10 takeaways from the Celtics figuring things out in Florida

#1 – Al Horford, the winner

He’s the oldest man on the court docket, however he may additionally be the most important winner. Al Horford recorded 5 blocks final evening, becoming a member of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

His affect on protection was super. He was in a position to cope with the 2 younger stars, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, however was additionally essential within the assist place. His capacity to each defend ball-handlers and be a disruptive rim protector, nonetheless at 38 years outdated, is simply wonderful.

He takes this collection very critically, defending his teammates in any respect prices since Recreation 1 when KCP took down Jayson Tatum. Final evening once more, he stepped up and calmed down Wendell Carter Jr. after a tough foul.

The offensive rebound he grabbed late within the fourth is perhaps essentially the most spectacular offensive play, however his connecting capacity and capability to stretch the ground had been additionally essential for the Celtics’ win. Like Joe Mazzulla mentioned, there needs to be a boxscore for the issues Al Horford does so we might all admire it.

#2 – Getting Porzingis to the rim

The Celtics’ massive man has been struggling to shoot from three and to transform from the post-up. So, as a substitute of insisting, the Celtics tailored the way in which they use him on offense. Whereas he is a superb shooter for his measurement, he may also play as a typical rim runner. His screens are ok, and his capturing risk makes defenses assume twice about their protection.

As a result of he stretches the ground so nicely, he may also be used as a cutter from the weak aspect. The Magic alternate their defensive protection from switching to doubling on the ball. When that occurs, he provides area within the short-roll zone across the free-throw line. Al Horford is superb in that scenario. Due to Porzingis’ top, he’s a simple goal on such actions from the short-roll.

And when all these dunks and layups pile up, the arrogance is again and the photographs begin falling once more. Glad to see the large man feeling himself.

#3 – Jayson Tatum making the celebrity photographs

The Magic defenders are taking away the three-pointers and making it laborious to get to the rim. What’s left? The 2-pointers, the post-ups, and the mismatch looking. Excellent news: the Celtics’ go-to man can deal with all of that. To begin the sport, the offense wasn’t going wherever, so Jayson Tatum took his accountability and scored 10 factors within the first quarter.

The Magic protection is assured and received’t ship assist. They’re forcing the Celtics to do what they often don’t. In a daily sport, the workforce would begin to ship assistance on the post-up and isolation from Jayson Tatum, however not the Magic. So, Tatum needed to do what he loves: play one-on-one basketball and take celebrity photographs.

What labored nicely to begin the sport additionally saved the Celtics from one other disappointment on the finish, with a primary post-up transfer over the previous Duke participant.

Slightly bit later, he was ready to attract a foul from three. He shot 9 free throws in the course of the fourth and scored or assisted 18 of the Celtics’ 18 factors. A dominant efficiency from the Celtics’ go-to man in a much-needed win on the highway.

#4 – Combating for the margin

Each possession appears to be a brand new battle for the Celtics towards this Magic workforce. This causes quite a lot of powerful photographs, and the capturing effectivity has by no means been this low. Boston’s eFG% dropped from 56% within the common season all the way down to a bit of larger than 50% towards the Magic within the postseason. Nonetheless, extra misses give extra alternatives for offensive rebounds.

On the finish of the sport, when it nonetheless felt prefer it might go each methods, two offensive rebounds helped save the day. First, it was the final word winner, Al Horford, who fought and received his battle towards Franz Wagner beneath the basket. This much-needed offensive rebound was changed into two factors by Derrick White.

Then, right here comes Payton Pritchard, who was as soon as once more in a position to go above his matchup and get the much-needed offensive rebound to increase a clutch possession. On the opposite finish, the Celtics did their greatest to restrict the Magic’s offensive rebound surge, which helped them win in Recreation 3. Joe Mazzulla repeated in the course of the press convention after the sport how a lot they “held them to at least one shot.”

As soon as once more, the margin mattered, and the Celtics fought laborious for it.

