5 Celtics take away from Spurs as all-four main return, but Boston falls

The Boston Celtics have finally reunited all four of their core four – Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart – but a disastrous second quarter doomed them to a 110-106 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.

Here are five takeaways from a roller coaster game.

The Celtics had a great look to end the game.

The Celtics did a lot to lose Wednesday’s game before the last minute – ineffective shooting, untimely turnovers and questionable defense – but they had one last chance to send him into overtime. Eight seconds to go, Kemba Walker ran to the floor and yielded to Tatum with the time running out. As San Antonio’s defense turned, Marcus Smart freely jumped around the corner. His last shot was slightly delayed and the Celtics couldn’t extend their winning streak to three.

Brad Stevens played a 12-man rotation in the first half.

With all of his top players returning to the field for the first time, some may have wondered if Brad Stevens is going to cut his rotations down.

The opposite was true. Stevens played 12 players in the first half, and by the end of the game the only two who didn’t make it into the game were Tremont Waters and Tacko Fall. As Brian Scalabrine noted on the NBC Sports Boston show, Stevens may have been trying to see who he wanted in his eight-man rotation. Carsen Edwards was the first submarine to leave the bank. Aaron Nesmith got the opening minutes.

But the real result seemed to be that Boston was out of sync and uncomfortable. The Celtics took a nine-point lead in the second quarter and after a truly disastrous last minute of the period (more on that in a minute), they trailed by 14 at halftime.

At some point, the Celtics will have to reduce their rotation. Wednesday’s film won’t provide many answers.

The Celtics’ zone brought them back into the game.

To recap this last minute of the first half:

• With 1:01 to go, Lonnie Walker drove to the hoop and scored, putting San Antonio at eight.
• After Kemba Walker slammed a 3 point, Lonnie Walker buried a jumper. The Celtics had the last shot of the quarter with 21 seconds left.
• Jayson Tatum, however, threw the ball away and handed Patty Mills a transition layup.
• Then Jayson Tatum threw the ball again, and Lonnie Walker scored again. San Antonio finished the half with an 8-0 run in 61 seconds.

The Celtics didn’t gain much ground in the opening of the third quarter, but when they fell into an area, the San Antonio attack – which clicked every time the Celtics played man-to-man – suddenly seemed hesitant and uncertain. Spurs have been forced to play individually which is less their strong point outside of DeMar DeRozan.

Jayson Tatum stepped into the job.

The other element of the Boston rally to note: Tatum – who had an ineffective evening – finally launched with a series of post-ups in the third quarter. On a night where he just couldn’t find the lineup (he turned cold again after helping the Celtics get back into the game), Tatum has a very reliable way of getting a decent look whenever he wants.

Post-ups shouldn’t be the bulk of Tatum’s offense – he’s too good at reaching the edge and creating 3-point shots. But when defense closes the paint and defenders are hanging over him behind the arc, being able to use elite footwork and a soft touch at post is a great tertiary option.

The Celtics have a lot of greats who are about as good as each other.

Robert Williams is in a difficult situation.

On Wednesday, the Celtics launched Daniel Theis, who recently played out of his mind. Tristan Thompson, who left the bench early, is in theory a perfect fit who continues to find his way (Thompson also received all the mid-level exception, which could also be a factor).

Meanwhile, Williams is dynamic in a way that Theis and Thompson cannot brag about. His energy on the glass is impressive, his athleticism could be unmatched even in the NBA, and opposing players are starting to understand that he can crush anything.

Stevens said one of the reasons he liked the sometimes disastrous two-big-two roster was that it gave Williams a chance to claim more minutes off the bench. The Celtics also like to use big men based on clashes. But the 12-man debacle in the first half of Wednesday’s game could serve as a reminder that sometimes pace matters as well as clashes.