20161207-BOSORL

Taylor Snow

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ORLANDO – The Boston Celtics could have easily wilted Wednesday night when they took on the Orlando Magic without the guidance of leading scorer and playmaker Isaiah Thomas.

Boston’s youth, however, saw it as an opportunity to step up. And they seized it by energizing the Celtics to their largest win of the season despite the absence of their injured All-Star point guard.

“We just wanted to hold it down for Isaiah,” said Jaylen Brown, who dropped 13 points off the bench during Boston’s 117-87 at Amway Center. “That’s a big piece missing from our team, so we had to come out, really share the ball and make an emphasis on playing the game the right way. And I think we did tonight.”

Brown, Terry Rozier and fill-in starter Marcus Smart, all helped to fill Thomas’ offensive void by combining for 42 points against a defensively gifted Orlando squad. The young threesome also contributed strongly on the defensive end, as the C’s outscored Orlando 68-37 during the second half.

“They played with a lot of confidence,” commented veteran Al Horford on the play of Boston’s youth. “They looked really comfortable. And the thing I was most proud of was they played really hard on the defensive end, and on offense took good shots and didn’t force anything.”

Rozier delivered the most promising performance of the night, as he scored a career-high 16 points and served as a primary playmaker for the C’s. The second-year point guard said after the game that it was the most comfortable he’d felt running an offense since his college days at Louisville.

“We drew up some plays that I got to work with,” said Rozier, who also tallied five rebounds, a pair of assists and did not turn the ball over once during 26 minutes of action. “I had a lot of space and I just felt like I got the opportunity. Guys were screaming for me, they were going under, so I got to work with a lot of room and just play my game.”

Another Celtic who got to show off his game was Brown, who electrified the offense, particularly during the second quarter when he threw down a posterizing dunk over 7-foot center Nikola Vucevic.

The rookie forward earned 22 minutes off the bench for Boston, marking the third consecutive game in which he’s seen 15-plus minutes of action.

“I feel like my teammates are trusting me more and I’m getting more trust from the coaching staff,” said Brown. “I’m just coming out, trying to make plays, be in the right spots and just play some good basketball.”

And when Brown and Rozier were on the floor together Wednesday night, they played some great basketball.

Their endless motors and uncanny athleticism was too much for the Magic to handle, as the pair fed off of each other’s energy and strong communication.

“When me and Terry get in, we talk to each other,” said Brown. “We say, ‘We just gotta run.’ That’s our focus. We’re young and we try to get up and down the floor. It makes the game a little bit easier for us and we get good shots out of it.”

No one enjoyed witnessing Brown and Rozier’s success more than Avery Bradley, who has worked closely with the pair over the last few months.

“I’m so happy for them,” said Bradley, who scored a game-high 23 points. “I’m so happy for a guy like Terry that I work out with every single day, and to work on all those things and to have it translate to the game.

“And Jaylen – we spent time together yesterday and I told him, ‘Don’t think, just go out there and play basketball.’ So for him to go out there and have the game that he had tonight, I’m happy for him. And I hope they can continue to keep playing basketball at that level.”

The youth’s stellar effort Wednesday night served as a reminder of Boston’s incredible depth and the bright future that’s in store for the franchise.

It also proved that the C’s can step up and tackle difficult obstacles that are thrown their way.

If Thomas’ groin injury keeps him sidelined, Boston could face another hurdle Friday night when it takes on the Atlantic Division-leading Toronto Raptors at TD Garden.

But if that’s the case, the Celtics’ youth will be ready to rise to the occasion again.

“You gotta fight adversity,” said Rozier. “You’re not always going to have your best player playing with you and you have to work with what you have to work with. But we got the job done tonight offensively and defensively. We’re feeling special, so we just gotta carry it over to Friday night.”

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C’s Youth Rises Up, Grabs 'W' Despite IT’s Absence

Pete Stringer

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The second night of a back-to-back game in the NBA is a tough obstacle to overcome. And typically, teams don’t show the effects of the schedule until the second half.

Trailing 50-49 at the half, the Celtics exploited a tired Magic team on Wednesday night, exploding out of the locker room in the third with a 26-8 run (with an 18-2 run inside there) to start the third quarter. That 75-58 lead put the Celtics in the driver’s seat, and by the end of the night, the lead grew to 30 points.

