Inside The Celtics

The Top 5 Plays from the Celtics-Pelicans Game

From a Grant Williams block turning into a transition dunk for Jayson Tatum to Boston's best possession of the game, Jaxson Hayes' two-handed overhead jam, Robert Williams' rejection at the rim, and a vintage Marcus Smart moment, here are the top five plays from Saturday's game between the Celtics and Pelicans.

Bobby Krivitsky

Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

From a Grant Williams block turning into a transition dunk for Jayson Tatum to Boston's best possession of the game, Jaxson Hayes' two-handed overhead jam, Robert Williams' rejection at the rim, and a vintage Marcus Smart moment, here are the top five plays from Saturday's game between the Celtics and Pelicans.

Grant Williams Swats, Jayson Tatum Soars

Terrible spacing by the Pelicans dooms their possession from the start. Nickeil Alexander-Walker drives right where he has two teammates and three defenders surrounding him.

Grant Williams sees this and rotates over to meet Alexander-Walker as he spins towards the middle of the floor. Williams then swats his shot, tipping it to Al Horford, who throws it ahead to Jayson Tatum, who soars for the one-handed flush.

Boston's Best Possession of the Game

In Saturday's win over the Pelicans, the Celtics assisted on 31 of their 43 made field goals. The play above is their best possession of the game.

The ball quickly moves from side to side as Jayson Tatum comes off a screen from Robert Williams, then throws it across to the Timelord as he flares to the slot. Williams proceeds to go into a dribble handoff with Jaylen Brown on the left wing as Marcus Smart cuts to the middle of the free-throw line. Brown gets him the ball, Williams rolls to the rim, and Smart zips a bounce pass to Williams, who has excellent hands, for an easy layup.

Jaxson Hayes' Thunderous Two-Handed Dunk

The Celtics pay the price for not getting back after a turnover, as Jaxson Hayes gets behind the defense, leaps from about the semicircle below the free-throw line, and then throws down a two-handed overhead jam.

Robert Williams Denies Willy Hernangomez at the Rim

After Robert Williams commits to blocking a Garrett Temple layup that never happens, Willy Hernangomez pump fakes before going up, which gives Williams the necessary time to recover and reject his shot.

Marcus Smart Showcases His Volleyball Skills

Vintage Marcus Smart. He rises to deflect Garrett Temple's attempt to get the ball ahead in transition, then bats the ball forward to Robert Williams, who quickly passes to Jayson Tatum for a dunk that gave Boston a 17-point lead with 2:07 left in the game. After that, both sides emptied their benches.

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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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