If you were told that the Boston Celtics scored 135 points, you would probably think Kyrie Irving scored at least 30, right?
Well, the Celtics did just that in their 27-point win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night, but Irving only scored 12 points in 24 minutes of play.
It will affect his scoring average, but Irving doesn't care about that. In fact, he likes that he doesn't have to score 30 points in order for Boston to win.
Kyrie Irving likes the Celtics depth coming through: "I probably won’t have to score 30 until we play one of the best teams in the league — or, if any — until the playoffs. So I’m happy about that.”
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) January 10, 2019
I'm not sure if it's what Irving intended but that actually sounds like a subtle shot at the Pacers, who are unquestionably one of the best teams in the league — even if Irving doesn't believe so. Regardless, Boston had incredible balance in their victory on Wednesday evening, with seven players scoring in double figures. Marcus Morris and Jaylen Brown each scored 22 points apiece, with Jayson Tatum adding 20.
The Celtics also shot a scintillating 56.8 percent from the floor, making 14 three-pointers and going 21-of-24 from the free-throw line. They also racked up 32 assists in what may have been their most thorough performance of the year.
And, mind you, the C's did this against the second-ranked defense in the NBA.
On the year, Irving is averaging 22.6 points, 6.5 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals over 32 minutes per game. He's shooting 48.9 percent from the floor, 40.8 percent from three-point range and 85.3 percent from the free-throw line.
The Celtics have now won four games in a row and have gone 15-5 since their disappointing 10-10 start to improve to 25-15 on the year. They will head on the road to take on the Miami Heat on Thursday night.
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