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The Celtics struggled early on defense, but once the stops came, everything followed. Role players stepped up, court mapping was sharp, and Mazzulla’s group controlled the tempo on both ends. A win built on balance, patience, and trust.
#1 - Poor defensive execution to start the game
Early in the game, it felt like the Celtics were out of rhythm defensively. The rotations looked disorganized, and the discipline wasn’t good enough. On the play below, Kristaps Porzingis and Jaylen Brown are both on DeMar DeRozan. This takes away any help at the rim, so they must stay in front of him.
Instead, they both got caught by the guard’s pump fake, and the double team turned into an open layup for the Kings star.
In less than six minutes, the Kings scored more than 20 points. They would end up scoring only 75 in the next 42 minutes. Because of their lack of defensive stops, the Celtics couldn’t get their offense going early in the game. Indeed, as mentioned before, Mazzulla-ball starts on defense.
Once the stops started to pile up, the offense was able to get going.
#2 - Better defense turned into great offense
With improved defense after a timeout, the Celtics’ switches were more accurate, leading the Kings to settle for contested mid-ranges and layups. These poor offensive possessions from Sacramento allowed the Celtics’ offense to be quickly reborn after a slow start.
Like Joe Mazzulla said, the offensive game plan depends on whether they play off a miss or a make. Against Sacramento’s well-prepared defense, it was hard to crack their shell at first, but transition offense gave the Celtics a chance to come back before the lead got too big.
Thanks to two three-pointers to close the quarter, the Celtics took the lead before the second quarter despite a slow start, and remained in control afterward. One of the reasons they were able to stay in front was the half-court offense built around Kristaps Porzingis.
#3 - Porzingis offensive hub
Despite finishing the game with only two assists, it’s safe to say the Celtics are trying to involve Porzingis in the offensive creation process. The Latvian is one of the best finishers in the league—at the rim and from deep. However, the creation has been inconsistent since he was traded to the Celtics.
The reason is that the Celtics have placed a big emphasis on using him off-ball to stretch the floor. Most of his touches come from post-ups once he has a mismatch or to shoot a spot-up triple. Yet, in the last few games, we’ve seen him more involved in creation.
Last night, for example, from the top of the key or on-side actions, the Celtics gave the ball to the big man and moved around him. With his size, gravity, and touch, playing these sorts of actions breaks the defensive shell.
On the action below, he is the initiator but also finishes the play, a great example of his overall offensive potential. Off-ball, he stretches the floor, but with the rock in his hands, too. These setups often drag the rim protector away from the paint and force the opposing defense to rotate.
It also gets forgotten sometimes that Porzingis can drive, especially against another big man. Giving him the ball on an empty side, like on the play below, is another great way to involve him offensively, beyond the usual post-up or pick-and-pop.
Overall, there is a strong sense that with more movement—around him or for him—Kristaps Porzingis could take another step toward becoming the elite offensive player he can be.
#4 - Derrick White as an initiator
Behind Kristaps Porzingis, the Celtics guard was able to keep the offensive flow going after Jayson Tatum exited due to an ankle injury. The Celtics started the fourth quarter without their go-to guy, holding a 10-point lead. With four assists and two made field goals, Derrick White led the charge and orchestrated the offense to close the game.
To start the fourth, the Celtics coaching staff called a play for him and rookie Baylor Scheierman: a ghost screen on the ball for number 55, followed by a flare screen from Luke Kornet. White’s scoring gravity and accurate pass to Scheierman in motion increased the lead to 13.
On another defensive stop, White ran with the ball and put the defense on its heels. He faked a handoff with Jrue Holiday and drove to his right into an open paint while the defense was still trying to get set.
A little later, they ran the same play from earlier with Scheierman, but this time with Payton Pritchard. However, in this setup, White didn’t pass to the shooter but gave the ball to Kornet, then immediately ran off another flare screen from Holiday.
Nice play call to get the offense going without Jayson and Jaylen.
First, an Ghost Flare Action for Pritchard. White send the ball to Kornet at the top and run into Holiday Flare Screen.
Great design to generate a catch-and-shoot without elite playmaker or a drive. pic.twitter.com/ApERlt6lLA
The lead was now up to 15—a great example of how the Celtics coaching staff can optimize Derrick White’s great feel for the game to keep performing without the All-Stars on the court.
