On Tuesday night, the Celtics secured their ninth consecutive victory with a 117-99 triumph over the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden. Remarkably, they achieved this feat despite only making five 3-pointers throughout the game.
It’s worth noting that the Celtics managed to win despite their typically reliable 3-point shooting being off, which is quite impressive.
Love them or hate them, the Celtics have established themselves as a team heavily reliant on the 3-point shot, fitting for today’s NBA landscape. Leading the league with an average of 42.6 attempted 3-point shots per game, it’s clear that Joe Mazzulla, the coach, likely encourages even more attempts, provided they are quality shots. Notably, Boston boasts an impressive 41-3 record when shooting 32 percent or better from beyond the arc, showcasing their dominance when their long-range shooting is firing on all cylinders.
Although the Celtics possess various strategies to outplay their opponents, they often encounter difficulties when their 3-point shots aren’t falling. Hence, their halftime lead of just two points on Tuesday night, when they managed only a 2-for-11 performance from beyond the arc, seemed somewhat fortunate.
Even though they struggled from long range, sinking just three triples in the second half and finishing 5-for-22 overall, the Celtics didn’t let that hinder them from seizing control of the game against Philadelphia. With the 76ers prioritizing defensive switches to stifle the perimeter, Boston redirected its focus towards dominating the paint. Moreover, with Joel Embiid sidelined, the 76ers lacked significant resistance against Boston’s aggressive drives to the basket.