NBA road trips are rarely if ever, described as easy. Even in a season when arenas are essentially void of home-team fans, the daily travel and hotel-hopping of a road trip, let alone being separated from family, are still very real factors that can often impact the outcome of games. And while that’s true for every team in the league, the Boston Celtics, in particular, have been forced to add injuries to the list of challenges on their current West Coast road trip, a five-game span that ends Tuesday in Utah.
In addition to the litany of injuries and COVID-19-related setbacks that have defined their young season—including lengthy absences from superstars Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum—the Celtics were hit with two more biggies both before and during their trek out west.
Crucial Losses Imperial Road Trip
First was the loss of veteran Marcus Smart to a Grade 1 calf strain. Smart went down while contesting a rebound in a 96-95 home defeat to the Lakers, two days before the team set sail. That it was just a calf strain and not the dreaded Achilles softened some of the blow, but it still meant the Celtics would be without their most fearsome defender the entire time. Smart’s departure also promised to make Boston’s already thin backcourt thinner, and would force head coach Brad Stevens to get even more creative with his rotations.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, following the second game of their trip, a 116-111 loss to the Kings, Boston learned they’d be without the services of their third superstar, Jaylen Brown, whose sore left knee finally became too much to handle. Whereas the aggressive Smart most consistently does his best work on the defensive end, Brown brings big-time scoring to the offense (26.4 PPG) and adds length and athleticism to the defense.
The effect of Smart and Brown’s absence was in full relief on Sunday, when the Phoenix Suns utilized their perimeter length and size to get open shot after open shot in a 100-91 win. Boston’s 91 points were their second-lowest of the season.
Title Hopes Remain Strong
All of which makes it that much more remarkable that, with a victory this Tuesday versus the Jazz—no easy feat, Utah owns the NBA’s best record at 19-5—the Celtics would head home on the plus side, sporting three wins against two losses.
Boston’s two victories, over Golden State and the Clippers, showcased a combination of star power and solid contributions from role players. Tatum combined for 61 points, Brown went for 24 against the Warriors, and the so-far inconsistent Walker added 19 and 24.
Meanwhile, Carsen Edwards, thrust into more minutes with Smart and then Brown out, sparked the Celtics with 16 in each contest. Center Tristan Thompson also played well, quieting chatter of his precipitous decline after a glacially slow start to the season. In the wins, forward Grant Williams went 6-for-7 from three, and rookie guard Payton Pritchard, out since Jan 22 with a bum knee, added steady play and timely shooting against the Clippers.
Even if they lose to the Jazz, Boston will still head home in 4th place in the Eastern Conference, well within striking distance of the Sixers, Bucks and Nets, with most of the season yet to be played. Assuming they can stay healthy once Smart and Brown return, and if they can bring on a big name before the trade deadline, as has been rumored for weeks, the Celtics could easily find themselves competing for an Eastern Conference title down the line.
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Disaster Averted Out West, Celts Look to Regroup, Contend