NBA in Threes: Nikola Jokic and too much eating; LeBron rolling early

 Boston Celtics

Jayson Tatum picked up right where he left off in the Boston Celtics‘ matchup against the New York Knicks. The work on his three-point shooting over the summer was clear as he went 4-8 from range on the night. Last season shot only 32 percent from beyond the arc. If he can keep it up that’s going to be a big plus for the Celtics as the season rolls on.

Kemba Walker is continuing to look good in Celtic green. He got off to a bit of a slow start scoring only 10 points in the first half but he more than made up for it in the second. He scored 11 and 12 points in the third and fourth quarters respectively. Gordon Hayward‘s 13 points and nine rebounds with Daniel Theis‘ eight rebounds and four blocks rounded out a solid performance by Boston’s starting five.

Something that jumped out at me while watching the game was that the Celtics are really good at getting out of situations where it seems like there’s no place for the ball handler to go. Multiple players on the team are able to see the floor well and make a smart play in situations that could easily have turned into turnovers. Having a look at Boston’s assist numbers adds some weight to that observation. Of the 10 guys who played minutes for the Celtics, all but two of them had at least one assist. It’s a great luxury for a team to not have to worry overly much about who has the ball in their hands.

In a game that came down to the wire, Tatum proved he’s clutch when he hit the first go-ahead game-winner in his career and how sweet it was.

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