Despite Isaiah Thomas sitting out with a groin injury, the Celtics’ offense ran smoothly all night, and the ball movement was especially crisp. At the half, the Celtics had 24 assists on 31 buckets. Seven Celtics scored in double figures.

They outscored the Magic 68-37 in the second half.

Avery Bradley led the C’s with 23 points. After the game, Bradley told CSNNE’s Abby Chin that he came into the game with a “defensive mindset.” To that end, the Celtics held the Magic to 37 percent shooting.

“We just have to move the ball,” Bradley said. “We were sharing the ball, driving and kicking. I think Brad’s going to be very happy with tonight’s performance.”

With Thomas out of the lineup, Terry Rozier played 26 minutes, and he made his presence felt off the bench. Rozier attacked the basket and dropped a career-high 16 points along the way.

On one drive, Rozier blew by former Celtic Jeff green with a nasty crossover shake-and-bake move. Later on, he kissed a drive off the left side of the glass as he fell out of bounds after taking contact.

Rozier was 6-for-13 from the field, and also came up with five rebounds. Rozier typically only plays about 18 minutes a night, so he made the most of his minutes.

"I just started feeling good about myself," Rozier said of his improved play on Wednesday night. "It starting feeling like I was in college again."

Avery Bradley on the Celtics' effort in the second half, as they outscored Orlando 68-37 after the break.

keys-to-the-game-celtics-117-magic-87

Keys to the Game: Celtics 117, Magic 87

Pregame –  Celtics Look to Step Up Without Isaiah Thomas

ORLANDO – Isaiah Thomas’ streak of 113 consecutive games played – including the Playoffs – will come to an end Wednesday night when the Boston Celtics take on the Orlando Magic at Amway Center.

Boston’s All-Star point guard injured his groin during the second quarter of Monday’s game in Houston. He traveled with the team to Orlando after the loss to the Rockets, but his situation did not progress so he flew home Tuesday night to rest.

Thomas’ absence will undoubtedly create a sizable offensive void Wednesday night when the C’s take on one of the strongest defensive teams in the league in Orlando, and Brad Stevens expects the flow of the game to have quite a different feel.

“He generates a lot in open offense – what we’d call flow, or what we’d call spread offense – and so some of those types of things you might not generate at the same rate (without Thomas),” said Stevens ahead of the 7 p.m. tip-off.

“But certainly there’s other ways that we’ll look to play when he’s not in the game normally or when we’re trying to play through the bigs in the post and those types of things. You have different ways to play within all of your schemes and hopefully we can play to each others’ strengths and go from there.”

Orlando coach Frank Vogel says his team won’t take Thomas’ absence lightly. The Magic have faced similar situations recently where they have gone up against a team without its star player, yet still struggled.

“We’ve had this a lot this year where a top guy is out, and there’ve been a lot of D-League guys or rookies that have come in to get extended time and light us up,” said Vogel. “The message to our guys here is there’s going to be better opportunities for guys on the Celtics, but it won’t be from D-League guys. You’ve got Al Horford and Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart and Jae Crowder… these guys can really play.

“And more touches for those guys isn’t necessarily a good thing for us.”

Smart is one player who Stevens will count on to step up Wednesday night, as he has thrust the third-year guard into the starting point guard role.

The coach feels confident putting the ball in Smart’s hands to start the game because he’s succeeded in that position on many occasions before.

“He’s started a lot of games for us in the past as a point guard,” said Stevens. “He’s basically our sixth starter, so it wasn’t [a decision] that I had to think a ton about. Being able to keep Terry Rozier [coming off the bench] is a good thing, and hopefully we can start well on that end of the floor.”

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Pregame Post-Ups: C’s Look to Step Up Without IT

ORLANDO – Demetrius Jackson was driving Tuesday morning up to Portland, Maine to practice with the Maine Red Claws when he received a call from the Boston Celtics’ front office.

The C’s 2016 second-round draft pick was informed that Boston’s star point guard, Isaiah Thomas, had injured his groin the night before in Houston, and that the team needed his aid down in Orlando as it prepared to take on the Magic Wednesday night.

The sudden change of plans threw Jackson for a loop, as he had to catch an evening flight down to Orlando, while Thomas flew in the other direction back to Boston.

“I had to whip the car back around, drive back home and pack up some stuff. But it was really exciting,” Jackson recollected Wednesday morning before shootaround at Amway Center in Orlando. “It’s like coming back to your family.”

Jackson’s early experience as a pro has been a whirlwind, as he has been back and forth between the NBA and the D-League a few times during the first month of the regular season.

