Since returning from the All-Star break the Boston Celtics’ bench has been scoring at will, while shooting the lights out of every arena they encounter.
After returning from break, the Celtics went on a four game winning streak, while beating opponents by an average of 15 points before Saturday night’s loss to the NBA’s hottest team.
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During this current five game stretch, the Celtics’ second unit has been red hot.
Over the last five games, the C’s bench has averaged 56 points, with their highest total coming against the Rockets at 67 points. The Celtics’ bench has scored more than 60 points in consecutive games and three times total over their last five.
Total Bench Scoring Over Last Five Games:
- Vs. Houston Rockets: 67 points
- Vs. Charlotte Hornets: 61 points
- Vs. Memphis Grizzlies: 52 points
- Vs. New York Knicks: 36 points
- Vs. Detroit Pistons: 65 points
During this same stretch, the Celtics’ bench is shooting an impressive 50.5 percent from the field and a favorable 39 percent from three.
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Terry Rozier III has been leading the charge with 14.2 points-per-game, while shooting a whopping 56 percent from three-point land. And Marcus Morris isn’t far behind with 13.8 points-per-game on 44 percent shooting from the field.
Horford reverses it to Terry Rozier who knocks it down from distance!@celtics are 8-13 from beyond the arc.#Celtics 56 I #Rockets 54 with 2:40 left in Q2.
— NBA (@NBA) March 4, 2018
????: #NBAonABC pic.twitter.com/Q2MiZ5FtY4
Since making his return after the All-Star break after suffering from a hand laceration, Marcus Smart has been playing relatively well on both end of the floor. His defense can’t go unnoticed and neither can his shooting percentage. He’s shooting a mind-blowing 54 percent from field for a 10-point-per-game clip.
Celtics newcomer Greg Monroe has provided a strong presence in the paint, while averaging 11.5 points-per-game through four games [DNP vs. Memphis Grizzlies].
Larkin ???? Monroe ???? pic.twitter.com/BeHr2nZipq
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 1, 2018
Daniel Theis has missed the last two games, but through three games he’s averaging 12 points. And he scored a career-high points against the Detroit Pistons back on February 23.
During the Celtics-Rockets game, head coach Brad Stevens shorten up the bench giving us a look into what we may expect for a playoff rotation. Over the C’s final 18 games, we’ll certainly get a better picture of things to come and what we can expect out of the Celtics’ bench come playoffs.
Stevens: “All you can ask as a coach is that everybody is focused and together and works the right way. Since we’ve gotten back from the break, we’ve had the right focus and we’ve been locked in.”
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 5, 2018
UP NEXT: The Celtics (44-20) will play the second of a three-game road trip Monday night against the Chicago Bulls (21-41). Catch the call of the game with Sean Grande and Cedric Maxwell, live on 98.5 The Sports Hub. Pre-game coverage begins at 7:30 p.m., with tip-off set for 8:00 p.m.
— By John ‘The Dude’ Hardiman, 985TheSportsHub.com