#5 - Kornet vs. Sabonis and the rebound battle
The last time the Celtics faced the Kings, they were dominated in the paint, with 28 rebounds from the Kings big man—eight of them on offense, leading to defensive breakdowns from the Celtics. But last night, Kornet and the Celtics were having none of it.
While Kornet dominated on both boards, the Celtics as a team limited the Kings’ offensive rebounding volume. At the end of the game, Sacramento was held to a 19% offensive rebound rate—far from their season average (28%).
#6 - Celtics defensive playmaking
Another example of how the Celtics coaching staff loves to take away opponents’ strengths was the emphasis on defensive playmaking. Defensive playmaking is the ability—or willingness—to create turnovers and fast breaks from steals and blocks. Last night against the Kings, one of the best teams at taking care of the ball, the Celtics were more aggressive than usual, leading to more steals and blocks than normal.
As mentioned in #2, piling up defensive stops leads to better offense, giving the Celtics an opportunity to attack the Kings before they could set up in zone defense. Yet, when the Kings did settle in, the Celtics used their offensive joker: Payton Pritchard.
#7 - Pritchard the zone buster, help beater
The Sacramento Kings defense was designed to take away Celtics drives and close access to the rim. It worked pretty well—the Celtics had only nine shot attempts at the rim. However, they were able to compensate thanks to Payton Pritchard as a zone buster.
By positioning the Celtics’ sixth man above the break, one pass away from the ball handler, they were ready to punish any aggressive zone defense or any help from the strong side.
This smart court mapping with Pritchard neutralized the Kings’ defensive scheme.
#8 - Scheierman winning minutes
With Jayson Tatum out for the fourth, the Celtics needed the rookie to step up—again. And he delivered—again. To open the fourth, he nailed the three-pointer from the play the Celtics coaching staff designed for him, as mentioned above.
Ghost Flare Action for Baylor Scheierman. Joe Mazzulla and his staff keep on calling play for the rookie. pic.twitter.com/isO2WEsw5x
In the last quarter, he provided solid minutes once more—dominating the boards, staying in front on defense, and shooting the ball whenever he was open. 28 minutes overall, confirming the trust the coaching staff has in him.
#9 - Two hidden gems from Jaylen Brown
Unfortunately, passes that don’t end up in an assist are often forgotten. Last night, Jaylen Brown had two of those in his return to the court. First, a beautiful drive-and-kick to find Jayson Tatum open for three after attacking Sabonis.
The second came in the third quarter, after a pick-and-roll with Kornet, who was able to draw the foul. Brown crossed Murray and found the Celtics center rolling to the rim despite a crowded paint.
A great illustration of Jaylen Brown’s improved passing and the limitations of the box score.
#10 - A play to sum up the bench performance
Last night’s bench unit was very important, as Jaylen Brown was just coming back from injury while Sam Hauser and Al Horford were resting after the Portland game. Payton Pritchard, Baylor Scheierman, and Luke Kornet were all required to perform on both ends—and they did. This play sums it all up:
Luke Kornet switches onto DeMar DeRozan and baits him into driving, then blocks his shot to launch another transition opportunity. Despite a first miss, Pritchard and Scheierman followed up with a great highlight. 22 points for PP, 13 for Kornet (alongside four offensive rebounds), and three-for-six from deep for the rookie—a great bench production overall.
With 3:35 left in the third quarter in Sacramento, Jayson Tatum rose up and hit a three-pointer over Domantas Sabonis. Unfortunately, Sabonis was in his landing space and Tatum rolled his left ankle on Sabonis’ foot and crumpled to the floor.
After a review, it was deemed a Flagrant 1. Tatum limped to the line, hit one of two free throws, and went to the locker room with help from the assistant coaches.
In the fourth quarter, the team announced that he was “doubtful to return,” but all things considered, it was good news that he wasn’t ruled out completely.
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
Sabonis, who had just returned from a month absence from his own ankle sprain, apologized to Tatum on the floor and said afterward, “I feel horrible. I’ve had a crazy month myself, personally, and you never want that to happen. So, I apologize.”
Joe Mazzulla says Jayson Tatum seems to be doing OK after spraining his left ankle. He later added, "I know he’ll do anything and everything to make sure he gets better.” pic.twitter.com/cxIuMVkC3w
“He seems to be doing OK. He’s just icing it right now,” Mazzulla said after the 113-95 win over the Kings. “I didn’t see the play. They made the right call. It was a flagrant foul. It was fortunate that he was able to shoot the free throw — just taking care of it right now.”
