In a recreation the place the Celtics had been lacking Neemias Queta and Derrick White on the second half of a back-to-back, Boston was capable of go on the highway in Cleveland and defeat among the finest groups within the Japanese Convention. The Celtics did a terrific job throughout as everybody up and down the roster was capable of contribute in a technique or one other. Joe Mazzulla talked to the group after the sport and used Amari Williams for example of this mindset. He talked about how Williams got here into the sport for the ultimate play and performed nice protection on Evan Mobley forcing him to airball the sport tying shot try.
2. Payton Pritchard Masterclass
Payton Pritchard had a tough recreation vs. the Timberwolves on Saturday, solely scoring 9 factors on 4-14 FG and 1-8 3PM. We must always’ve identified he was going to bounce again and he did simply that in Cleveland. Pritchard dropped 42 factors on the Cavaliers capturing 15-22 FG and 6-11 3PM and completely took over the sport within the 4th quarter when Cleveland was attempting to make a comeback.
With round 30 seconds left within the recreation, Pritchard had the ball and received the change on to Darius Garland. He waived off Jaylen Brown who let him do his factor, drove and stopped on a dime for a midrange jumper that went in, giving the Celtics a 5-point lead and Pritchard his 4oth level of the evening. This why you’ll be able to’t assist however love watching Payton Pritchard play basketball. He’s simply the definition of a canine on the court docket and when his photographs are falling, nearly no person can sluggish him down.
3. Jaylen Brown Triple-Double
In contrast to Pritchard, Jaylen Brown had an unbelievable recreation vs. the Timberwolves on Saturday with 41 factors, however struggled to search out his shot vs. the Cavaliers on Sunday, solely capturing 3-13 FG and 1-4 3PM however did go 12-16 from the free throw line. Nonetheless, the capturing splits don’t inform the story of Brown’s efficiency as he completed with a triple-double, scoring 19 factors, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. This was very encouraging to see from Brown as a result of he has been so good all season, that we haven’t seen what his recreation would appear like if his photographs weren’t falling.
Brown had a Jayson Tatum-like efficiency as he was capable of not solely be the Celtics main rebounder but additionally the primary facilitator. His most vital passes got here within the 4th quarter when the Cavs had been attempting to comeback. Brown drew the eye of three Cleveland defenders and was capable of make a bullet cross to Pritchard who was ready within the dunkers spot for a straightforward layup. I hope we see extra of this playmaking capacity from Brown for the remainder of the season as a result of he did a terrific job discovering open teammates all evening lengthy.
4. Jordan Walsh Double-Double
Jordan Walsh has turn out to be a staple of the Celtics beginning lineup this 12 months and he had his finest recreation of the season vs the Cavs with a profession excessive 14 factors and 11 rebounds 4-7 FG. Walsh performed some unbelievable protection on Donovan Mitchell as he was capable of restrict his impression for many of the evening whereas additionally being a optimistic on the offensive finish, leading to his first Tommy Award of the season.
Walsh additionally did a terrific job of all the time being in the appropriate place when it got here to his offensive rebounding. He was battling beneath the basket for positioning that resulted in a pair and-1 baskets and further possessions for the Celtics. This play was considered one of my favorites when he was capable of get inside on Deandre Hunter and Jaylen Brown simply made a pleasant little dump-off cross. Walsh absorbed the contact from Hunter and completed the layup. I can’t wait to see Jordan Walsh proceed to develop this season as I feel he’ll simply turn out to be a legit contributor for this group for years to come back.
5. Xavier Tillman Large Minutes
With Neemias Queta out, there have been questions on who was going to get the beginning and it was slightly attention-grabbing to see Xavier Tillman be the reply. Tillman was a DNP in 9 of the Celtics final 10 video games and hasn’t performed since November third vs. the Jazz, so nobody actually knew what to anticipate from him when it got here to beginning in opposition to among the finest huge males within the league in Evan Mobley. Nonetheless, the X-Man was up for the problem. In half-hour, he scored 9 factors, 6 rebounds 3 steals and 1 block on 4-9 FG. It type of makes you surprise why he hasn’t performed for lengthy as a result of he regarded like a unique participant than we’ve ever seen tonight.
He was enjoying some elite protection, getting in the way in which of passing lanes that actually disrupted Cleveland’s offense. His finest play of the evening (though it didn’t rely) was on the finish of the primary half after Anfernee Simons hit a 3, Tillman stole the inbounds cross and threw up a shot that went in, getting everybody on the bench hyped. Hopefully, we get to see extra of Xavier Tillman transferring ahead as a result of he performed fairly strong tonight.
