After two days off, the Celtics strolled on to the San Antonio River Stroll for a 121-111 win over the Spurs. Payton Pritchard and Al Horford sat this one out, Jayson Tatum returned for a close to triple double with 29 factors, and Luke Kornet completed with a 15-16 double-double.
Let’s keep in mind the Alamo.
Porzingis roll vs. pop
As CelticsBlog’s Azad Rosay has famous, Porzingis’ utilization is approach up during the last month. His function has modified and he’s had the ball in his palms extra as a play initiator slightly than a play finisher as he’s come again from harm whereas different starters have missed video games in March.
Nevertheless, he’s nonetheless a nightmare in basketball’s most simple play: the pick-and-roll/pop. It’s the quickest method to create a mismatch or drawback and exploit it instantly.
To open the sport, Porzingis and Jrue Vacation run a easy off-ball motion that frees him up for an open 3.
Later, it’s Jayson Tatum working Stockton-to-Malone to Porzingis on the roll. Generally, it’s simply that simple.
JB’s knees
After hitting the deck early within the first quarter, Jaylen Brown winced and rubbed his left knee. He was gradual to stand up and limped it off, however stayed within the recreation. He nonetheless seems a bit gimpy with that bone bruise, however he completed the ultimate body robust with six factors and two assists within the fourth.
Brown is at his finest when he’s aggressive and attacking the rim, however each time he takes a spill like that, I’m going to carry my breath to see if he will get up.
He’ll must play in six of the ultimate eight video games to be eligible for awards season. The Celtics will mainly play each different night time for the remainder of the common season exterior of a back-to-back in New York and Orlando to shut out their highway schedule. If the group can afford to, you may guess he’ll sit two whereas underneath his present minutes restriction.
He completed with 14 factors (6-of-9 from the sector) and 4 assists in just below half-hour. Notably, he didn’t end the sport with Mazzulla electing to shut out with Luke Kornet and the double huge lineup.
Vacation nook threes
Final season, Vacation hit 55-of-91 of his nook balls from behind the arc. Nevertheless, earlier than hitting the ground at Frost Financial institution Middle, he had hit simply 26-of-97 after being King of the Nook in the course of the championship run.
He’s scuffling this season, taking pictures simply 34.4% from 3. That’s a five-year low for the 15-year vet. Final night time, he hit 5-of-7 together with 2-of-3 from the nook. After lacking 9 of 12 in February and March with a shoulder impingement and mallet finger, Vacation has seemed rejuvenated with a handful of scoring outbursts. In opposition to the younger Spurs, he had 21-6-6 as he tunes up for the postseason.
Skywalker vibes
With Payton Pritchard out with a hip harm, Baylor Scheierman continued to get some run with the large membership. In just below nineteen minutes, he made two of his 4 three-point makes an attempt and was usually a web impartial on the ground.
For Scheierman to proceed to get minutes to shut out his rookie season, he’ll must carry on defending and reduce out errors, hit pictures (18-of-38 from behind the arc within the final 9 video games), and play the fitting approach. Which means making fast selections within the pure movement of the sport.
This appears easy, however Scheierman has shortly proven a knack of figuring out of the nook, studying the protection, and taking the short shot or driving the ball with a purpose to compromise the protection once more.
He’s prone to searching the spotlight play, as a result of, nicely, he’s recorded just a few already. Finishing “that’s a steal by Hen” and a Rondo is shortly filling out his Pistol Pete resume. We’ll forgive the rookie for a turnover right here and there if he retains developing with these callbacks.
Double bigs
To start out the third quarter, the Celtics flexed a double huge lineup with Kristaps Porzingis paired with Luke Kornet they usually rattled off an 11-5 run to push the result in 15. Had Al Horford been within the combine, we would have seen much more than this in opposition to a Spurs group with none appreciable dimension within the frontcourt.
Each bigs like to go, in order quickly as both will get a mismatch or attracts a double, they’re each nice at chopping, notably Kornet, and ending on the rim.
Porzingis acquired into foul bother and once more with no Horford, we didn’t see the pairing once more till 3:43 left within the recreation. Curiously, Mazzulla closed with Kornet slightly than Brown, however contemplating Brown’s knee (see above) and a extra defensive, half-court look, it made sense.
The barrage
Like Boston (48.3 3FGAs per recreation), San Antonio tries to stand up a bunch of three-pointers (39.6), too. Nevertheless, like with the whole lot Joe, it’s all in regards to the margins. The Celtics enable 36.8 tried threes to opposing groups (an 11.5 margin) whereas the Spurs quit simply 0.9 fewer than they take. When you’re going to compete in opposition to Mazzulla Ball, you need to actually intensify your benefits.
On Saturday night time, the Celtics did a greater job taking and limiting three-pointers. They didn’t precisely shoot the ball nicely (17-of-51 for 33%), however holding the Spurs to 14-of-40 and profitable that battle by 9 factors ended up being the distinction.
Kornet offensive rebounds
In his postgame interview, Kornet, who completed a team-high +21, credited his highschool coach for his career-high 7 offensive rebounds, saying, “I took geometry in highschool. Shout out to Coach Scofield, relaxation in peace. , angles, trig, alternate and inside angles theorem, that form of stuff.”
By no means change, Luke.
Magic quantity
With the win, the Celtics clinched at the least the #2 seed within the East and the Atlantic Division. It marks the fourth season in a row that the Celtics have gained their division and completed first and second within the convention.
They’re 55-19 and extra impressively, have a 31-7 document on the highway and nonetheless have a shot at tying the 2016 Golden State Warriors for finest highway document if they’ll win on Monday in Memphis and each video games of a back-to-back in opposition to the Knicks and Magic later in April.
With eight video games left within the common season and a four-game deficit, there’s a small probability that Boston might catch Cleveland for the highest seed. The Cavaliers nonetheless have two video games left apiece in opposition to the Knicks and Pacers they usually’re .500 over their final ten video games, however the Celtics would nonetheless must both run the desk or drop only a recreation or two to shut out the 82.
Chris Paul Revere?
With simply over eight minutes to go within the fourth quarter, the San Antonio crowd acquired an opportunity to witness a classic efficiency from their soon-to-be 40-year-old level guard. Chris Paul rattled off ten factors in three minutes along with his signature mid-range recreation to remind all people of his Corridor of Fame recreation.
He’ll be a free agent this summer season after a one-year sabbatical of mentoring Victor Wembanyama. Up to now, Brad Stevens and the entrance workplace have shied away from selecting up a ring-chasing vet in free company, however contemplating their wage cap restraints and contender standing, you need to marvel if there won’t be a P.J. Brown or Rasheed Wallace-type signing within the coming offseasons and/or commerce deadline.
There was a fast little second between Paul and Mazzulla after the buzzer. I’d like to know what it was about, however Mazzulla’s smile shortly dissipating as he turned away jogged my memory of that now notorious alternate between CP3 and Steve Kerr.
Takeaways first-timers membership
That is my thirteenth season at CelticsBlog, however simply my first time doing the takeaways. This house was so splendidly cultivated by the good Keith Smith after which the baton was handed to Adam Taylor and this season, Azad Rosay has taken the reigns to resounding success. I simply need to shout out these writers as a result of this column has turn into a staple at CB and that doesn’t occur with out their cautious stewardship and naturally, our readers. Thanks, all people.