According to the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach, Tatum was in the locker room in sneakers (with no boot or crutches) joking with his teammates after leading all scorers with 25 points despite not playing in the final frame. That’s a good sign that the injury is nothing serious, but it could still swell up overnight. Don’t be surprised if he’s not in uniform on Wednesday, giving him five full days of rest before facing the Spurs on Saturday in San Antonio.
The Celtics knocked down 19 3-pointers and kept the hosting Kings at bay to win both sides of their West Coast back-to-back.
In a late-night battle in Sacramento, the Celtics entered Golden1 Center with a five-game win streak on Monday night, which they extended to six thanks to a 113-95 win.
Boston (53-19) was led in scoring by Jayson Tatum with 25 points (8/15 FG, 8 assists, 7 rebounds) while the Kings (35-36) got 20 points from DeMar DeRozan (9/24 FG).
The matchup saw the return of Jaylen Brown into the lineup, who missed four of the past five games with a knee impingement. It meant the first time since Feb. 23 that the starting five of Brown, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis were together.
The Celtics entered the game without Sam Hauser (low back stiffness), Al Horford (left big toe sprain) and Xavier Tillman (left knee joint sprain) while the Kings were without Devin Carter (illness), Malik Monk (illness) and Doug McDermott (right elbow).
It was a sluggish start out of the gate for the Celtics, who trailed 19-11 entering the first media break at 6:55. Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis lifted the Kings early, with Murray connecting on two threes out of the gate and Sabonis scoring six points in the opening quarter.
The Celtics recovered thanks to an active quarter closeout from Tatum, who was involved in the final 16 points scored. Tatum scored nine of those points, including a runner from beyond the arc, while assisting on the other seven, the last of which came on a kickout pass to Payton Pritchard for a buzzer-beating triple that gave the Celtics a 30-29 lead entering the second quarter.
With Tatum off the floor to start the second quarter, the lead changed hands six times in the first six minutes, while White and Porzingis both picked up three fouls to send them to the bench. Behind a lineup of Tatum, Holiday, Pritchard, Baylor Scheierman and Luke Kornet, the Celtics won the final six minutes 14-11 to take a 56-51 lead into halftime.
Tatum led that lineup with two more 3-pointers to add to his team-high 17 first half points, but arguably the biggest highlight of the quarter came from Scheierman, who jumped a pass for a steal and served up a behind-the-back dime to Pritchard for an easy layup.
Incredible instincts from Baylor Scheierman on this behind the back pass to Pritchard pic.twitter.com/Nvg4tJGO3y
The Celtics opened the third quarter shooting 1/7 — the lone make being White’s first points of the night on a 3-pointer — but Boston eventually combined stops with makes and pushed the lead to 10 after a Brown mid-range jumper and a quick Tatum layup with eight minutes to go.
Boston and Sacramento traded 3-pointers soon after, with Brown, White and Tatum all connecting from deep, though Tatum’s second 3-point bucket of the quarter ended in a worrisome sequence as he fell down in pain after a Sabonis closeout interfered with his landing space and resulted in a Flagrant foul. Tatum stayed in the game to shoot his free throws, hitting one of two before heading to the locker room.
Maintaining possession after the foul, Porzingis got in on the perimeter action with his own 3-point make, giving Boston seven points in a 19-second sequence. Boston kept control of the lead despite Tatum’s absence, holding an 88-78 advantage going into the fourth quarter.
The Celtics fired on all cylinders to open the fourth, starting with a Scheierman three and a White layup off the glass for a 93-79 lead.
After the Kings got it back down to 10, Scheierman’s hustle on the glass kept a Celtics possession alive that ended with him wide open in the corner to hit his third 3-pointer of the game. A quick sequence then saw Pritchard bury his fifth 3-pointer while Kornet scored on a basket interference for a 105-87 lead with 6:13 left to play.
The Celtics look to win their 6th straight game as they visit the Kings in Sacramento.
The Celtics longest road trip of the season continues as they take on the Kings in Sacramento. This is the second, and final, game between these two teams this season. The Kings won 114-97 in Boston on January 10. The Celtics won the series 2-0 last season. The Celtics have won their last 5 games while the Kings lost their last 2 games.
