1. We (he) did iiiiii…it!
That was massive time.
Jayson Tatum’s struggles with that actual sort of shot have been well-documented, and for me personally, it’s gotten to the purpose the place I don’t actually assume that 20-odd foot fadeaway goes in. However Tatum delivered, nailing this 21-footer with two guys closing out. And it was wonderful.
Sport-winners are an odd artwork. On one hand, I’d love if the Celtics ran the best set play of all time to get a large open shot for any of their 5 starters. However on the opposite, I’d a lot moderately have Jayson Tatum miss a sport winner than anybody else, as a result of that’s his duty and likewise his burden.
On some degree, and doubtless quite a lot of ranges, you need to reside and die along with your finest participant within the largest moments. Even when it’s not the most effective shot… there are good causes he retains taking them. He’s the most effective man Boston has, and it’s a shot I — and clearly the Celtics as nicely — have realized to reside with. As a result of generally, it’s fairly sick.
2. Jaylen Brown’s easy execution
It obtained misplaced within the precise sport winner, however Jaylen Brown hit a lowkey sport winner roughly 30 seconds earlier.
This doesn’t seem like that sophisticated a shot, however it’s an instance of the kind of late-game execution the Celtics have been missing these days. Brown sees the house afforded to him by three non-committal defenders, and assaults it instantly, attending to his spot with none hesitation.
The final month and alter of Celtics basketball has been stuffed with indecision and inconsistency. But irrespective of how a lot of a lead Boston needs that they had within the remaining seconds, wins and losses will all the time come right down to these sorts of photographs; discover what works, and go to it again and again. That’s what’s going to get this group out of their funk
3. Dejounte Murray’s harm and a extremely powerful Pelicans season
Dejounte Murray, the Pelicans’ massive free agent acquisition and most followers’ preseason reason-to-care-about-an-other-wise-unchanged-roster, suffered his second and remaining main harm of the 2024-25 marketing campaign, tearing his Achilles and endnoting a extremely, actually tough Pelicans season.
Each group struggles due to accidents, however generally the NBA produces a group so cursed that it results in an total downward spiral and to a document that, actually, simply doesn’t make sense. The Pelicans at the moment are 12-37, don’t have a snowball’s probability in a Louisiana summer time of constructing even within the Play-In and should must tear issues down on the commerce deadline. And so they simply misplaced one among their finest gamers, no less than on paper, to a season ending harm. Jeez.
That is why, in sports activities, “Championship Home windows” are sort of a fable. Everybody’s window opens when the season begins and closes after they get eradicated. You don’t essentially ever get one other crack at it, and the Pelicans hoping that issues would enhance naturally has been met with tragedy and entropy. It’s a merciless league.
4. Kristaps Porzingis: stat sheet stuffer
Did anybody even discover that Kristaps Porzingis was one block and two steals away from a “5×5 sport” — that means 5 or extra in 5 stats; blocks, steals, assists, rebounds, and factors. The final particular person to tug that off was Victor Wembanyama, and Porzingis crammed up the stat sheet with an total superior sport. Great things.
Everybody now and again, it’s good to remind ourselves that Porzingis is able to issues that different gamers simply aren’t. He’s so tall but so dextrous, and sneakily artful as a fringe defender with good instincts albeit actually lackluster footspeed. Had Zion Williamson performed and introduced his bodily traits towards Porzingis in switches, it might have been a special story. However no person on this roster made him work, and he was free to wreak havoc to his coronary heart’s content material.
5. Can we please get a rebound?
Right here’s the primary method to lose a basketball sport you’re presupposed to win: get crushed on the boards.
It wasn’t overwhelming, however the Pelicans have been +13 on Boston within the rebounding column, a regarding notice given they’re useless final in most rebounding classes on the season. However it’s not even like Boston is getting abused by rebounding titans like Domantas Sabonis or Anthony Davis (although they’re additionally getting that-ed by these individuals) — they’re additionally simply giving up free lunch like this.
In case you give Boston a 50 % probability of scoring on the following possession, these kinds of offensive rebounds are, every, roughly a 3.5 level swing. In a sport determined by two factors within the remaining 0.2 seconds, these sorts of issues can’t occur. However it’s actually been occurring these days…
The Celtics are fairly torpid going into the All-Star break. It’s comprehensible, and I’m not at my finest 24/7/365 both. However these rebounds are about snapping out of your trance and protecting your eye on the ball. They simply have to lock in. Fortunately, that’s a comparatively straightforward repair.
