3 reasons why Celtics are still team to beat after humbling Cavs
11/19/2024 11:47 PM
The Boston Celtics were in first place in the Eastern Conference for almost an entire year until the Cleveland Cavaliers took the top spot at the end of October. Thanks to a 15-0 streak, which was good enough for the second-best start in NBA history, it was hard to deny the Cavs the title of being the best team in the league. And then the Celtics denied it on Tuesday night, beating the Cavaliers 120-117 in an NBA Cup contest.
This highly-anticipated matchup was a clash of East elite and while the Cavs put up a valiant fight, cutting Boston’s 21-point lead down to two late in the third quarter, the Celtics prevailed and showed why they are the reigning champions. Although Cleveland made it a tight game down the stretch, Boston always had an answer. Those responses primarily came from Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who scored or assisted Boston’s last 16 points of the fourth quarter.
Following their first NBA Cup win of the season, the Celtics are now 12-3 and less than three games back from the 15-1 Cavaliers. Cleveland still owns the best record in the Association, but let’s delve into three reasons why the C’s are still the team to beat.
Jayson Tatum is playing elite basketball
There’s been no championship hangover for Tatum during the 2024-25 campaign. The five-time All-Star has scored at least 20 points in 14 of his 15 appearances thus far, averaging 29.9 points per game in the process.
He asserted his dominance against the previously unbeaten Cavs as well, dropping a team-high 33 points while shooting 50% from the field.
Bang pic.twitter.com/QKAvJS7tiO
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 20, 2024
Tatum isn’t just a pure scorer though. The 2024 NBA champion is creating for others and shaking heavy defensive pressure with ease. He recorded seven assists on Tuesday and is currently averaging a career-high 5.9 assists per outing. His leap in playmaking has provided another dimension to the Celtics’ potent offense and made their ball movement the envy of the NBA.
And, of course, the 6-foot-8 forward continues to crash the glass. Tatum had a game-high 12 boards versus the Cavs and is leading the Green Team with 8.1 rebounds per game.
The Cavaliers have stars of their own with point guard Darius Garland and franchise cornerstone Donovan Mitchell. However, none of them are at Tatum’s level right now.
Derrick White could be approaching All-Star status
Due to the greatness of guys like Tatum and Brown, Celtics guard Derrick White is often overshadowed. That doesn’t mean the 30-year-old hasn’t played like an All-Star for much of the 2024-25 regular season.
Through 15 games, White is averaging a career-high 18.9 points while shooting nearly 47% from the floor. The Colorado native has been excellent on both sides of the ball and performed in the clutch. Against Cleveland, he notched six points in the fourth quarter—more than any other player besides Brown and Mitchell. White finished the night with 19 points, six rebounds, five assists, and one block.
Derrick White is a rim protector on one end
Payton Pritchard hits the biggest shot of the night on the other pic.twitter.com/dV6bpOjTE5
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) November 20, 2024
Speaking of blocks, the two-time All-Defensive Second Teamer has 17 of them already. His impressive total ranks 21st in the NBA and every player ahead of him on that list stands taller, as White is only 6-foot-4 and far from a center.
That hasn’t prevented him from becoming one of the best two-way players in the league. His timely, efficient buckets and formidable defense win games and bolster Boston’s starting five.
The Celtics aren’t even at full strength yet
Have the Celtics been as untouchable as usual? Maybe not. They suffered a brutal loss to the shorthanded Atlanta Hawks last Tuesday and needed a buzzer-beater from Tatum in overtime to outlast the lowly Toronto Raptors on Saturday night.
Despite these surprises, the Celtics just toppled a once 15-0 squad without starting center Kristaps Porzingis. Boston’s big man underwent offseason surgery and has been sidelined all season as a result. It’s easy to forget about him when the C’s are rolling, yet he’s an essential part of what they do.
Kristaps Porzingis in his NBA finals debut:
✦ 20 points (18 in the first half)
✦ 8-13 FG (2-4 from downtown)
✦ 6 rebounds
✦ 3 blocksMaking a BIG difference on both sides of the floor pic.twitter.com/EKf22I5pXu
— Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) June 7, 2024
The 7-footer splashes triples, dominates at the post, and blocks shots at a high clip. His presence would alleviate veteran center Al Horford’s workload and free up Tatum and Brown more on offense.
If Porzingis continues to recover well, he could return as soon as December. He even practiced with the Maine Celtics, Boston’s G League affiliate, on Monday afternoon.
The Green Team would love to have Porzingis back solely so he can defend the paint. The Celtics have been hurting in that area, allowing 60 points in the paint to the Cavs and 76 to the Raptors. Neither of those outings resulted in a loss, but they revealed that Boston is vulnerable without its primary rim protector.
Regardless, the Celtics have figured out how to win when starters are missing. They’ll need to do so again on Friday night when they travel to the nation’s capital to face the Washington Wizards in another NBA Cup battle.
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