LAS VEGAS \u2014 The Celtics\u2019 unbeaten run at the NBA Summer League came to an end Monday with a 102-90 loss to the Atlanta Hawks at the Pavilion:<\/p>\n
Here are four takeaways from Boston\u2019s third game in Vegas:<\/p>\n
1. Gonzalez, Williams sit<\/p>\n
The Celtics rested two of their returning players, sitting Hugo Gonzalez and Amari Williams on the second day of a back-to-back. Both started the first two Summer League games.<\/p>\n
Gonzalez, who led all Celtics Summer Leaguers in minutes against Toronto and Charlotte, has played with his trademark energy in Las Vegas, but he\u2019s struggled to find a rhythm offensively. He\u2019s shooting 23.1% from the field (6-for-26) and 22.2% from 3-point range (4-for-18) in the tournament with 12 assists and eight turnovers.<\/p>\n
Williams starred in the opener against the Raptors (23 points on 7-of-9, 13 rebounds, two blocks) but registered nearly as many turnovers (five) as points (six) against the Hornets.<\/p>\n
Unlike most of the Summer C\u2019s, Gonzalez and Williams are on season-long contracts (the former\u2019s a standard NBA deal, the latter\u2019s a two-way). First-round rookie Chris Cenac Jr. is the only other signed player in the squad.<\/p>\n
Asked whether Gonzalez or Williams would play Wednesday against Sacramento, Summer League head coach Amile Jefferson replied: \u201cI hope so.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will be better if they do,\u201d he said. \u201cIf they\u2019re out there, it\u2019ll be a big help for our team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cenac and Tucker DeVries \u2014 an undrafted wing out of Indiana on an Exhibit-10 tryout contract \u2014 replaced the two second-year pros in the starting lineup.<\/p>\n
2. Tale of halves for Cenac<\/p>\n
The first half of this game was the worst stretch of Cenac\u2019s nascent Celtics career. The rookie big man struggled in his matchup with Hawks counterpart Henri Veesaar, was a step slow in his help defense rotations and had multiple shots blocked at the rim.<\/p>\n
The second half was a much stronger showing from the 19-year-old.<\/p>\n
Cenac played with more confidence at both ends. He scored eight straight Celtics points to open the third quarter, drawing a Veesaar foul on one possession and finishing a putback dunk on another. Later in the quarter, he blocked three shots, including two in a 10-second span. The second sprang Dillon Mitchell for a fast-break layup.<\/p>\n
There still were hiccups \u2014 Cenac was whistled for an illegal screen and botched another dunk attempt \u2014 but the first-rounder did well to salvage what initially looked like an ugly outing. He finished with a team-high 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting, five rebounds, four blocks and five turnovers in 20 minutes.<\/p>\n
Cenac, who isn\u2019t expected to be an immediate contributor for Boston this season, said becoming a stronger rim protector has been one of his summer priorities. He\u2019s already showing improvement there: After blocking just 18 shots as a Houston freshman last season, he already has nine in three Summer League games.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s something that they\u2019ve been preaching to me since I\u2019ve gotten here that I need to do,\u201d Cenac said. \u201cAnd I\u2019m the player that\u2019s going to do whatever it takes, whatever the organization needs me to do, so that\u2019s something I\u2019m emphasizing in my game while I\u2019m on the court.\u201d<\/p>\n
Veesaar, a popular Celtics mock draft pick before he fell to Atlanta at No. 52, put up 20 points on 7-of-11.<\/p>\n
3. Tryout players quiet<\/p>\n
Boston entered Summer League with two open two-way slots and one opening on its 15-man roster. The top candidates to fill those vacancies saw plenty of playing time Monday, but all turned in unremarkable performances.<\/p>\n