At the start of the game against the Detroit Pistons, Jason Tatum struggled. Pistons assistant coach Jerome Allen informed the Boston Celtics star that he had five points at halftime. Allen, a former Celtics assistant, used to talk Tatum into practice every day. At halftime on Friday night, he did it again, and Tatum took advantage of it to give Boston their fourth straight win.
The Boston Celtics, led by Jason Tatum, are on a roll right now.
On February 04, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan, Jason Tatum of the Boston Celtics sank next to Kyle Olinic of the Detroit Pistons during the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Courtesy of Getty Images/Gregory Shamus
The Celtics won their first four games of the season on Friday, improving 29-25 with a 102-93 win in Detroit. Despite winning 11 of their last 15 matches, Boston is still ranked eighth in the Eastern Conference.
Celtics coach Ime Udoka, who has questioned the team's effort on several occasions this season, said the team was drafted from the start.
"We've been coming out with the right focus from the start," Boston coach Ime Udoka told ESPN. "For the most part, we guarded very well."
The Celtics have been digging in on the defensive lately, and it appears that's what's getting them back on track.
"We have great scorers; in fact, most of our team can score," said center Robert Williams. "However, I believe we are at our best when we close on the defensive and cover for each other."
Jason Tatum turned some friendly trash talk into a solid third-quarter performance.
The Celtics took a 46-31 lead at halftime after Tatum scored five points in the first half. Tatum had expected a lewd comment from Allen, and he received it.
When the player and coach emerged for the second half, Allen joked that Tatum "could even put on a coach's polo," referring to his total points.
According to Boston.com, Tatum said after the game, "I was like, 'Okay, I've got something for you.'"
Tatum returned with 19 points in the third quarter. He finished with 24, five of which came in the first minute and ten seconds of the game.
"We're going to be seeing the Pistons again soon," Tatum said. "Not Jerome, but Jerome." Pooh is the name we give him. Pooh has been a part of my family for the past four years. As a result, we all miss him, especially the people he formed a bond with. But we were relieved to beat him because if we had lost we would have been forgotten."
The Celtics have been riding their defense lately
" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vibM_6JbdgY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0″ permission="accelerometer;autoplay;clipboard-write;encrypted-media;gyroscope;picture-in- Picture" Allow Full Screen>
Thanks to Williams, the Celtics now have a physical presence in the middle of the court. Despite his 6-foot-8 stature, Williams leaps like a seven-footer and blocks the shot.
He's giving the Celtics a mid presence they haven't had in a long time. The key, according to Udoka, was his physicality on defense.
Ime Udoka explained what stood out as "our physicality from the beginning" on the defense. "We saw halftime, and they had seven or eight points, apart from a few switch mistakes in the first half."
“With a few mistakes here and there, we could have kept them in their 20s, but our focus is on detail, non-shooters versus shooters, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc.,” Adi, Adi, Adi, Adi, initially, made it difficult for (Jerami) Grant and (Saddiq) Bay, as well as a few others.
This week will be attractive for the Celtics. With the trading deadline coming up on February 1, it's time to think about who you are, what are their plans for number ten? Will they hide and pull out the storm they have now that it's hot?
The Celtics are 29-25, despite winning 11 of the last 15 games. Will they take a big step and make a splash? In the coming days, of course, Brad Stevens will have to make some decisions.