No matter what Brad Stevens drew up defensively to handle Anthony Davis, it was a given that he would finish the night with big numbers for the New Orleans Pelicans.
“My biggest concern coming into the game were the other guys,” said Celtics head coach Brad Stevens.
Stevens’ fears were realized as Davis’ sidekicks delivered arguably their best collective performance of the season which proved to be just enough to knock off the Celtics, 106-105.
Tim Frazier, a former Celtics training camp invitee who starred for Boston’s Development League affiliate the Maine Red Claws, made one of two free throws with 2.5 seconds left that later proved to be the game-winning point.
Frazier, who starts at the point guard position for New Orleans (2-9), had 10 points with six assists which was a decent game.
But it was the play of New Orleans’ bench which scored a total of 57 points compared to Boston’s second unit which tallied just 20 points.
Leading the way for the Pelicans’ backup unit was Langston Galloway who had 21 points, 12 of which came in the second quarter which is when New Orleans began to play with a lead.
Boston Celtics
“You’re very concerned and start with Davis,” Stevens said. “But those other guys really hurt us; they really hurt us tonight.”
Here are the Stars, Studs and Duds from Monday night’s game.
STARS
Isaiah Thomas
Banged up as always, Thomas didn’t let his latest set of bruises limit his ability to make a massive impact. Despite a swollen middle index finger on his left (shooting) hand, Thomas led all scorers with 37 points in addition to a game-high 7 assists.
Anthony Davis
Boston did about as good a job defensively on Davis (he committed 7 turnovers), and he still put big numbers across the board. He led the Pelicans with a double-double of 25 points and 16 rebounds along with four steals two blocks
STUDS
Langston Galloway
The biggest reason why the Pelicans won, Galloway came off the New Orleans bench to score 21 points, 12 of which came in a pivotal second quarter when the Pelicans started to take control of the game.
Marcus Smart
Smart did a lot of good things to keep the Celtics within striking distance after they fell behind, knocking down a bunch of 3-pointers that contributed to a solid 15-point night to go with 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals.
Avery Bradley
Bradley continues to play at an all-star level, tallying his fifth double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Tim Frazier
The former training camp invitee/Maine Red Claw star came up with huge plays at both ends of the floor in the game’s closing minutes. He had 10 points along with 6 assists and one steal in the closing seconds.
DUDS
Kelly Olynyk
It was a rough night in every way imaginable for Olynyk who had 5 points while missing 7 of his 8 shot attempts. To make matters worse, he bit on a pump-fake by Frazier with 2.5 seconds to play that proved to be the game-winning point for New Orleans.