Considering the rate at which the Celtics shot the ball Saturday night, they were lucky to have hung around with the Jazz for as long as they did.
During the first half, Boston shot just 37.8 percent from the field, which was far below Utah’s 60 percent clip to that point. Yet the C’s remarkably trailed by just five points at the break.
It seemed like it was only a matter of time before Utah would take advantage of Boston’s post-All-Star break rust, and it finally did midway through the third quarter.
The Jazz held a slim 64-60 lead at the 7:17 mark of the third frame, before exploding on a 15-2 run that paved way for their eventual 111-93 win.
Trevor Booker was the key cog during Utah’s three-minute and 50-second run, as he hit two layups and a dunk, which accounted for his only three field goals of the game. Derrick Favors added five points during the run and Gordon Hayward chipped in with four of his own.
Meanwhile, the Celtics could not break out of their shooting slump. They hit just two field goals during the final seven-plus minutes of the third quarter, and Utah held at least a three-possession lead for the remainder of the game.
Boston’s starting rotation experienced great difficulty finding a shooting rhythm Friday night.
Jae Crowder was the exception.
Crowder hit six of his 11 attempts (54.5 percent) from the field, and also sunk all four of his free throw attempts in a 17-point effort. He was Boston’s only starter to shoot higher than 42 percent from the field.
The swingman added four rebounds, a pair of assists and played a team-high 35 minutes before fouling out with about two and a half minutes remaining in the game.
Brad Stevens on Utah’s relentless effort.
