Ten takeaways from the Celtics sixtieth win

Should you look again at our CelticsBlog roundtable earlier than the beginning of one other championship marketing campaign, many people predicted that the defending champs would win round 60 video games this 12 months. In what was successfully the ultimate (“significant”) sport of the common season, the Celtics crushed the JV Hornets 130-94 earlier than the playoff rotation rests up earlier than the postseason.

The Pink Auerbach Award: Jrue Vacation

Earlier than the sport, the two-time champ was given the end-of-year honor for “having exemplified ardour, willpower, and management.”

“Jrue has been key to the success of our workforce,” mentioned Wyc Grousbeck. “His dedication to excellence, each in his play and management, units a normal for everybody round him. He all the time does the precise factor in the precise means. He is an ideal embodiment of what it means to be a Boston Celtic—devoted, selfless, and relentless in his pursuit of success.”

Jayson Tatum close to triple-double

The final time I did the Takeaways, I failed to say that Tatum almost recorded a triple-double with 29 factors, ten rebounds, and eight assists towards the Spurs. I’m not making that mistake once more. In opposition to Charlotte, JT poured in 23-8-8 with out enjoying a single second within the fourth quarter. Stand down, commentors.

However that’s the factor, proper? This has been routine for the MVP candidate. For the reason that All-Star break, he’s averaged almost 29 factors, 9 rebounds, and seven assists an evening. He’s capturing could also be down (44.5 FG%, 30.5 3FG%) over his final twenty video games, however he’s discovering methods to affect profitable all around the ground, together with this wardrobe flip with Derrick White:

Baylor Showman

The rookie has been on the rise over the past two months (6-2-2 in 17 minutes per sport in March and April) and with Jaylen Brown out final evening, Scheierman noticed some run within the fourth quarter and completed the sport with 5 factors and two assists.

He almost certainly gained’t see vital minutes within the playoffs with the rotation almost certainly ending with Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet because the eighth and ninth man, however his robust exhibiting over the past two months a minimum of makes you assume that he is perhaps the subsequent member of the Keep Prepared group to make the leap.

My solely query is, is Scheierman a play finisher within the mould of Hauser or will he be capable of create slightly off the dribble? The previous soccer participant and level ahead positively has a nostril as a playmaker and a flashy one at that.

You get an help and also you get an help and also you get an help

The Celtics tallied 35 assists on 49 made subject targets, tying their season file. For what it’s value, they’re 22-1 after they dish out 30 or extra helpers in a sport. Two got here on Tatum-to-Kornet alley-oops naturally.

The various faces of Joe Mazzulla

Simply earlier than halftime, the Celtics head coach needed to be held again by safety as he argued with referee Rodney Mott a few foul on Tatum late within the quarter:

Go away it to Psycho Joe to put all of it on the market in a sport which means nothing.

After the buzzer, Mazzulla talked about how one of many highlights of his time with the group has been the chance to ask the coaches’ and gamers youngsters to the video games and have them on the sidelines.

“One of many highlights of my small tenure right here is the tradition that we’ve got with the youngsters within the locker room and being on the bench,” Mazzulla mentioned. “That is Braylon’s (Torrey Craig’s son) first time in Boston. He addressed the workforce at the moment and he had some robust phrases for the blokes…simply to have these reminiscences, to have your son being round is crucial factor.”

Sharpshooters

Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard mixed for 10-for-15 from behind the arc and chipped in 20 and 22 respectively within the blowout.

I simply needed to embody this triple as a result of 1) one in every of my favourite opposing TV announcers is the Hornets’ Eric Collins and I really like the “GOOD GOD” button he places on this Pritchard 35-footer and a pair of) this was a warmth examine three in transition — solely Pritchard hits these sort of pictures.

At one level, Hauser was 4-for-4 from distance, persevering with a optimistic pattern that began again in December. He’s been over 42% each month since and appears to have (knock on parquet) shed the nagging again damage that plagued him earlier within the season

It’s a deal with watching Hauser’s footwork. He’s all the time so completely sq. to the room. Even after relocating of Neemias Queta’s display, his toes are shoulder’s width aside and he’s obtained that stunning gooseneck launch.

NSFW Kornography

What are the Ten Takeaways and not using a Luke Kornet spotlight? This may occasionally appear boring and self-evident to some, however let’s geek out slightly bit right here.

Final month, CelticsBlog’s Azad Rosay coated Kornet’s skill to create area on the ground with out capturing threes. Right here’s an important instance of that. With Jusuf Nurkic backing far into the paint and conceding a Kornet jumper (and of late, a clumsy lefty floater), Kornet goes into his development. His first look is to Derrick White who can’t free himself from his defender, so Kornet seems to be proper. A flare display doesn’t create sufficient area for Tatum however as quickly as Kornet acknowledges that two defenders are overlaying JT’s minimize, he instantly goes right into a hand-off with Hauser for a wide-open 3 and sequently takes out the assistance protection with a display. Which will appear routine and perhaps it’s, however Kornet has mastered all these intricate reads and made an fascinating case for Most Improved Participant.

Glue man

It could be inappropriate to name Craig the glue of the workforce. He’s solely been with the Celtics since February eighth, however already, he’s incomes rave opinions from his head coach.

“He was sick, man. I really like that man.”

Mazzulla in contrast him to Blake Griffin, one other short-lived, however beloved teammates of this core, for “his professionalism, being within the league a very long time, and doing what it takes.”

The 34-year-old vet scored solely two factors, however set the tone together with his protection (three steals) and 4 assists. He performed all twelve minutes within the last body and began the fourth forcing a turnover on the in-bounds play.

Unicorn sighting

After enjoying simply over 18 minutes within the first half, Kristaps Porzingis didn’t return for the second half. He completed with eleven factors, hitting simply two of his eleven pictures. Mazzulla mentioned, “he’s good. He’s completely tremendous.”

Certainly one of his two triples was this 35-footer and he had this candy dime to DWhite:

Again-to-back 60-win seasons

With the win over the Hornets, the Celtics formally full back-to-back seasons with sixty or extra wins. It’s the 14th of the franchise with half of them leading to a Finals win. They’ll wrap up the season on Sunday internet hosting the Hornets once more at 1 pm EST.

Their first-round opponent will both be Atlanta or Orlando. The Magic host the Hawks on April fifteenth within the first sport of the SoFi NBA Play-In Match and the winner will turn out to be the #7 seed within the East.