6. Derrick White, accumulator
White is slowly however certainly ascending into the Licensed Level Accumulator tier of the NBA participant social scene, usually racking up random buckets and free throws that I merely don’t bear in mind him taking all through a sport. That’s as a result of he’s develop into such a giant a part of the offense that I don’t blink when he makes a shot. That’s what’s presupposed to occur.
White had 16 factors on solely 9 photographs final night time, which is nice effectivity and precisely the sort of factor Boston wants from him going ahead. Seeing each he and Brown have strong capturing nights from three can be nice, and so they lacked the trademark “Extremely-Bricks” that they’ve been placing up these days; photographs that don’t also have a probability of getting into.
I’m monitoring who White can be for this group going into the stretch run. I nonetheless assume Jrue Vacation is a extra necessary participant on steadiness, however White is a barely extra dynamic scorer. If he can rating in bunches, that’s going to take a world of duty off of Payton Pritchard’s shoulders. Which is sweet for everybody concerned.
7. Two Pelicans Video games, two absolute nail-biters
When later generations search for “Celtics v. Pelicans year-by-year document” on the supercomputer AI search engine of the longer term, they’ll see 2024-25 recorded as a crisp 2-0 for the defending champs. Nothing in any respect to see right here…
These two wins have been recorded by an equally-crisp three whole factors, which appears unhealthy towards a banged up group that may’t appear to win any basketball video games. However whereas the primary sport was a win that felt like a loss, this was a win that truly felt like a strong victory. It was shut, however that was largely a operate of Takeaway #8’s otherworldly antics from past the arc. There was rather a lot to love there, and I give Boston a 7/10 for his or her final week of hoops, means up from the three/10 that was the three weeks earlier than that.
8. What within the Trey Murphy III was that
I really like Trey Murphy III. The man was so underrated as a shot creator final yr, though apparently not by his personal group that gave him a fairly superior 4 yr, $112 million contract, which could seem like a steal by the tip of this season. My man can hoop, and he virtually price the Celtics a sport that they had firmly in hand by hitting that sort of shot each time they have been about to shut issues out.
Murphy III dropped 40 factors on solely 20 photographs and 8-12 from three and solely three whole free throws. That’s like… fictional effectivity in a world the place most 40 bombs come from the mental disciples of prime James Harden, the place 40-odd photographs and 20 free throws is normal.
If we’re going by New Orleans’ roster, is Trey Murphy III the most effective asset on the group now? Is Zion Williamson really extra useful as of late, along with his contract and the easy indisputable fact that he doesn’t actually play all that a lot basketball? Murphy III is at worst a super-duper shut second, and I’d enterprise to say the Pelicans would moderately preserve him than Williamson. It’s a terrific story for a man most thought would simply be a premium 3-and-D dunker. He’s means higher than that.
9. Six extra video games till respite. Lock in
It’s not surprising that the Celtics are drained after, like… their sixth tremendous lengthy season in a row, with this remaining one ending on the final sport of the season. However there’s solely six video games till the All-Star break, and one very-important Cleveland Cavaliers sport that I might love Boston to make use of to take the Japanese Convention mantle again. So it’s time to lock in.
If Boston can journey the truth that Tatum lastly made a sport winner and sweep these final six video games — which they’re completely able to doing — they’ll be the speak of the city going into the league’s necessary relaxation interval, and make groups that felt daring cower in worry of the reigning champions.
I wager this final week and alter received’t go common; it’ll most likely go actually nice or completely horribly, and we’ll all have completely enjoyable or completely unfun conversations whereas Brown and Tatum are within the ASG. I’ll cross my fingers it’s the previous.
10. The place does this group stand?
Boston was in a rut, however now they’re simply in mile 12 of the half-marathon that’s the first half of the season. Certain, they must run one other half-marathon proper after the break, however they will get some water and electrolytes earlier than persevering with. It’s now not DEFCON 1, however I nonetheless have a couple of questions.
Are the Celtics the favorites to win the East proper now? In all probability, although the Cavaliers have made it extra fascinating than I believed they’d. However who is definitely taking Cleveland in a collection towards Boston? You? Do you need to?
Are they the favorites to win all of it proper now? In all probability not. I’m not saying they received’t be by the point we hit April, however the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder appear prohibitively good for the time being, displaying the sort of dominance that we used to indicate final season. Is that going to inspire Boston to get again to that degree? Or will they simply file OKC within the “Western Convention issues we don’t want to consider” cupboard?
This group is clearly good, however I’m nonetheless not offered on them being ok. I do know they are often, and I don’t assume they’re lacking something important. All of it feels very psychological, and I’m cautiously optimistic they’re beginning to flip the nook again to what we have been all used to: elite Celtics basketball.
