BOSTON — Damon Stoudamire found out 10 minutes before the Celtics and Rockets tipped-off that he’d be taking over as head coach for the second time this season.
While his previous entrance, after Joe Mazzulla’s ejection during the October game in Chicago, ended in a 120-102 loss, the Celtics followed the offensive approach and defensive growth they’ve achieved to a 126-102 victory over Houston. With one difference.
“Joe wasn’t over there chewing the s*** out of some gum,” Jayson Tatum said to CLNS Media post-game. “But we’re professionals, and we know essentially what we’re supposed to do. The coaches definitely help us out with managing the game, but I think we’ve been doing this a while. We should be able to execute from shootaround this morning, the game plan and just playing the right way. In the first half we generated a lot of good shots, in the second half they just went in. I think that was the difference from half-to-half.”
Mazzulla missed Tuesday’s game with eye irritation after delivering his pre-game press conference later than usual. Marcus Smart commented at halftime in his NBC Sports Boston appearance that the players didn’t even know where Mazzulla went, hearing Stoudamire’s name during introductions and playing the game out as they would’ve otherwise. Jaylen Brown and Tatum scored 39 and 38 points, respectively, winning their 17th game out of 18 when they each score 30. That it happened with Mazzulla out reflected an offense set to cruise control.
The Celtics attempted a franchise record 56 three-pointers in regulation, according to Sean Grande. Brown and Tatum hit 12 on 31 tries (38.7%), maintaining their approach after a 5-for-23 start for the team that allowed the Rockets to fight within one possession for much of the first half.
Tatum kept hitting Brown with passes, and Brown kept finishing, scoring 33 points in three quarters before recording two assists in the fourth.
“It’s always a little easier when you’ve got J.T. and J.B.,” Stoudamire told CLNS. “That’s not a bad start. This group has been together for a while. You can organize them, and then they know how to play.”
“That benefits everybody else, when they play well, everybody else around them tends to play well. The 56 threes is a byproduct of what Joe’s talking about with the free-flowing offense. It’s a lot of feel, lot of flow, it’s not a lot of play-calling, but it is organization. So the guys do a good job of filling in spots, creating opportunities for each other and making sure we take good looks each and every possession.”
Stoudamire essentially instituted Mazzulla’s game plan and Smart found Brown for an early three and cutting layup. Tatum dunked through Jalen Green and the Rockets turned the ball over repeatedly on entry passes that Smart and others cut off. Brown hit another three following a long passing sequence and flushed a transition slam on a pass from Sam Hauser. The Celtics, as they’ve gotten better at this year, focused on finding Brown after his hot start.
Brown hit a left-handed layup midway through the second quarter, with Houston still threatening down 40-38. Kevin Porter Jr. scored 17 first-half points and landed an alley-oop to former Celtic Bruno Fernando moments earlier. Stoudamire called only his second timeout of the half, getting Malcolm Brogdon in the game to set up Smart for a timely three to his left.
Stephen Silas called a free-flowing first half too, only calling two timeouts, but Brown and Tatum figured it out on the fly before Green and Porter could. Tatum popped off a screen he set for Brown, misdirected his drive past Jabari Smith Jr. and scored through Alperen Sengun’s foul. He rolled off Brown on the next play and hit Al Horford to his right for three. The Celtics led by six.
“With a young group, there’s times where we can get a little frayed,” Silas told CLNS, contrasting his timeout strategy. “There’s times to teach and a lot of this year, and the previous year, have been teaching, so I will use timeouts in order to settle us down or to teach. But then, there’s also times where I’ll let them go and let them play and let them learn by the experience.”
Silas received a chance to pull his group together midway through the third quarter after Porter fouled Brown hard, but the stoppage came to call a flagrant one penalty on Porter. Brown hit both free throws and, moments later, a pull-up two.
The Celtics ran a sharp set to get Brown another look from three, better yet one involving Robert Williams III in off-ball screening. Brogdon delivered a pass for him to score three through Usman Garuba driving past Tari Eason.It would’ve been difficult for Silas to slow Brown’s run with a timeout.
Williams III sent Brown out in transition for a left-handed slam to score eight points in 39 seconds. The Celtics led by 11 points and never looked back.
Grant Williams capped the quarter with back-to-back threes and landed Tatum an alley-oop early in the fourth to push him closer to 40 points. The Williams III dunk parade followed.
The Celtics’ awareness and persistence flashed on offense, setting up late looks for Brown and Tatum to flirt with the 40-point mark. Smart, on one, sent Williams III rolling over the top of the defense uncontested to find the easiest look. Stoudamire watched, family and friends unaware he’d coach that night.
The Celtics felt the same way, showing up and doing what they do as an offense.
“It keeps everybody off-balance,” Stoudamire said. “The opposing team can get a feel for what’s going on. When J.B. and J.T. get flowing like they did, especially in that third quarter, then it’s easier for other guys to start playing well and getting offensive opportunities. It’s just hard t0 guard when you have five threats on the floor.”
