Inside The Celtics

Celtics Evaluate a Key to Mini-Series Sweep of Cavaliers: 'Playing the Right Way'

Throughout the Celtics' 116-107 win vs. the Cavaliers, their screen-setting and ball movement kept them one step ahead of Cleveland's defense.

Bobby Krivitsky

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
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In Tuesday's 120-113 victory vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Boston Celtics won on the margins. They generated 20 more points at the free-throw line and grabbed 12 offensive rebounds to the visitors' six.

Thursday, they completed their sweep of a two-game mini-series against the Cavaliers, improving to 18-5, matching the Minnesota Timberwolves for the NBA's best record, and extending their unbeaten streak at TD Garden this season to 12-0.

One of the keys to Boston's 116-107 win was its ball movement. The Celtics assisted on over 50 percent of their field goals.

Yes, 13 turnovers led to 20 points for Cleveland. And they went from shooting 8/17 (47.1 percent) from beyond the arc in the first half to 5/19 (26.3 percent) in the final 24 minutes.

But the hosts' offense was consistently one step ahead of the visitors' defense. There were instances of impressive ball movement by the former to create quality shots throughout this game.

One of the reasons is that, from Kristaps Porzingis to Derrick White and Jayson Tatum, they consistently set effective screens.

A prime example came when a Porzingis pick caused Jarrett Allen to try to stay in front of Jrue Holiday, which ended with the two-time All-Star attacking downhill for an uncontested layup.

The quality of their screen setting often allowed Jayson Tatum to step into open threes. And there's a not-so-small sample size of them creating a numbers advantage that led to a drive-and-kick, followed by an extra swing pass to go from a good shot to a great one.

And with their downhill drives, ball movement and basket cuts, the C's went from producing 34 points in the paint on Tuesday to 50 on Thursday.

After the win, when asked for his evaluation of Boston's ball movement, Jaylen Brown, who paired 22 points with a team-high five assists, shared the following with Inside The Celtics.

"Yeah, I think we played the game the right way, and we were in our spots more so than not. We just didn't have that pop, that energy that, you know, to the game by just being more aggressive on defense, more aggressive on offense. But that statistic you just said, it's a good example of us playing the right way still and that leads to success."

Jayson Tatum, who led the hosts with 27 points and dished out three assists, but also facilitated quality shots his teammates didn't capitalize on, told Inside The Celtics the following about Boston's ball movement.

"We watched film today. It's kind of like a playoff series, you play the first game, and you make adjustments, and today, seeing the coverage that they were in, they kind of wanted to maintain certain matchups, drag out that matchup, and play four-on-three on the back side, and just make the right play."

Further Reading

Here's What Stood Out as Celtics Completed Sweep of Two-Game Series vs. Cavaliers

Celtics Reportedly Agree to Two-Way Deal with Drew Peterson

Derrick White Praises Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown's Impact That 'Doesn't Show Up on the Stat Sheet'

Jayson Tatum Praises Kristaps Porzingis for Allowing Celtics to Spin the Dial Defensively

Wins on the Margins Help Propel Celtics Past Cavaliers

An Empowered Jaylen Brown Strives to Balance Scoring with Playmaking: 'I've Grown A Lot'

Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis Discuss Their Quickly Cultivated Chemistry: 'An Automatic Connection'

Joe Mazzulla Believes Celtics' Second Unit is 'Starting to Develop an Identity'

Under Joe Mazzulla, Celtics Rebuilding Brotherhood Between Past and Present

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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