#1 – Bench profitable minutes
Towards the perfect crew within the East, the Celtics received the minutes with out their beginning 5. The capturing from Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser, mixed with the dimensions of Luke Kornet and Al Horford, made the distinction the Celtics wanted to take management of the sport.
The Cavaliers’ bench, led by Georges Niang and Sam Merrill, couldn’t sustain offensively and failed defensively. Whereas the Celtics’ bench scored 29 factors and delivered 8 assists, additionally they managed to decelerate the Cavaliers’ scoring. Utilizing a double-big lineup within the first half with Horford and Kornet, the Celtics generated turnovers and transition alternatives.
Boston’s lack of depth was typically a sizzling matter of dialogue final yr. But, this season, the Celtics’ bench has carried out higher than anticipated, because of Payton Pritchard’s enhancements and Luke Kornet’s offensive development. On the identical time, Horford continues to affect the sport on each ends.
The Celtics will want this group to remain wholesome as a result of, in high-level video games like this, the distinction can come throughout the minutes when the bench gamers take over.
#2 – Porzingis’ defensive masterclass
With Kristaps Porzingis on the ground, the Cavaliers scored solely 102 factors per 100 possessions, far under their 123 offensive score this season. The Latvian huge man stepped up in a serious method. He slowed down Evan Mobley (7 factors on 24% true capturing) and disrupted the Cavaliers’ effectivity on the rim. Cleveland completed with a 55% area purpose share on the rim final evening, effectively under their season common of 67%.
As Jayson Tatum matched up with Jarrett Allen, Porzingis was in a position to keep close to the rim and supply assist when wanted. Evan Mobley, in contrast to Alperen Sengun, wasn’t in a position to put up up and dominate Porzingis bodily. In consequence, the Cavaliers struggled to assault him. Maybe they might have used Mobley’s screening recreation extra typically to carry Porzingis greater on the ground and away from the rim.
Porzingis additionally had energetic arms within the passing lanes, anticipating the place the ball was going and producing turnovers. His size and basketball IQ don’t simply assist on the rim—he is usually a main disruptor in passing lanes too. Within the video under, Porzingis reads the play and is aware of the place Garland is about to ship the ball, as this can be a basic motion from the Cavaliers this season:
Porzingis’ defensive affect since his return has been great. When he’s on the ground, the Celtics permit simply 58% effectivity on the rim, top-of-the-line rim-protection impacts within the league.
#3 – 9/29 from mid-range
The Cavaliers are additionally an elite rim-protection crew, they usually have been in a position to restrict the Celtics’ rim stress. Final evening in Cleveland, Joe Mazzulla’s crew took 29 mid-range pictures, together with 15 from lengthy mid-range. This is without doubt one of the highest mid-range volumes of the season for the Celtics and confirms a latest pattern: Boston is leaning extra towards the mid-range.
The difficulty is that many of those have been contested mid-range pictures, and the Celtics struggled from that space. The Cavaliers’ size bothered Porzingis’ post-up recreation, stopping him from producing the same old straightforward factors. On prime of that, Jaylen Brown had an off evening, enjoying fewer than half-hour whereas selecting up 5 fouls and 5 turnovers. The Celtics’ traditional mid-range murderer couldn’t assist, which can clarify why they struggled in that zone.
This mid-range quantity may very well be regarding as a result of it doesn’t align with the Celtics’ traditional offensive DNA. It’s arduous to consider the Celtics have deliberately shifted towards a much less environment friendly shot profile, so the query stays: what options can they discover to generate extra pictures on the rim? Will there be a commerce? A change within the beginning lineup?
#4 – Dominating the glass
One of many options the Celtics discovered was sending two bigs in opposition to the Cavaliers’ bench lineup. Each time Jarrett Allen or Evan Mobley was out, the Celtics performed with two bigs and despatched a number of gamers to crash the offensive glass.
Because of this strategy, the Celtics grabbed 33% of their missed pictures and have been in a position to generate extra shot makes an attempt than Cleveland. Moreover, after an offensive rebound, the ball was nearer to the rim, permitting the Celtics to lastly try pictures within the paint—an space they initially struggled to assault.
#5 – Luke Kornet’s brief roll
Talking of double-big lineups, Luke Kornet’s short-roll play was key to getting the offense going within the first half. His screens pressured the Cavaliers’ protection to commit two defenders to the ball-handler momentarily, permitting Kornet to function in a 4-on-3 state of affairs.
Following a Kornet display screen, the Celtics’ gamers briefly shaped a diamond form—two shooters on the wings and a participant within the dunker spot. This 4-on-3 state of affairs stretched the protection, forcing the Cavaliers to select and depart somebody open.
Because of this Luke Kornet has performed a lot this season. He has turn out to be an excellent connector, serving to the offense circulate when opponents aggressively stress the ball-handler.
#6 – Boston vs. the Cavs’ zone
Just like the 76ers within the earlier recreation, the Cavs additionally tried a zone protection to decelerate the Celtics. This time, Boston was prepared for it. One of many keys to breaking a zone is initiating offense shortly. Since a zone requires defenders to be correctly positioned to cowl area successfully, pushing the tempo can forestall them from organising correctly.
As soon as the tempo is established, motion is essential. A zone protection strikes as a unified block, so forcing it from one facet to the opposite can disrupt its construction till it breaks. One other approach to break a 2-3 zone is by attacking the center, the place no defender is initially stationed. By inserting the ball on this hole, one defender is pressured to go away his place, breaking the alignment.
The Celtics executed these fundamental ideas, retaining their offense fluid in opposition to the Cavaliers and sustaining their lead till the ultimate buzzer.
#7 – Adapting to the Jrue Vacation therapy
Within the second half, the Cavaliers defended Jrue Vacation as a non-shooting risk, placing Jarrett Allen on him. This pressured the Celtics to regulate, however they tailored shortly. An early instance got here when Jayson Tatum acknowledged a tender hedge on the ball and handed to the facet as an alternative of instantly hitting the curler.
Nonetheless, it was robust for the Celtics to search out offensive rhythm with Vacation on the ground. Since he wasn’t being guarded off-ball and struggled to create with the ball in his arms, the Celtics closed the sport with out him. Jaylen Brown was additionally sidelined with 5 fouls, leaving Al Horford and Payton Pritchard on the ground for the closing minutes.
#8 – Tatum and Porzingis to shut the third
To shut the third quarter, the Celtics went old-school and spammed the pick-and-roll with Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis… and it WORKED. Over the ultimate 5 minutes of the quarter, the Celtics scored 18 factors utilizing this motion.
Due to Tatum and Porzingis’ capability to take advantage of mismatches, shoot, or drive, this pick-and-roll is sort of inconceivable to cease. In addition they blended in faux handoffs and misdirection to maintain the protection guessing.
This elevated reliance on the pick-and-roll may open up new potentialities for the Celtics’ offense shifting ahead.
#9 – Derrick White to shut the fourth
After Tatum and Porzingis closed the third, Derrick White stepped up within the fourth. With Jaylen Brown fouled out and Jrue Vacation sidelined as a result of Cavaliers’ defensive scheme, White took over.
Within the last minutes, he scored 8 fast factors and sealed the sport. His jumpers gave the Celtics the ultimate push they wanted. Alongside Tatum, he managed the clock, slowing the tempo to suffocate the Cavs’ protection late in possessions. Chilly-blooded.
#10 – Celtics are touring effectively
The Celtics at the moment are 20-6 on the highway, handing Cleveland simply their fourth house lack of the season. Whereas Boston has had some struggles at house, they proceed to dominate away from TD Backyard. This win tightens the hole between the Celtics and Cavaliers within the standings.
