The 120-106 Celtics win over the Raptors was welcome, and the scoring explosion by Semi Ojeleye and Payton Pritchard was not anticipated, but damn exciting. But it was what led to both outcomes that sticks out.
Both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown had bad shooting nights, combining for 29 points on 8-of-27 from the field and 1-of-7 on treys. Conversely, their passing skills were on display. Brown passed off for a team-high 10 assists, closely followed by Tatum with nine dimes. No other Celtic had more than three assists.The only rookies in Celtics history to make 6+ threes in a game:
— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) February 12, 2021
☘️ Marcus Smart
☘️ J.R. Bremer
☘️ And now, Payton Pritchard
🎥 @NBApic.twitter.com/1yLVznEGq2
Attribute the victory over Toronto and the eruption by Ojeleye and Pritchard as a direct result of both members of the Jay Team digging deep into their bag of skills to get the ball to their open teammates.
If either, or both, Tatum and Brown aspire to All-NBA, First Team status, proving themselves to be complete players is vital. Last season, they combined for 5.1 assists per game. This season, they are at 8.1 APG - a significant leap in that category. Boston's two stars won't always be on target with their shots, but they are finding other ways to win games.
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