The unpredictability of the situation means that the 22-year-old is constantly being forced to adjust, but he says it’s a process that keeps him humble and hungry.

“The variables are different (between the NBA and the D-League), but all those things just make you tougher,” said Jackson. “The flights are early in the morning (in the D-League) – 5 am flights – stuff like that, but that’s just all stuff that you gotta push through. And it makes you tougher in the long run.”

It’s a process that Jackson will need to get used to, as we’ve seen guys like Jordan Mickey, James Young and Terry Rozier experience similar situations during the last couple of seasons in order to boost their growth through consistent playing time.

“The purpose is to get game reps and then to make sure that you’re staying in game shape if you know you’re not going to be a part of the rotation,” said Brad Stevens. “The purpose is to keep playing.”

So far, Jackson has been playing at a high level with the Red Claws, having averaged 19.6 points, 6.5 assists and 5.9 rebounds during eight games.

The point guard’s extended playing time and success with Maine has boosted his confidence, which he hopes will result in a comfortable transition back to the NBA level.

“It’s a great adjustment coming back here,” said Jackson. “Every single time I come back I learn something new, so I’m looking forward to learning again today.”

Not only will Wednesday be a learning experience for Jackson; he may also end up earning some playing time now that Thomas is out of the equation. And he says he’ll be ready for any situation that’s thrown at him.

“I just want to use what I’ve learned in the D-League and do whatever the team needs me to do,” said Jackson. “Whether that’s cheering on the bench or whether that’s coming into the game to play. I just want to do that to the best of my ability.”

Jackson has played just 15 total minutes for the Celtics this season, but those have been 15 very productive minutes – he has tallied 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting to go along with three rebounds, two assists and zero turnovers.

The hungry guard is hoping to make a similar impact if his name is called upon Wednesday night, as the shorthanded Celtics look to grab a win in Orlando.

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With Thomas Out, Jackson is Ready to Go vs. ORL

Marc D'Amico

The Boston Celtics have built an identity the last few years under Brad Stevens as a tough-minded defensive team.

His offensive brilliance with a mismatched roster without a star has always had the stout defense as a backdrop.

To take that next step, Boston added Al Horford to Isaiah Thomas, hoping they would propel the club to the top of the Eastern Conference. They believed Horford would only bolster their defense.

Horford has indeed helped, notwithstanding the failed tip-in at the buzzer against the Houston Rockets on Monday. Boston is sitting at 12-9 and in third in the packed Eastern Conference.

The defense, though, has been slow to develop.

In 2015, the Celtics finished 12th in defensive rating on their way to a surprise playoff berth. Last year, Boston finished fourth in that metric.

This year, however, Boston is 17th in defensive rating, giving up 105.1 points per 100 possessions. Boston is still winning, but the team has struggled to bring its defense to the elite level that it one of the rising teams last year.

The defense has improved recently. In the last 10 games, the Celtics are 11th in defensive rating, giving up 104.8 points per 100 possessions. Boston is still carving out an identity with the new players on the roster.

The Celtics' opponent Wednesday, as they wrap up a three-game trip, has found that identity in the last month.

While the Celtics have been trying to elevate their defense, the Orlando Magic have become one of the top defenses in the league.

Orlando had given up just 94.3 points per 100 possessions in 10 games before a 124-116 win over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday. The Magic have risen to third in the league as defense has become a key part of their identity.

No player has embodied that improvement more than Nikola Vucevic, who had a reputation as a poor defender but has quickly become one of the biggest defensive stalwarts for the Magic this season.

"Everybody has been really so hard on my defense," Vucevic told the Orlando Sentinel. "I think there is no player in this league that does everything. So there are areas that I do really well defensively (and) some areas that I need to improve, and I think I did improve on those this year. I never felt like my defense was that big of an issue. It was just all the media making a big deal out of it."

The Celtics will hope to get their defense back on track against the Magic. They may have to do it without Thomas. The All-Star point guard missed Tuesday's practice with a pulled groin, but he told The Boston Globe he still hopes to play Wednesday.

20161207‑BOSORL

C’s Youth Rises Up, Grabs 'W' Despite IT’s Absence

Keys to the Game: Celtics 117, Magic 87

Pregame Post-Ups: C’s Look to Step Up Without IT

With Thomas Out, Jackson is Ready to Go vs. ORL

12/7 Game Preview: Celtics at Magic