6. Anfernee Simons Affect
Anfernee Simons has been up and down this season however when he has his ups, it actually makes an impression on video games for the Celtics. Simons had 18 factors vs the Cavs on 8-14 FG and 2-7 3PM with most of his scoring coming principally within the first half and Boston wanted it badly. Brown’s shot was not falling and Pritchard was on the bench in foul hassle so someone wanted to attain and Simons had a stretch within the second quarter the place hit two midrange jumpers and a 3 in fast succession that helped Boston keep within the recreation early.
These fast scoring bursts actually can change a recreation for the Celtics and has been the distinction on the subject of wins and losses this season. Simons is an computerized bucket as soon as he sees one go in and I’m hoping that he can try this with extra consistency going ahead as he continues to make himself snug on this new bench position.
7. Lastly Obtained Free Throws
Going into this recreation, the Celtics had the identical or had been out shot on the free throw line in all 19 video games they performed on this season and was in jeopardy of tying the 1970 Buffalo Braves for the report. Fortunately, Boston was capable of keep away from this report as they gained the free throw battle 29-13 which is type of loopy contemplating they had been on the highway. Quite a lot of this got here from Jaylen Brown who shot 16 free throws alone and the Celtics being the extra bodily group total. Cleveland’s offense was very three-pointer heavy, which is slightly completely different than what we’ve seen from them previously, but it surely additionally helped the free throw disparity as they weren’t continuously seeking to play within the paint.
8. Celtics protection on Mitchell
I need to begin this off by saying that Donovan Mitchell is considered one of my favourite gamers to look at within the NBA when he’s going through another group within the NBA, apart from when he performs the Celtics. Mitchell is among the largest Celtics killers within the league in the present day as going into the sport, he averaged 30 PPG for his profession vs Boston. He has single handedly beat the Celtics for the Cavs over time simply because of his offensive explosions and with out Derrick White there was an actual likelihood that it might occur once more. Nonetheless, Boston was capable of include Mitchell for nearly the complete recreation as he completed with solely 18 factors on 7-16 FG. 3-7 3PM, and compelled him into 5 turnovers.
Boston swarmed Mitchell on protection, not letting him get too many one on one matchups. Though it resulted in different gamers like Jaylon Tyson hitting 5 extensive open threes, I feel the Celtics had been prepared to sacrifice that over the potential of a Mitchell scoring outburst.
9. Attacking Garland on Protection
Each time the Celtics play the Cavaliers there may be one technique that Boston makes use of, and that’s attacking Darius Garland on protection. The Celtics killer whale offense is about searching mismatches and the Cavs alway have the largest miss match on the ground with Garland. He was a -27 for Cleveland on this recreation and it seems like he all the time has his worst video games of the season vs the Celtics. Payton Pritchard did a terrific job exploiting the matchup as loads of his factors got here with Garland being the first defender together with this midrange shot within the ultimate seconds of the 4th quarter.
I’m not the largest fan of Garland as a participant and I do assume his protection holds Cleveland again when different groups have elite wings and facilities that may exploit him, however he’s an All-Star stage participant and does change the Cavs offense when he’s on the ground. I additionally simply know that each time Cleveland is on the schedule, I’m going to be seeing the Celtics assault Garland as a lot as they’ll.
10. Uninterested in Cavs Comebacks
Celtics vs. Cavs matchups over time all the time appear to finish in a approach that leaves you needing to test your coronary heart charge to see if you happen to’re nonetheless respiration. Irrespective of how huge the lead is for Boston, there may be all the time a sense behind your thoughts that Cleveland goes to discover a solution to get again into the sport. This sense was proper as soon as once more on this recreation because the Celtics opened up a 21-point lead within the third quarter however by the ultimate seconds of the 4th quarter, Cleveland hit some insane photographs to make it a 1-point recreation with 0.7 seconds left.
The madness began with 45.4 seconds when Donovan Mitchell hit a 3 to chop the Celtics 6-point result in 3. Pritchard made a layup proper after however Mitchell threw up a second three that went in at 20.5 seconds to make it a 2-point recreation. Pritchard hit two free throws after which Garland hit a loopy three to make it a 1-point recreation with 1.2 seconds left. Brown made 1 of two free throws and the Cavs had an opportunity to tie or win the sport with 0.7 seconds left. Fortunately, Evan Mobley air-balled the try however I’m simply so bored with nearly each recreation vs the Cavs coming right down to the wire like this.
My thoughts flashes again to the Dean Wade recreation, the Grant Williams “Imma hit each” recreation, and final 12 months when the Celtics went up 25-3 to begin the sport and nonetheless misplaced. The Celtics had been capable of maintain on to this recreation and win the season sequence vs. the Cavs as they solely play them another time on March eighth.
