Boston Celtics back on winning track thanks to Kemba Walker’s big night

BOSTON – The Celtics – already mired in a three-game losing streak and having lost eight of their last 11 games – found themselves 18-4 five minutes after Friday night’s game against the Indiana Pacers. It was the kind of performance that, had fans been allowed into TD Garden, would have been greeted with a hearty round of boos.

But rather than resign himself and his team to yet another horrific loss in a stretch full of them, Kemba Walker put the Celtics on his back. And on a night when the team’s young All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown failed to perform, it was Walker who scored 32 points and provided six assists to lead Boston to a desperately needed victory from 118-112 on the Pacers.

“I don’t think we are winning the game without his will,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. “I think no matter how everyone plays, when this thing was 18-4, he was the loudest voice. He put us back in this thing. And now we’re back on our feet, [and] we have a little confidence, which was shot this week.

“But that’s what the very good players do. That’s what the veterans do. That’s what the guys who have been there, who have done this and have been doing it for a long time do. So j really thought he led us tonight. “

It has been as difficult a season for Walker individually as it has been for the Celtics as a team. After a 12-week offseason strengthening schedule for his troublesome left knee that caused him to miss the first few weeks of this season, Walker came in on Friday night shooting 37.5 percent from the field – the second-worst percentage in his field. career.

That night, however, Walker looked like the All-Star he was last season before the knee problems started. After Boston fell into that 18-4 hole, Walker scored or assisted 13 of the team’s 15 points in a 15-2 run that helped the Celtics take the lead after the first quarter.

“I try to bring that aspect to the game every night, my leadership,” Walker said. “I try to use my voice as much as possible to keep my teammates awake when things aren’t going well.

“I know guys look to me in situations like this, and you know, just try to stay upbeat, just try to stay positive and just bring that energy to the team.”

With Tatum (shooting 4 for 18, nine points) and Brown (5 for 12, 15 points) unable to get him started, it was a combination of the two things that received the most attention in Boston’s struggles – Walker and the supporting cast – it got the Celtics to get that victory.

Jeff Teague, the veteran playmaker who has struggled a lot all season and received multiple DNPs recently, had his best game since scoring 19 points in Game 1 of the season, scoring 14 in 19 minutes. Rookie Payton Pritchard, who has struggled his own lately, tallied nine points in 19 minutes, while young big man Robert Williams III had 14 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists in 22 minutes.

“It was a different experience than I’ve ever been to, but it’s still a learning experience,” said Teague. “Just take the good with the bad and keep driving. Tonight was a big win for our team; we played well. I’m happy to see a lot of guys playing well. We finally helped JT, Kemba and Jaylen tonight. So that was good for us. “

More than anything, it was important for the Celtics to secure a victory after a horrific few days which saw them lose in overtime to New Orleans on Sunday after taking a 24-point lead, falling to a last-second 3-pointer from Luka . Doncic Tuesday in Dallas, then get wiped out in Atlanta without Walker (knee management) on Wednesday.

After Friday’s win, everyone said how important it was to get that collective bad taste out of their mouths with a win, and Walker specifically said it was up to team leaders to ensure that the Celtics stay together throughout their struggles.

“We’re going to find out,” Walker said. “It’s on me. It’s on Jaylen. It’s on Jayson. It’s on Marcus. [Smart]. And then Tristan [Thompson] and Jeff will add on that too. It’s about the veteran guys, as well as Brad, too. We have to keep this together. We cannot let anyone go in another direction. Although things are not going as well as we would like at the moment, but things could change very quickly, so the only way out of struggles is to do it together. “