The Celtics are 192-129 overall, all time, against the Kings franchise and 70-75 on the road against them. This includes games when the franchise was located in Rochester, Cincinnati, Kansas City, and Sacramento. They are 47-30 overall against the Kings in the Sacramento era and 17-22 in Sacramento.
The Kings are playing in the first game of a back to back set and will face Oklahoma City at home on Tuesday. They are 7-7 on the first night of back to back games. The Celtics are playing on the second night of back to back games. They beat the Trail Blazers in Portland on Sunday night and had to travel after that game. They are 7-4 in the 2nd of back to back games and they are 4-2 when the second game is on the road.
This Kings team is very different from the one that beat the Celtics back in January. They made several moves at the trade deadline. They traded Alex Len, Colby Jones and a 2nd round pick to Memphis for Jake LaRavia. They waived Orlando Robinson. They traded star De’Aaron Fox to San Antonio and received Zach LaVine and Sidy Cissoko from Chicago in a 3 team trade. They then sent Cissoko to Washington for Jonas Valanciunas. Finally, they signed former #1 pick Markelle Fultz as a free agent.
The Celtics remain 2nd in the East. They are 5 games behind 1st place Cleveland, who lost 4 straight games before beating Utah on Sunday. They are 7 games ahead of 3rd place New York and 10 games ahead of 4th place Indiana. They are 28-7 on the road and 9-1 in their last 10 games. They are 17-8 against Western Conference opponents. They have won their last 5 games.
The Kings are 9th in the West, 23 games behind first place Oklahoma City. They are 1.5 games ahead of 10th place Phoenix and 11th place Dallas. They are 5.5 games behind 6th place Golden State and the final guaranteed playoff spot. They are 18-17 at home and 3-7 in their last 10 games. They are 11-12 against Eastern Conference teams and have lost their last 2 games.
The Celtics are playing in the 3rd game of a 6 game Western road trip. They won the first game in Utah 121-99 on Friday and the second game 129-116 in Portland on Sunday. The trip will continue through Phoenix, San Antonio and Memphis. After this trip, the Celtics will play 2 at home against Miami and Phoenix. Then it’s back on the road for games at New York and at Orlando. They will finish the season with 2 games against the Charlotte Hornets at home.
The Kings are playing in the 5th game of a 7 game home stand. They won games against Memphis and Cleveland to begin the home stand and then lost to Chicago and Milwaukee. After this game they will play Oklahoma City on Monday in back to back games. After that they go on a 6 game road trip through Orlando, Indiana, Washington, Charlotte, Cleveland and Detroit. They will finish the season with 3 games at home against Denver, the Clippers and Phoenix.
Since the Celtics are playing in back to back games and they have been sitting a player or two for injury management in recent games, it’s hard to tell who will play and who won’t. I’ve posted the regular starting 5 but some of them may sit in this one. Jaylen Brown missed 3 games due to a knee injury and is questionable for this game. Porzingis, and Holiday also missed Sunday’s game and are not on the latest injury report and will likely play. Al Horford (toe) and Xavier Tillman (knee) are both out.
The Kings are mostly healthy. Domatas Sabonis injured his ankle last Monday against Memphis and was expected to miss at least 10 days due to the injury. However he went through a full practice on Sunday and has been upgraded to questionable for this game. If he can play, he should start at Center. Malik Monk missed Saturday’s game due to an illness and is questionable for this game. Devin Carter is also questionable due to illness. Doug McDermott was a late addition with an elbow injury and is questionable.
Probable Celtics Starters
PG: Jrue Holiday SG: Derrick White SF: Jaylen Brown PF: Jayson Tatum C: Kristaps Porzingis
Celtics Reserves Payton Pritchard Neemias Queta Baylor Scheierman Jordan Walsh Luke Kornet Torrey Craig
2 Way Players JD Davison Drew Peterson Miles Norris
Injuries/Out Jaylen Brown (knee) questionable Xavier Tillman (knee) out Al Horford (toe) out Sam Hauser (back) questionable
Head Coach Joe Mazzulla
Probable Kings Starters
PG: Malik Monk SG: Zach LaVine SF: DeMar DeRozan PF: Keegan Murray C : Jonas Valanciunas
Kings Reserves Devin Carter Jae Crowder Keon Ellis Markelle Fultz Jake LaRavia Trey Lyles Terry Taylor (10 Day)
Two-Way Players Isaiah Crawford Isaac Jones Mason Jones
Injuries/Out Domatas Sabonis (ankle) questionable Malik Monk (illness) questionable Devin Carter (illness) questionable Doug McDermott (elbow) questionable
Head Coach Doug Christie (interim)
Key Matchups
Jaylen Brown vs DeMar DeRozan DeRozan is averaging 22.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists per game. He is shooting 48.6% from the field and 35.6% from beyond the arc. In the first game against the Celtics, he finished with 24 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 block and 1 steal while shooting 34.6% from the field and 40% from three. He is also very good from the midrange and so the Celtics must guard him for the entire possession, inside, midrange and on the perimeter.
