Tuesday’s 118-106 win over the Denver Nuggets capped off a four-game street journey out west for the Boston Celtics. The Cs logged a 3-1 report, falling solely to the 30-5 Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder.
I believe in the event you advised Celtics followers that the staff would fare this fashion when the NBA launched its schedule again in August, they’d really feel fairly proud of it. Hell, in the event you advised them {that a} week in the past, they’d react the identical. Taking three of 4 from a trio of Western Convention heavies on the street, plus an up-and-coming Houston Rockets staff is not any joke (even when Nikola Jokic didn’t play for the Nuggets).
The timing of this stretch was ultimate.
Boston had simply limped by way of December, dropping a handful of winnable video games on their approach to an 8-6 report. They wanted a bounce-back like this. Not solely did they bounce again within the win column, however they merely took some strides ahead in some essential areas.
How about some protection?
Maybe the biggest looming query after that lackluster December was in regards to the Celtics’ protection. After each loss, Joe Mazzulla would take the rostrum and be questioned about his staff’s effort ranges and give attention to that aspect of the ball.
The person in cost didn’t fully give his staff a go, however did shine some gentle on the chance that they had been in a droop and the bounces weren’t going their approach regardless of a strong effort.
Requested Joe Mazzulla if he feels when groups battle on offense, it’s seen as a droop, however different issues are inherently seen as a matter of effort:
“That’s the most profound assertion in my three years, is what you simply mentioned.”
“Me and you will develop in our relationship.” pic.twitter.com/sp71tk0D2b
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) December 31, 2024
“It’s so simple responsible effort versus ‘simply make a shot,’” Mazzulla advised reporters forward of the New 12 months’s Eve win over the Toronto Raptors. “As a result of our anticipated protection is No. 1 within the final 10 video games, and our layup proportion protection is No. 1 within the final 10 video games, and our anticipated factors per shot protection is like No. 3 within the final 10 video games. However you realize what our 3-point proportion is? It’s twenty eighth… We do must play higher, although, on each ends of the ground. Let me be very clear. There’s 10 to 12 possessions per sport the place we completely must be higher on the defensive finish of the ground. I need to make certain I’m 100% clear on that. However it is rather, very simple when issues aren’t going nicely responsible protection and energy.”
The Celtics packed that effort up and introduced it out west with them, for certain. Aside from the opening sport towards the Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston held every staff to at the least 10 fewer factors than their season averages.
In the course of the four-game span, they allowed the fewest area objectives per sport within the league at 33 and the fifth-lowest field-goal proportion at 44%.
Even within the sport the place they allowed Minnesota to place up 115 factors, the Celtics left star guard Anthony Edwards in shambles. After his staff fell to the reigning champs, Edwards ranted to reporters about how Boston made him play a extra passive sport, reasonably than permitting him to be the staff’s main scorer.
“It’s not how I need to play, in fact,” he mentioned. “I’m solely 23, I don’t wanna simply be passing the ball all evening… However the best way they’re guarding me, I believe I’ve to.”
Edwards added that it was “tremendous arduous” to remain engaged because the Cs successfully took the ball out of his fingers.
Quite the opposite, Boston managed to remain engaged on protection, regardless of struggling to attain the ball. They averaged simply 109 factors per sport on this street journey, a complete rating within the backside third of the league in the course of the four-game span.
With out the robust defensive displaying, the outcomes out west may’ve been totally different.
KP cleared for takeoff?
Kristaps Porzingis shined in Denver on Tuesday evening. He logged his first double-double of the season with 25 factors on an environment friendly 9-18 from the sphere to go together with 11 rebounds.
“I believe the power that he performed with tonight on each ends, that block on DJ [DeAndre Jordan], and the power he performed with on the offensive finish: drawing fouls, attacking the mismatches, getting offensive rebounds,” mentioned Jayson Tatum of Porzingis’ play. “He had a few put-back dunks.
