Post by Admin on Mar 27, 2022 16:41:02 GMT -5
3 keys to victory against Minnesota
by Austin DeCouta
by Austin DeCouta
Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports
Can anyone stop the Boston Celtics in the month of March?
Posting a sensational 10-1 record heading into Sunday, the C’s have put the rest of the NBA on notice. After closing out a 4-0 west coast trip, Boston returned home on Wednesday night to face the Utah Jazz.
Although a top seed in the west, the Jazz were no match for the red-hot Celtics. Boston would jump ahead early 39-24 after the first twelve minutes The following 36 minutes were filled with Celtic dominance as the shamrocks coasted to a 125-97 victory.
Sunday serves as another tough test for the green and white. Minnesota enters Sunday at 43-32 on the season and 10-3 during March.
The league leader in points per game (115.4), the Timberwolves are no easy match. In addition to being the league’s leading scorer, the T-Wolves also lead the league in three-point field goals made on the year. The three is arguably the best part of their offense, as they score from downtown at such a high rate.
While they are first in completed 3-pointers, they are 14th in the league in 3-point percentage. So there are clearly some efficiency issues with Minnesota, but shooters are gonna shoot, so expect no shortage of long-range bombs on Sunday.
The injury report, at the time of this writing, looks crystal clear once again for Boston. Minnesota on the other hand will likely be without Malik Beasley and Jaden McDaniels. Jordan McLaughlin is a game-time decision as he aids a quad ailment.
So how do the Celtics pull off their eleventh win of the month as they get ready to face such a high-scoring opponent?
Well, here are 3 things they must do to keep their month near-perfect:
Boston Celtics key to victory No. 1) Bring the defensive dominance
(David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports)
It is no secret that the key to success during this second-half run has been the Celtics’ defense. Leading the league in a wide variety of defensive categories, Boston’s hustle and energy on a nightly basis have catapulted them through the standings.
As they prepare to face the highest-scoring team in basketball, that energy and hustle must remain alive. If the C’s are caught taking plays off, the T-Wolves will make them pay.
More than any other team in the NBA, Minnesota will not hesitate to shoot the three. So the Celtics must remain active and efficient with their switches. Robert Williams III and Al Horford are not going to be able to sag off their guys as much, with Karl Anthony-Towns becoming one of the best shooters in the NBA as a big.
His ability to stretch the floor makes it incredibly difficult for teams to match up with the Wolves. If there is one team that can do it, it’s the C’s.
Horford and Grant Williams have been well above average defenders this season, even when asked to step out and contest threes. Rob Williams III shot-blocking dominance helps them match up with KAT in the paint.
The energy and hustle of the league’s top defense must remain intact if Boston wants to hold off the Timberwolves from a big scoring output.
Boston Celtics key to victory No. 2) Grant “Batman” Williams
(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Grant Williams has turned his career around with a sensational season as a valuable role player. Fifth in the NBA in three-point percentage (at the time of this writing), Williams has become the versatile three and D man the Celtics longed for.
In addition to his ability to be a reliable three-point weapon, the former Tennessee Volunteer has become an above-average defender.
Sunday night will be a game in which the Celtics are going to need Grant’s defense prowess.
With a typical starting lineup of D’Angelo Russell, Pat Beverley, Anthony Edwards, Jared Vanderbilt, and KAT, Minnesota has the ability to knock down threes at four spots.
Taurean Prince has served as their first man off the bench recently, so Grant Williams could be called on more than expected on Sunday. Grant’s size and lateral quickness match up very well with Prince’s offensive skill set.
He will certainly be needed to switch onto Edwards or KAT in the pick and pop that the T-Wolves utilize often. With Minnesota’s lineups running small at times with Bev and Russell in the starting five, first-year head coach Ime Udoka could opt for smaller lineups to counter.
Udoka’s squad isn’t in need of a big scoring output from Batman Williams, but he needs to be on point defensively for the C’s to shine.
Boston Celtics key to victory No. 3) Keep it under 105
(David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports)
In seven of the shamrock’s ten wins this month, they have held their opponents to under 105 points. This is not the end all be all for coming away with a victory, but it is certainly a benchmark for success for the Celts.
Taking it a step further, in seven of the nine February wins, Boston held opponents to under 105 points.
27 of the 30 NBA teams average more than 105 points per game. So the Celtics, in 14 of their last 19 wins have kept opponents well under their season averages. This includes games against the Jazz, Nuggets, Warriors, and 76ers.
Obviously, good things happen when you play good defense, but it is incredibly impressive to be consistently holding teams below their season average…no matter the opponent.
Leading the charge in many of these games has been Marcus Smart. He has been so effective defensively that he has gained some Defensive Player of the Year attention.
Now, will the Celtics be able to hold Minnesota 10 points under their season average? Well, that depends partly on the three keys mentioned above.
Minnesota has so much offensive firepower, and puts such little emphasis on defense, that it would not be surprising to see Boston take early control and never look back.
On the other hand, the Timberwolves score so many points on a nightly basis, will the Celtics stellar defense hold up?
With the shamrocks coming into Sunday off of three days of rest, things could not look better. The Wolves play into the Celtic’s strengths, and if Boston accomplishes these three keys, another W should follow.