10 takeaways from the Celtics’ rollercoaster win over the Jazz

#1 – A brand new lead down the drain

This Monday night time sport was one other reminder that there are not any days off within the NBA. You’re main by greater than 20 factors in opposition to a crew supposedly aiming for the primary decide… and you find yourself in a tie sport with three minutes to play.

How did this occur? Properly, as Joe Mazzulla talked about earlier than the sport, the Utah Jazz are a tricky crew to protect due to their fixed motion. Utah mounted its comeback by offense, placing up 39 factors within the fourth quarter.

#2 – With a heroic end

Regardless of a chaotic fourth quarter, the Boston Celtics turned it round when it mattered most. Up 104-103, Jrue Vacation grabbed the offensive rebound off a missed Jaylen Brown free throw. On the finish of the possession, he knocked down a nook three. It’s a small element, however first, he baited John Collins into considering he was heading to the dunker spot earlier than well relocating to the nook as quickly as Derrick White started his drive.

A few possessions later, Jaylen Brown pressured one other change onto Walker Kessler. This duel had been ongoing all sport, and up to now, Kessler had executed a stable job of slowing the Finals MVP down. Nonetheless, late within the sport, fatigue units in… however not for Jaylen Brown.

One other poster for JB, reminding everybody that he’s nonetheless the very best in-game dunker within the league. These two performs broke the Jazz’s momentum. On the subsequent possession, Utah turned the ball over, resulting in a Sam Hauser three that sealed the sport.

#3 – Sam Hauser’s flip to interrupt free

After Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, and Baylor Scheierman, it was Sam Hauser’s flip to set a brand new private file. After a quiet first half, he erupted for 28 factors within the second half, posting a ridiculous 88% True Capturing share.

A few of Hauser’s threes got here from well-designed play calls by the Celtics’ teaching workers. After a timeout, they ran a set the place Hauser set an off-ball display screen for Jaylen Brown in a zoom motion earlier than reducing towards the basket. Then, he shortly turned again and sprinted to the three-point line, utilizing a Queta display screen. What initially seemed like a play designed for Brown was really a setup to free Hauser on the wing.

Most of his pictures, nonetheless, got here from transition and pure motion. Hauser doesn’t at all times want a play drawn up for him to get open and punish the protection. He’s discovered transfer off the ball, each in transition and inside half-court possessions.

His sizzling taking pictures gave the Celtics a sufficiently big cushion to resist Utah’s offensive explosion.

#4 – Jrue Vacation matching up with Walker Kessler

This can be a traditional Joe Mazzulla transfer, placing Jrue Vacation on the opposing middle. Mazzulla loves experimenting with matchups, and by assigning Vacation to Kessler, the Celtics might maintain Kornet nearer to the rim whereas treating John Collins as a non-shooting risk.

Whereas Vacation can maintain his personal in opposition to Kessler within the publish, pick-and-roll protection turns into tougher. Kessler is a simple goal on the roll, making it tougher for the Celtics to include these actions.

Having Vacation on Kessler weakens pick-and-roll protection, forcing assist from the corners, one thing Mazzulla prefers to keep away from. The younger coach has made it clear that his defensive ideas deal with limiting rim makes an attempt and nook threes. Moreover, Vacation battling Kessler on box-outs created one other challenge: Utah’s offensive rebounding technique.

#5 – Working after the rebounds

The Celtics’ teaching workers knew the Jazz could be aggressive on the offensive glass. The scouting report confirmed that Utah is without doubt one of the finest offensive rebounding groups within the league. Their measurement and physicality make them tough to include after missed pictures. Plus, as a below-average offensive crew, second-chance alternatives assist them compensate for inefficiency.

Due to this method, Utah is weak in transition. In consequence, the Celtics pushed the tempo after rebounds greater than standard. In the course of the sport, they turned 32% of their defensive rebounds into shot makes an attempt, exceeding their standard charge of 23%.

When requested about it, Mazzulla downplayed any strategic adjustment, attributing the uptick in transition play to the variety of ball-handlers on the ground. Whatever the trigger, the Celtics exploited one in all Utah’s greatest weaknesses.

#6 – Jaylen Brown because the offensive chief

With Jayson Tatum out, Jaylen Brown was anticipated to steer the scoring cost. The sport didn’t begin properly, as he piled up missed pictures in isolation. Towards Walker Kessler and Cody Williams, Brown struggled to search out good spots and ended up taking tough pictures.

However being an offensive chief goes past isolation scoring. As we’ve seen this season, Brown has improved at discovering open teammates. His playmaking ratio (help charge divided by utilization charge) has elevated from the twenty seventh percentile amongst wings to the 54th. Final night time was one other nice instance of his progress.

Whether or not in transition or half-court conditions, Brown made up for his lack of scoring effectivity with sturdy playmaking. And when it mattered most, as mentioned earlier, he rose above Kessler for an important dunk that gave the Celtics a late lead.

#7 – Closing the corners

Similar to within the 2024 Finals in opposition to Dallas, the Celtics shut down the corners final night time in opposition to Utah. This might sound minor, however the Jazz generate the third-most nook threes within the league—and so they’re environment friendly from that zone. Nook threes typically come from defensive breakdowns that pressure assist rotations.

By staying in entrance of their man and executing sensible defensive rotations, the Celtics pressured Utah into taking extra mid-range pictures than standard. Take the play beneath, for instance. Derrick White stayed tight on Isaiah Collier, utilizing his hips and fast footwork to include the drive. Vacation, as a substitute of over-helping, positioned himself between the ball and the nook shooter, whereas Kornet dropped to guard the rim.

This positioning pressured John Collins to accept a contested mid-range jumper—the least environment friendly shot in basketball.

#8 – Baylor Scheierman’s influence

In simply 12 minutes, Baylor Scheierman reminded everybody he’s greater than only a shooter. He hustles consistently, and regardless of missing the size and athleticism of Jordan Walsh, his defensive positioning and timing are extra superior.

Past his effort and rebounding instincts, Scheierman displayed an incredible really feel for the sport. His deal with and passing capability enable him to make live-dribble passes, discovering open teammates in stride.

At 24 years previous, the rookie is already displaying indicators that he may be an impactful position participant on a profitable crew.

#9 – D-White’s 10 assists

What Derrick White does typically goes unnoticed. Final night time, he performed the purpose guard position to perfection, ending with 10 assists and only one turnover. He directed the offense like an old-school flooring normal, calmly studying performs and delivering passes the place they have been wanted.

Like Brown, White struggled along with his personal scoring however compensated by creating alternatives for teammates. His playmaking helped ignite Hauser’s large night time. With out Tatum, the expectation was that White, Brown, or Pritchard would step up as the first scorer—however as a substitute, Hauser stole the present, reinforcing the depth of this Celtics crew.

#10 – Sharpening the instruments earlier than Wednesday

Within the postgame press convention, Jaylen Brown mentioned that this time of yr is about sharpening instruments earlier than the playoffs. Up subsequent: Oklahoma Metropolis. An ideal take a look at to see how sharp the Celtics actually are.