Celtics Narrowly Beat Utah Jazz
By The Sports Xchange
BOSTON -- Between now and the end of the season, the Boston Celtics are likely to lose a home game sometime. But know this: If the game is close at TD Garden, Boston is liable to pull it out.
The Celtics scored the final seven points of the game and nipped the Utah Jazz 100-95 for their 11th consecutive home victory Monday night. And of the 11 games, seven of them were won by single digits, one in overtime.
"We were down the entire game and we kept chipping away, chipping away, and we were able to execute at the end of the game, and that's what it came down to," guard Avery Bradley said after his key blocked shot and three free throws increased the streak.
The Celtics (36-25) led 5-4 but didn't lead again until they went ahead 77-76 with 10:19 left in the game.
Forward Jae Crowder drained a 3-pointer with 30.4 seconds left for the go-ahead points. Bradley then blocked a shot by Utah forward Gordon Hayward and went 3-for-4 from the foul line around a key offensive rebound by forward Amir Johnson to put away a very entertaining game that saw the teams combine for just 19 turnovers.
Bradley's Block Highlights NBA's Top 10 Of Monday Night
The home streak is Boston's first 11-gamer since Jan. 27-March 16, 2013. The Monday win avenges a 111-93 drubbing the Celtics endured at the hands of the Jazz in Salt Lake City just 11 days earlier.
Utah (28-31) lost its third straight and fell for the sixth time in eight games.
"I thought we played well enough to win, just kind of fell apart at the end," said Hayward, who struggled through a 6-for-20 shooting night. "We couldn't stop them. It made it really difficult for us on the offensive end."
Entering play Monday night, Hayward had been 7-for-11 from the floor in the final 30 seconds of one-possession games this season.
"He timed it really well," Hayward said of Bradley's block. "It was a good play."
Said Bradley: "I was on (guard Rodney) Hood, but coach (Brad Stevens said to get) on Hayward to get a stop, and I was able to. It was big for our team, I am happy we got the win tonight."
Newly acquired Utah guard Shelvin Mack, who, like Hayward, played for Stevens at Butler, put the Jazz ahead twice late -- with a basket with two minutes left and a 3-pointer with 49.5 seconds remaining. However, the Celtics took over and opened a four-game homestand with their third straight victory.
"He's a big shot-maker and has been for a long time," Stevens said of Mack. "I smiled a lot when he hit shots like that for three years (in college), and so I guess I'll let him hit one in that big moment here without getting mad at him.. Especially because Jae answered back."
Crowder led all scorers with 22 points, while Bradley and fellow starting guard Isaiah Thomas both scored 18. Thomas also had nine assists for the Celtics, who also got 10 points and six rebounds off the bench from center Tyler Zeller, eight points and nine rebounds from forward Jared Sullinger and nine rebounds from Johnson.
The Celtics blocked 13 shots (by nine different players) for the first time since 2009, the first time at home since 2003.
Adam Jones, Rich Keefe React To Monday Night's Win:
Mack and forward Trey Lyles led the Jazz with 18 points apiece, and Hayward scored 16. Forward Derrick Favors grabbed 16 rebounds and scored 11 points, while center Rudy Gobert scored 12 points and hauled down 12 boards.
"We're feeling pretty drained about (the loss)," Lyles said. "We played hard all 48 minutes, and it's a game that we definitely thought we should have pulled out in the end, but we just have to move on to the next one."
Down by 13 in the second quarter, the Celtics, with little-used rookie forward Jordan Mickey coming off the bench to help, ran off 11 straight points to get back into the game. They were down five and called timeout with 5.8 seconds left in the period before Thomas drove all the way for a half-ending layup, and it was three at the break.
Mickey, playing a season-high 7:08 in only his seventh game with the team, had three points, three rebounds and two blocked shots -- after getting a text from his coach earlier in the day telling him to be ready to play.
"I thought Jordan gave us a great lift with that (backup) group," Stevens said.
NOTES: The victory raised Boston's all-time Feb. 29 record to 9-1. ... Utah F Trevor Booker missed the game to attend his grandmother's funeral in South Carolina. He will rejoin the team for the Wednesday night game at Toronto. ... The Jazz ran up a 51-34 rebounding advantage in their 111-93 victory over the Celtics in Salt Lake City on Feb. 19 but edged Boston just 52-47 on Monday night.
