Kelly Olynyk Was the Celtics' Clearcut MVP in Game 7
On yesterday's episode of The Ringer NBA Show, The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor insisted that the Boston Celtics bench would be that deciding factor in the Celtics' decisive Game 7 against the Washington Wizards. He wasn't talking about them as a group, nor was he confining himself to one player, but rather he cited Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier and Kelly Olynyk as potential game changers.
Well played, Kevin.
It wasn't a streaky shooting night from Smart, nor was it an impact game from Rozier, but rather an offensive onslaught courtesy of the unlikely Olynyk.
In the best game of his professional career, Olynyk scored 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting in 28 minutes. He hit 2 of 6 three-point attempts, while also contributing 5 rebounds and 4 assists to the box score.
Olynyk's presence was particularly felt down the stretch, as he accounted for 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting in the fourth quarter.
This uber-efficient shooting translated to a big-time impact during the game's most critical juncture. According to numberFire Live (our in-game win probability platform), Olynyk's scoring efforts were key to Boston's 115-105 victory over the Washington Wizards.
| Time Remaining | Play Type | Win Prob. Added |
|---|---|---|
| 10:29 | Two Made Free Throws | 2.27% |
| 7:10 | Made 2-Point Jumper | 3.31% |
| 6:30 | Made 3-Point Jumper | 6.31% |
| 5:56 | Made Layup | 4.58% |
| 4:19 | Made Layup | 3.26% |
| 3:27 | Made 3-Point Jumper | 4.82% |
| Totals: | Six Scoring Plays | 24.55% |
Olynyk's game-high nERD (36.38) confirms our findings. The player ranking is a measure of Olynyk's overall contributions based on his efficiency -- which, as we've seen, was off the charts.
At the same time, Olynyk's rating of 86 (on a scale of 0 to 100) for the game was better than all players -- teammate Isaiah Thomas (71) included -- and earned him MVP honors in the closeout game.
