For much of this year the burden on the shoulders of All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown has been obvious. The Celtics know if they are to fix this season, those two will need some help. On Friday, for one night at least, Boston provided a glimpse of what it can look like when contributions are coming from all corners, as it surged to a 118-102 win against the lowly Rockets at TD Garden.
Robert Williams was 9 for 9 from the field and had 20 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, becoming the first Celtic to reach those marks while shooting 100 percent from the field. Evan Fournier, who had struggled a bit since being acquired from the Magic last week, drilled six fourth-quarter 3-pointers and finished with 23 points. The Celtics tied their season-high with 35 assists.
“Guys did a good job and stayed together,” coach Brad Stevens said, “and we’ll see if we can find a time to peak here soon.”
Observations from the game:
▪ The Celtics traded center Daniel Theis to the Bulls in part to free up opportunities for Williams, their blossoming big man. He returned Friday after missing one game because of a non-COVID-19 illness and was in the middle of most of Boston’s good moments.
Everyone knows Williams can hammer in alley-oops and soar to block shots, but he has become a much more complete player. Against Houston he mostly had his way while battling smaller frontcourt players for rebounds and also flashed his emerging skills as a passer.
“Obviously getting more comfortable with the more minutes I play,” Williams said. “I feel like if it stays that way I’m going to get better.”
He had three assists in the first four minutes of the game, and saved his best work for the end. On one fourth-quarter play he was falling out of bounds when he whipped a kick-out pass to Fournier at the left arc. In addition to his accuracy, Williams makes these decisions particularly quickly for a big man.
“It’s amazing to see the [Williams’s] growth and all the work that he’s put in from his first year,” Tatum said. “The difference that he makes just being out there on the floor, man, Rob is special. I love playing with him. He’s an underrated passer. I think that’s one of the best things that he does.”
▪ Brown left the game midway through the fourth quarter after appearing to bump knees with Rockets guard D.J. Augustin while going for a rebound and did not return. But Stevens said afterward he was fine.
▪ Fournier said that earlier in his career, he would often get distraught about his struggles and then ride the highs of his hot streaks. Then he realized that living on those extremes was simply not a healthy long-term approach.
So after scoring a total of 6 points on 3-for-16 shooting in his first two games with the Celtics, he mostly just shrugged and went back to the gym for extra work.
After he went 1 for 6 and appeared increasingly tentative through the first three quarters of Friday’s game it looked like his quiet stretch would continue and become even more of a talking point. It did not look like a night in which Fournier would set his career high for made 3-point shots, with seven.
But then he found space for an open three early in the fourth quarter, and he did not stop. He drilled his next four attempts over the next four minutes and added another at the 4:37 mark, helping Boston blow the game open. He had not looked comfortable over his first few games with the Celtics, but maybe he just needed a quarter like this one.
“That’s going to be my challenge, to understand how to play with the guys,” Fournier said. “I can do a lot of things on the court, but I’m a player and when I understand what I should be doing and when I can anticipate things, it makes me a lot better. Especially for a shooter, you can set yourself and get open easier, get more open. The more I understand what the guys are trying to do and how I’m going to get my shots, the better I’ll be able to perform.”
▪ The Celtics emphasis on the long ball rolled on in this game. They were 17 for 41 from beyond the 3-point arc, buoyed by Fournier’s late surge. Boston attempted 40 or more 3-pointers in just 5 of its first 36 games but has now reached that mark in 7 of its last 13.
▪ Marcus Smart disrupted Houston’s offense quite a bit, and at the other end of the floor he was a patient and poised facilitator. He finished with three steals and 10 assists.
Smart started the third quarter with a jolt, ripping the ball from Kevin Porter Jr. near midcourt for a steal that ignited a fast break, and later firing a three-quarter-court inbounds pass to Tatum for an open 3-pointer.
▪ It hasn’t translated into very many wins, but the Celtics have had plenty of free-throw luck recently. Over the last eight games, opponents have made just 128 of 207 foul shots against Boston, or 61.8 percent.
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.