This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Boston point guard Isaiah Thomas, at 5-foot-9, leads the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring at 10 points per game and has been arguably the best clutch performer in the league.
The Celtics, however, needed no such heroics on Saturday night from their "Mighty Mouse" dynamo.
Boston dominated the first 36 minutes, answered every run and stifled Utah's offense in crucial spots as the Celtics cruised past the Jazz, 112-104, before a "Blue-out crowd at Vivint Smart Home Arena.
On the surface, Utah's second consecutive loss can be summed up with this: The Jazz didn't play well.
Utah shot the ball poorly all night, finishing 35 of 86 from the field, a 40 percent clip. The Jazz defended as poorly as they have all season, surrendering 59 percent shooting from the Celtics. As a result, the Jazz were never truly in the game.
A sequence in the middle of the third quarter proved to be the fatal point for Utah. Down 64-56, and showing what proved to be its only sign of life all night, George Hill and Gordon Hayward had open 3-point looks. Make either of them, and the Jazz pull within 64-59, Vivint is rocking, Boston coach Brad Stevens likely calls a timeout, and the Celtics face real pressure for the first time all evening.
Both shots missed.
On the next Boston possession, Celtics big man Kelly Olynyk knocked home a 3 from the top of the key. Boston then proceeded to take Olynyk's big shot and stretch it into an 11-2 run, and very quickly the Celtics were leading 75-58.
Utah would make one more mini-run, pulling within 12 points at the end of the third quarter. But behind Olynyk and Thomas, Boston stretched its advantage to 20 points, and fans were filing out of the arena by the middle of the fourth quarter. Utah rallied furiously at the end, pulling within 105-96, but with a chance to cut the deficit to seven points, a Joe Ingles layup in transition rolled around the rim and refused to go into the basket. The Celtics corralled the rebound, and Marcus Smart dunked on the other end.
Ballgame.
Saturday night proved to be a particularly disappointing effort from the Jazz. The Celtics were undermanned, with starting shooting guard Avery Bradley and starting small forward Jae Crowder unavailable to injury and personal reasons, respectively.
Boston rookie Jaylen Brown — in the starting lineup for Crowder — strained his hip in the first half and didn't return. Smart missed a chunk of the second half after he came up lame following a loose ball. But the Celtics didn't miss a beat. Reserve Gerald Green, known more for his dunking than anything, came off the bench and scored 14 points in the first half on 6 of 7 shooting. And James Young — who hardly ever plays — scored 10 points and provided a spark on both ends.
The Jazz couldn't match that firepower. Hayward played well, scoring a game-high 31 points. Hill struggled in the first half, but played much better in the second half on his way to 22 points, four assists and three rebounds.
However, while Boston's bench provide a huge lift (it scored 50 points), Utah's normally reliable bench didn't score with consistency whenever Hayward and Hill left the floor.
Boston, as a result, controlled Saturday night from start to finish. The Celtics scored seven of the first nine points. They never trailed, and they led by as many as 23 points. Their offense was balanced with 48 points in the paint and 13 3-pointers, which put the Jazz in a lot of pick-your-poison situations defensively.
Utah loses its second consecutive game and the schedule doesn't get easier, as Monday night brings the Los Angeles Clippers into town. The two teams are battling for fourth place in the Western Conference, and home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Twitter: @tribjazz —
Storylines
R The Celtics finish with six players in double figures, led by Isaiah Thomas' 29 points.
• The Jazz go 8 of 31 from 3-point range.
• Utah falls to 34-21 on the season.