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Post by Admin on Jan 10, 2022 17:19:57 GMT -5
The C's host the Pacers for the first half of a home and home series.
Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images By flceltsfan
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Post by Admin on Jan 10, 2022 19:15:18 GMT -5
Nesmith Hopes to Carry His Maine Momentum Back to Boston
By Taylor Snow | @taylorcsnowAaron Nesmith hasn’t seen much game action for the Boston Celtics over the past few weeks after spending some time in the NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols and then registering a couple of DNPs upon his return. So to keep him fresh, the C's front office sent the second-year wing up to Portland, Maine on Sunday where he could get some extended run with their G League affiliate – the Maine Celtics. Nesmith shook off the rust with a G League debut performance of 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field, nine rebounds, and five assists during 31 minutes of action, while helping to lead Maine to a 117-89 win over the Wisconsin Herd. The 21-year-old was then recalled Monday morning to Boston to be on hand for the Celtics’ 7:30 p.m. matchup against the Indiana Pacers at TD Garden.“It’s just fun to be able to play the game of basketball no matter where it is,” Nesmith said of his brief trip to Maine after returning to the Auerbach Center for Monday morning’s shootaround with the Boston squad. “Just being able to go out there and play freely and just kind of get back into a rhythm a little bit, it's always fun and always a good experience.” Nesmith has seen inconsistent minutes this season with the Celtics and has struggled to maintain a consistent rhythm as a result. In 28 appearances in a Boston uniform, he’s averaged 3.1 points per game while shooting 34.4 percent from the field, including 23.4 percent from 3-point range. Those shooting splits have taken a dip from his rookie season when he shot 43.8 percent from the field, including 37.0 percent from beyond the arc. “It's frustrating,” he admitted of the sophomore slump he’s experienced throughout the first half of the season. “My shot is not where it's supposed to be or where I want it to be. And I need to find my consistency with that, and I need to get back to doing what I've been doing regarding that. But, besides that, just continue to make the most of opportunities on the defensive side of the floor; even if my shot’s not falling, make sure I can still make an impact without making jumpers.” Despite not shooting the ball as well as he’d like to be, Nesmith says his confidence is still high. Celtics head coach Ime Udoka has continued to push him during practice and is constantly instilling faith in the young wing, referencing how well Nesmith was shooting prior to the season and how it’s only a matter of time before he returns to that level. Nesmith relayed that Udoka tells him, “Just make the most of my opportunities, play with confidence, go out there and do what I've always done in preseason and Summer League. He's always just trying to instill confidence in the younger guys who don't get as much minutes so that when we do get opportunities, we play like we didn't miss a beat.” The fact that Udoka was once in the same position as Nesmith, having served as a role player throughout his NBA playing career, makes their conversations even more relatable. “Having the backing of a coach who's done it himself and been through it himself, always helps,” Nesmith said. “And it helps to know that he believes in you and whenever he puts you out there, he expects you to go make an impact.” Nesmith shares the same expectation as Udoka, knowing that he can make an impact whenever his number is called. The results may not be immediate, since he’s only played five minutes since Dec. 22, but he hopes that his strong performance up Maine can help get him back into a rhythm. “I’ll definitely get better with that as the season goes on," Nesmith said of his shooting. "And, like I said, I'll just continue to make impacts in other ways around the game.”
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Post by Admin on Jan 10, 2022 19:46:02 GMT -5
Brown starts it with a drive and kiss off the glass ...
Tatum misses a three ...
Tatum a pair of FTs ... 4-3 C's
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Post by Admin on Jan 10, 2022 19:46:42 GMT -5
Brown alley-oop to The Janitor!
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Post by Admin on Jan 10, 2022 19:47:25 GMT -5
Brown a J from top of key ... 8-6
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Post by Admin on Jan 10, 2022 19:51:30 GMT -5
The Janitor with a putback dunk!
Cleaning up messes early ...
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Post by Admin on Jan 10, 2022 19:52:28 GMT -5
Al misses a three ...
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Post by Admin on Jan 10, 2022 19:55:25 GMT -5
JB high off the glass over Turner ... 12-8
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Post by Admin on Jan 10, 2022 19:56:03 GMT -5
Smart for three ... 15-11
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Post by dfries13 on Jan 10, 2022 19:59:33 GMT -5
nice full court pass by Brown no assist but TL gets two fts
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Post by Admin on Jan 10, 2022 20:00:05 GMT -5
Rob grabbed on a break-away dunk attempt ... he'll get a couple FTs
I'd like to see that replay to check for the ball back too ...
Rob makes 2-2 ... 17-11 C's
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Post by Admin on Jan 10, 2022 20:03:44 GMT -5
Rob blocks Lance's shot!
JT misses a runner off the glass ... JT called for a pushoff with the elbow on his drive thru the paint ... Now Freedom called for a phantom foul fighting Sabonis for a rebound ... JT a breakaway finger roll layup off the Freedom defense on Sabonis ... 19-15
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Post by Admin on Jan 10, 2022 20:05:12 GMT -5
Freedom B2B putbacks for 4 quick pts as Q1 closes ... 23-17 Celtics
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Post by DaCeltics on Jan 10, 2022 20:11:22 GMT -5
Nice attack by Richardson!
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Post by Admin on Jan 10, 2022 20:23:20 GMT -5
Q2:
Freedom a finger roll ... Richardson a turnaround J ... JT a finger roll +1 ... 30-20 C's
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Post by Admin on Jan 10, 2022 20:25:54 GMT -5
One of those typical Celtic dry spells lets the Pacer's back into it down just 4pts now ... The C's offense is in slowmo mode here in Q2!
Rob keeps doing his thing though!
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Post by Admin on Jan 10, 2022 20:26:59 GMT -5
Smart's runner rolls off front of rim but the Janitor cleans it up again with a loud one-handed dunk!
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Post by Admin on Jan 10, 2022 20:31:05 GMT -5
Josh misses a three ... Turner fouled ... makes a pair ... Celtics lineup change (Jaylen Brown, Robert Williams III, Marcus Smart, Josh Richardson, Jayson Tatum) Smart a J +1 ... 35-32 C's
JT dump to Rob lost and an easy Pacer transition score ... Tatum gets it back (9pts) with a finger roll past Turner ... 37-34
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Post by Admin on Jan 10, 2022 20:31:56 GMT -5
Good ball movement in on this play results in a Smart three ... 40-37
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Post by Admin on Jan 10, 2022 20:35:43 GMT -5
Rob deflects a pass to Sabonis on the low post OOB ...
Rob another cleanup dunk off the missed finger roll by Brown ... 42-39 C's
JB block's Washington Jr's three to end the half.
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Post by Admin on Jan 10, 2022 20:50:07 GMT -5
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Post by Admin on Jan 10, 2022 20:50:51 GMT -5
Q3:
JB a turnaround J ... 44-41
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Post by cole on Jan 10, 2022 20:50:57 GMT -5
Rob has increased in the most important ability...AVAILability
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Post by Admin on Jan 10, 2022 20:52:27 GMT -5
JB follows up his own miss with a putback ... Smart a breakaway layup off a steal ... 48-44 C's
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Post by Admin on Jan 10, 2022 20:53:13 GMT -5
Rob gets so many pts on cleanups it's unbelievable!
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