#5 – Solely two turnovers within the final 24 minutes

Lastly, after three and a half video games, the Celtics had been again to being the most effective at caring for the ball. They had been in a position to restrict the Magic protection to solely two compelled turnovers. However, it additionally says so much in regards to the offense that the Celtics had been working.

Many of the made buckets and fouls drawn had been from isolation and post-up. The ball didn’t transfer so much, with solely 5 assists within the final 24 minutes. However that’s what the Celtics can do. The extent of expertise is so excessive that, as a substitute of taking an excessive amount of danger with ball motion, the Celtics had been in a position to beat the Magic gamers one-vs-one.

This isn’t fairly basketball, but it surely works, and that’s what the Playoffs are all about. Nonetheless, Joe Mazzulla and his teaching employees gave us a few good play-calls throughout that second half.

#6 – Good play-call off the TO

These two play-calls had been constructed round Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, and Kristaps Porzingis. The primary one which stood out resulted in a three-pointer for D-White. He first began with the ball in his fingers, then gave it to Tatum on the slot. After that, he ran to the paint to set a cross-screen for Porzingis.

However that’s a bait. The true risk is after Payton Pritchard units a display for White — a pindown display so the guard can run again to the three-point line and discover himself open. Lovely name by the teaching employees.

Slightly bit later within the fourth, after a timeout, the Celtics ran one other good play, this time for Porzingis. At first, it seems to be like a basic handoff motion on the prime for Tatum and Porzingis, however as soon as the Latvian massive man gave the ball away, he ran to the paint utilizing White’s again display on his matchup. That set him free on the rim and gave him sufficient time to overlook the primary try and make the putback.

In a second half the place the offense was caught in an isolation circle, these two performs gave the Celtics some ball motion and created 5 decisive factors.

#7 – Boston pushing the tempo

Regardless of not shifting the ball so much, the Celtics pushed the tempo within the second quarter. Typically, after a make or a miss, you may discover how rapidly the Celtics had been making an attempt to get into motion.

The ferocious protection from the strategy is much less prone to be ready in transition or semi-transition, so the Celtics performed as quick as potential.

From defensive rebound transition, the Celtics scored on a formidable 1.55 factors per possession effectivity, which gave them the enhance they wanted to recover from the hump. Plus, taking part in quick could make the protection make errors — and the Magic did quite a bit.

#8 – Making them pay for fouling

Certainly, the Magic’s overly aggressive protection is beginning to flip towards them and is perhaps the explanation they misplaced final evening. The Celtics shot extra on the free-throw line than past the three-point line, very uncommon.

Due to their aggressiveness, the Magic made the Celtics be within the bonus manner too typically, and manner too early within the fourth. This inspired Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to search for fouls, which they did. We observed within the preview that free throws may very well be a turning level. Nicely, it was the case final evening for the Celtics.

#9 – Once more a zone to finish 1 / 4

In my newest on Porzingis’ defensive struggles, I used to be suggesting the Celtics might return to a zone protection typically to disrupt the offensive circulation, and so they did so. An instance beneath the place they began in a 2-3 zone.

What is essential for a zone protection is its capacity to adapt to the matchup and switch into a person protection later within the possession when wanted. The Clippers are doing that very nicely, for instance. Subsequently, relying on the pliability and flexibility of the gamers on the court docket, it’s both higher to remain in a zone or to show right into a matchup protection.

The Celtics began the possession nicely however obtained caught by a baseline reduce from Caleb Houstan. Luke Kornet couldn’t sustain, and that’s on Jayson Tatum to anticipate. However there was a miscommunication that ended up in an open three.

#10 – Time to shut the collection

The Magic received’t stop and can come to TD Backyard with the identical vitality. They aren’t afraid to foul or to harm. Final evening once more, Jayson Tatum ended up on the ground manner too typically for a participant that also has an NBA Finals to win. The Celtics should win sooner relatively than later to get some relaxation earlier than the following battles.