I believe that actually helped us separate [in] the sport and altered the momentum. So, the best way he performed tonight was a lot wanted.”
When Porzingis is sweet, he’s actually good and a professional game-changer for the reigning champions.
Sadly for the Cs, the Latvian large man hasn’t fairly been himself.
It’s been a shaky begin for KP since his return from offseason surgical procedure. Don’t get me mistaken, he’s been effective however hasn’t fairly been the kind of man who’s “modified the momentum,” as Tatum put it, as ceaselessly — not but.
He additionally simply hasn’t been capable of keep wholesome. Up to now within the 2024-25 marketing campaign, he’s already sustained 4 totally different accidents since returning, the newest of which had sidelined him up till final Friday’s sport in Houston.
Porzingis netted 11 factors in his return to the lineup, serving to Boston to a blowout win over the Rockets.
Once more, on no account was it a “dangerous sport,” however it’s one other instance of how the frequent accidents have stored KP on the tarmac as he awaits takeoff towards his true type.
This previous street journey may very well be the stretch that’s lastly waved him in the direction of the runway.
Regardless of the loss in OKC on Sunday, Porzingis impacted the sport on a number of ranges. He supplied a powerful scoring punch with 19 factors on 6-12, however sadly went chilly (as did your entire staff) within the second half. Even so, he made his presence recognized.
KP performed with a hearth that we hadn’t gotten to see a lot of this yr. He was hitting the glass arduous, working in transition, and even hustling after free balls to get the Cs some much-needed further possessions.
For him, the problem of getting his sharpness nonetheless looms, however is an attainable purpose.
“I’ve to play my approach again into good condition, after which, clearly, I can exert extra vitality on issues. However I do know that is what everyone expects from me; that is what I confirmed final season.
“And now, I’m simply working my approach again up, and actually, tonight was, for my part, one of many first video games that I felt like I’m getting near feeling wholesome, feeling good, and getting again in good condition.”
Beware of wear and tear and tear
Alright, so, this may sound like an annoying coping mechanism, however I really really feel it’s received some legs.
Boston’s scoring was within the backside third of the NBA throughout this journey. They’ve been inconsistent taking pictures the ball for a big a part of the final month and it’s damage them.
Jaylen Brown, Jrue Vacation, Sam Hauser, and Porzingis have all regressed of their effectivity this season. Coincidentally, all of those guys have been coping with accidents. Vacation missed time with some knee points and just lately had an issue together with his shoulder. For Brown, it’s been his hip and shoulder. Hauser has had again points.
When guys are out on the ground enjoying by way of ache, it may be simple to overlook that they’re doing simply that — enjoying by way of ache. It’s going to have an effect on their video games till they’re capable of get proper and we’ve gotten a take a look at that in current outings on each ends of the spectrum.
Vacation is trying increasingly more snug with every sport again. In Denver, he scored 19 factors and dished out seven assists. The veteran guard additionally had his fingerprints throughout Boston’s game-sealing fourth-quarter run, as he made profitable play after profitable play.
Hauser has been fairly inconsistent this season by his requirements, however put collectively just a few spectacular taking pictures performances out west.
In the meantime, Brown has proven flashes of dominance however hasn’t been capable of put collectively a full sport of it, since getting back from his shoulder damage on Sunday. He began off pink sizzling in OKC, went ghost within the second half, then didn’t rating within the opening half in Denver, earlier than ending robust.
He’ll get there, however it’s clear that he’s going by way of the identical factor that a few of his teammates have handled — readjustment.
Nagging accidents are simply going to be a factor with this Celtics staff. They’ve received a bunch of gamers who’ve performed deep into the playoffs yr after yr, to not point out that Tatum, White, and Vacation suited up for Workforce USA on the Paris Olympics.
The essential factor is for the staff to proceed constructing in the direction of being their finest when the playoffs roll round. Their most-daunting journey of the yr might have been the proper first step in the direction of that purpose.
