BOSTON -- There are others on the Boston Celtics team who are more accomplished and seemingly brimming with more talent than Daniel Theis.
But the more we see him this season, the clearer it becomes how big a difference-maker he is for this team.
And he was, indeed, all that on Friday, coming up with a late-game block of a Trae Young shot attempt that helped the Celtics (24-8) secure a 109-106 win.
Theis would finish with 14 points and six rebounds.
But no stat stood out like the second of Theis’ two blocked shots where the loose ball wound up in the hands of Marcus Smart who was fouled with 0.3 seconds to play.
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Smart made the first of the two free throws to seal the victory, a win that involved several players step up that we talk about all the time.
And then there’s the below-the-radar contributors to this team whose play night-in and night-out is invaluable to the team’s success, players like Daniel Theis.
MARCUS SMART
When you’re an all-NBA First Team defender like Marcus Smart, there’s a tendency to focus a lot on what he does at that end of the floor.
But it’s games like the one we saw on Friday against Atlanta that remind us all just how Smart is playing a more well-rounded brand of basketball now.
And that involves making big shots like the 3-pointer he hit with 41.7 seconds to play that pushed Boston’s lead up to four points.
Smart made some timely shots, finishing with 15 points. He grabbed six rebounds and dished out a team-high nine assists.
On nights when the Celtics are short-handed, they need players to step up and play with a high level of consistency in all phases of the game.
Smart was that guy when the Celtics needed it on Friday.
JAYLEN BROWN
Jaylen Brown was honored last week with the Eastern Conference Player of the Week award for the first time in his NBA career.
Do I hear seconds?
Brown provided a much-needed spark down the stretch to propel Boston to victory.
Leading 94-92, Brown scored seven straight points for Boston to push the Celtics’ lead to 101-94.
After a pair of free throws by Atlanta’s Trae Young, Brown was on the attack once more and was rewarded with a pair of free throws that increased Boston’s lead to 103-97.
Boston needed a clutch scorer down the stretch and Brown once again proved he was up to the challenge as he led Boston with 24 points along with 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double this season.
GORDON HAYWARD
With no Kemba Walker (flu-like symptoms), Gordon Hayward made the most of his opportunity in moving a peg up in the scoring pecking order.
He scored 18 points on 8-for-18 shooting which was among the better shooting nights by the Celtics.
But more than the points, Hayward’s play was yet another reminder as to why the Celtics have been among the top teams in the East most of this season.
When one goes down, one (or two, or three or …) steps up and proves to be more than capable of filling whatever void exists; even if it’s the team’s leading scorer.
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BENCH PLAY
With one of the most grueling stretches of basketball we’ve seen in the Brad Stevens era this month, Boston is going to need all hands on deck to navigate through successfully.
Friday’s game was a good start, as the Celtics got several key contributions from reserves with Enes Kanter once again leading the charge.
He would tally his fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Other backups who stood out for the Celtics included Brad Wanamaker (six points, two rebounds) and Grant Williams (five points, two rebounds, two assists).
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