Turner inserted at point guard freeing Thomas to score career-high 42 points as Boston ends playoff losing streak at six
POSTED: Apr 23, 2016 2:13 AM ET
BOSTON — Was this a last stand -- or a breakthrough that could pull the young Celtics back into the series?
They had lost six straight postseason games that began with last year's sweeping by the Cavaliers and culminated in a horrid Game 2 showing at Atlanta that was essentially decided in the opening four minutes. Coach Brad Stevens responded with two bold adjustments that led to 42 efficient points from Isaiah Thomasand an edgy 111-103 win over the Hawks in Game 3 Friday.
Now the question becomes whether the Celtics can expect more of the same Sunday in Game 4.
"We've just got to be mentally smarter and more disciplined," said Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer. "And I think we will do that going forward."
The decision by Stevens to start Evan Turner at point guard (in place of Marcus Smart) was designed to play Thomas off the ball. In a run of six playoff losses Boston's All-Star point guard had been shooting an uncharacteristic 33.3% overall and 23.5% from the 3-point line.
"He did a lot of what he did all year in the first two games - it was just everybody was at the rim to challenge him," said Stevens. "We made a couple shots and then we got some movement before the drive, which loosens it up a little bit."
Thomas was able to exploit the space like a running back attacking via pitch-outs and screen passes. He was 12 of 24 overall while making 5 of 12 from the arc. Most impressive was his performance (13 of 15) at the free throw line, where playoff games are so often won.
"I think he earned them," said Budenholzer. "That's a big area of concern. The threes, some of them were high difficulty, contested."
Stevens's parallel decision, replacing Jared Sullinger with Jonas Jerebko, created more room for Thomas. Jerebko's energy instantly transformed the Celtics from victims into attackers. His 11 points, 12 rebounds and four assists were earned almost entirely while on the move, beginning with his over-the-top tip-in in the opening minute: When a midrange jumper by Thomas ricocheted and popped up from the rim like the cork out of a champagne bottle, Jerebko was rising up high to slam it back down the throat.
Just like that, Boston's offense had been liberated. Jerebko was up faking from the 3-point line to create open shots and drives for himself, and even a behind-the-back assist that found Terry Rozier for a corner 3-pointer. Thomas was finishing a corner 3 of his own in transition, like a mini-me of Ray Allen. The Celtics surged ahead 37-20 at the end of the period and were up by 20 in the second -- which in some way was worrisome to Stevens.
"I knew we were going to compete tonight," Stevens said. "I was just worried that we were going to run the first lap of the mile too fast and not have anything at the end of the day. But we did both. It was good."
He was right to be concerned, and relieved for his faith to be rewarded. For all of their progression since the arrival of Thomas 14 months ago, the Celtics are in over their heads in this series. Virtually all of the Hawks' key performers -- apart from Dennis Schroder and Kent Bazemore, who each had 20 points -- are into their prime years. The only Celtic scoring leader of whom the same can be said is 27 year old Turner; Thomas at 26 is just beginning to realize his potential. The Celtics are still under construction, with team president Danny Ainge looking to make big moves this summer, whereas the Hawks are meant to win now.
And so it was little surprise to anyone -- especially the Hawks themselves -- that they trimmed the deficit to 12 points by halftime. Next, they withstood another (albeit briefer) half-opening burst by Boston before embarking on their own extended 33-13 run. With 1:21 left in the quarter, Dennis Schroder drove around Sullinger like an alpine skier skirting a gate to earn a three-point play that put Atlanta ahead 78-77.
The Celtics went back ahead for good (98-96) on a pull-up jumper from Turner midway through the fourth. They withstood two atrocious turnovers by Turner down the stretch as Jerebko (vs. Bazemore) and Smart (vs. Horford) produced key blocks before Thomas hit a deep 3-pointer with 1:53 left to stretch the lead out to 108-101.
"I was just in attack mode," said Thomas, who joined a Hall-of-Fame list of Celtics who had scored 40 or more in the playoffs. "I was trying to do whatever it takes to win this game, and my teammates kept feeding me and putting me in the right spots."
For much of this night Thomas found himself in a duel with Schroder, who in transition arrives to the basket like water down a drain. As they ran upcourt together after a successful Schroder drive, Thomas turned and clubbed Schroder in the head. The referees missed it, but the cameras caught it -- though Thomas insisted he was not worried about being suspended for Game 4.
"I'm not," he said, "because I didn't mean to hit him in the head. He got mad. We were talking. It's playoff basketball -- I'm not going to back down from anybody, and he knows that."
Just as surely, Thomas knows that Atlanta is likely to conjure up a reply of their own. In spite of Thomas's phenomenal performance, the Hawks -- driven by 23 points from Jeff Teague -- almost recovered amid low-key production from Al Horford and Paul Millsap, who combined for 16 points on 7 for 19 shooting. If Atlanta's two big men return to form, will the Celtics be able to rise to yet another gear? Or have they maxed out this roster of young talents who cannot expect to fulfill their potential over these next few days?
Ian Thomsen has covered the NBA since 2000. You can e-mail him here or follow him on Twitter.
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