After losing two in a row to title contending teams, the Boston Celtics needed a win against a Utah Jazz team that had won three straight. The Celtics had gotten manhandled by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night and had suffered a heartbreaking loss against the league-best Golden State Warriors on Sunday.
This was not a flashy game by any means. There was no hot three-point shooting by either team and the halftime score was in the mid-30's. Jae Crowder was a bright spot for the Celtics, digging in and contributing 18 points off the bench and a plus-eight for the game. He was the only one with some sense of offense for the C's in the first half. Utah looked like a different team without Enes Kanter. They looked faster and more relaxed. Big man Rudy Gobert played a big role in this one as he had a double-double with 10 points and 16 rebounds.
Point guard Isaiah Thomas helped Boston open up a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter, as he poured in 21 points and seven assists. Trey Burke had 16 off the bench for Utah and kept his team within striking distance down the line. It was Gordon Hayward in the fourth with 9.6 seconds left on the clock with Utah down 82-83 who hit step back jumper over Zeller. With 1.7 seconds on the clock, Utah had an 84-83 lead and a sense of confidence that they had sealed this victory.
However, Brad Stevens would not be beaten by his former player and drew up what was supposed to be a post play for Tyler Zeller. Marcus Smart was in charge of the inbounds pass and beautifully got the ball in the hands of Zeller who had Gobert fronting him. The ball left Zeller's hands with 0.2 left on the clock, and it rattled in right as the buzzer sounded. A defeated Utah team made their way to the locker room, and the Celtics celebrated a much needed win over the Jazz, 85-84.
The three-point line was a foe for both teams tonight, as Utah shot 16 percent from behind the arc, while Boston squeaked in at 30 percent. The Celtics had three turnovers, the most minimal amount in a game since 1985, which had to make Brad Stevens feel very good. Utah easily out-rebounded Boston, 51-39, helped by Gobert and Trevor Booker who added 10 of his own. Utah was able to do very well on the offensive glass in this game, and it hurt Boston in various stretches throughout.
Utah's next game is Friday at 7 PM ET in Philadelphia to face the Sixers. Boston kicks off a three-game road trip against Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday at 8PM ET.