.
42:59Watson kicks to James.
43:01Here's Battle.
43:03Minod pulls it in.
43:06Minod's got four rebounds now tonight.
43:08Takes the three.
43:09And the basket by Hauser.
43:12Hauser's got a pair of threes here in the fourth quarter for the Celtics.
43:16And it just seems that every pass they make is leading to a score.
43:20Just great ball movement.
43:25And one of our featured players tonight earns our player of the game, Jason Tatum.
43:30Yeah, and his performance has been a jaw-dropper.
43:34He must have been feeling great coming into the building tonight.
43:37Because once he hit the court, it was all working for him.
43:41He was in a zone.
43:43Coming into this game, he'd been having a tough stretch.
43:45We all know that.
43:46But not anymore.
43:47He's back at his best.
43:48And I think it's safe to say that slump is over.
43:59Here's Mitchell.
44:04It's Prince on the wing.
44:05He's covered by Brown.
44:07That one is good!
44:08Oh, how about the floater there?
44:10Nice drop.
44:12On offense, here are the Celtics.
44:14They're on a 17-7 run.
44:17Here's Tatum.
44:22Oh, the dunk!
44:23We see this from Tatum often, and it never gets old.
44:26Just scoring at will.
44:30Gone two or three in the fourth quarter from long range.
44:32Good shooting so far.
44:33Now, Hachimura.
44:35And he makes that one count!
44:39Assisted.
44:41Here's Brown.
44:44Now White.
44:47Outside Brown.
44:50All sorts of time.
44:52And the shot goes in.
44:54And each year, it seems Brown keeps getting better at shooting the ball.
44:58Especially from the mid-range.
45:03Here's Kata.
45:05Mitchell outside.
45:08Jacks up a three.
45:10Knocks down the three.
45:12Oh, easy money.
45:13You have to stay connected to this guy defensively.
45:201.41 left in the fourth quarter.
45:23Shalen Brown.
45:24That's off.
45:28Gone three or four from downtown here in the fourth.
45:31Crane from outside.
45:33An extremely efficient and productive game for him.
45:37But again, he's not going to be able to do it all by himself.
45:42Tatum outside.
45:43What's special about him is he is a natural leader and an active scorer.
45:51When Tatum is firing off the catch, you know, he's feeling it.
45:56And he misses the jade.
45:59I think burn some clock if they want to.
46:01And get a little breather as well.
46:03And clearly, we will not be witnessing a spirited comeback tonight.
46:08Albeit as exciting as that would be.
46:11This was an excellent all-around performance for the Celtics.
46:15And they're fully in control now.
46:16But there were some tense moments I've cut for them throughout this game.
46:20Look, they certainly weren't coasting.
46:23Despite what the score looks like.
46:24I love the way they came together, though.
46:26When everything started to look a little dire, it really put the hammer down.
46:30And so now, on the year, they'll have 35 wins to their credit.
46:35That's breathing a huge sigh of relief, guys.
46:38They're on their way to a win here, avoiding losing all four games of the season series.
46:43The one player that really stands out, of course, in this one, it was a dazzling game for Jason Tatum.
46:50Steels are almost a forgotten stat.
46:52We don't talk about them a ton, but he's been huge in that category.
46:59And so White will bring it up for Boston.
47:02They led by as many as 18 points.
47:08Here's Richard.
47:17Tatum.
47:18Oh, one-handed!
47:26And so it's Boston, easily grabbing this one.
47:29They poured it out tonight.
47:30Dominic showing in front of a crowd that loved every minute of it.
47:34And, you know, this game could really be a defining one for what they can do when they are playing
47:41at their best.
47:41I mean, being here at home, no doubt, helps.
47:44And the execution was flawless.
47:47Thank you for joining us.
47:48That'll do it for now.
47:49Along with Greg Anthony, Richard Jefferson, and Allie LaForce, this is Kevin Harlan.
47:55Thank you so much for watching tonight's presentation.
47:58And as we leave you, we give you our player of the game, Jason Tatum.
48:15We'll see you next time.
48:20Joseph Lucas.
48:21I'll be right back.
48:21einer PHOTO.
48:21hunters out.
48:30He's here.
48:30You know, we got a touch.
48:30Ho, you know.
48:31which is. and that's
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