Derrick White vs Zach LaVine LaVine is averaging 23.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. He is shooting 51.3% from the field and 44.1% from beyond the arc. In 3 games against the Celtics this season, all with Chicago, he averaged 26.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3 assists while shooting 50% from the field and 51.9% from beyond the arc. This will be the first time the Celtics are facing him as a member of the Kings.
Honorable Mention Jrue Holiday vs Malik Monk Monk is averaging 18.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1 steal per game. He is shooting 44.4% from the field and 32.7% from beyond the arc. In the first game against the Celtics, he finished with 22 points, 3 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 block and 1 steal, while shooting 37.5% from the field and 27.3% from beyond the arc. (if Monk is out or if Sabonis plays, the center matchup will be key. Sabonis had 28 rebounds in the first game and gives the Celtics matchup problems).
Keys to the Game Defense - Defense is always the key to winning every game. The Kings have a defensive rating of 115.1 (22nd). The Celtics defensive rating is 110.2, 5th in the league. The Celtics need to defend the paint as the Kings average 48.4 points in the paint per game. The Kings average 35.7 three pointers attempted per game so the Celtics must also defend the perimeter. The Celtics need to make defense a priority and commit to playing tough lock down defense for 48 minutes.
Rebound- Much of rebounding is effort and desire. The Celtics have to put out extra effort to grab the rebounds on both ends of the court. By doing so, they limit the second chance points and fast breaks for the Kings and also give themselves extra possessions. The Celtics are averaging 44.9 rebounds per game to 44.3 rebounds per game for the Kings. The Kings average 14.4 second chance points per game and extra effort from the Celtics can limit those. The Kings out-rebounded the Celtics 56-43 in their first meeting (28 for Sabonis alone) and so the Celtics have to work harder on the boards if they want to win this game.
Effort and Energy for 48 Minutes - The Celtics must be the more aggressive team. They have to fight for loose balls, defend aggressively, be aggressive in driving to the basket, and just play harder than the Kings for the entire game. They have to begin the game with energy and not allow the Kings to get a big lead and they can’t let up throughout the game. They especially have to come out strong in the 3rd quarter and play hard until the final buzzer. The team that is more aggressive and that plays harder usually gets the benefit of more calls from the refs as well.
To 3 or Not to 3 - The Celtics are first in the league, attempting 48.2 threes a game. When they fall, the Celtics are tough to beat. But, when they aren’t falling, the Celtics struggle. In the first game against the Kings, the Celtics shot just 28.6% from beyond the arc while the Kings shot 38.3% on threes. If the Celtics aren’t hitting their 3s, they have to go to Plan B and take the ball to the basket or shoot from midrange. If the 3s are falling, great!! If not, go to Plan B.
X-Factors Fatigue on the Road - This is the third game of a 6 game road trip. The Celtics have had to travel across the country and across 3 time zones. They are also playing on the second night of back to back games after playing in Portland on Sunday and in the 3rd game in 4 days with travel between them. Fatigue could come into play for them. Also they need to ignore the distractions of travel, an unfamiliar arena and a hostile crowd and concentrate on playing together and playing the right way.
Who Is and Who Isn’t Playing - This time of the season, it’s tough to predict who is going to play and who is going to sit in any given game. Most players have nagging injuries that teams are trying to get healed up before the playoffs. The Kings are a much better team with Sabonis playing and he is questionable for this game after sitting out the previous 3 games. The Celtics will most likely sit Horford to rest his sprained toe and Brown may possibly still be out. Tatum may or may not sit to rest the tendinitis in his knee. Holiday may play or may sit due to the shoulder impingement. The Kings are fighting to make the playoffs and will not sit any players unless they absolutely have to.
Officiating - Officiating can always be an x-factor. Every crew will call the game differently. Some will call every little thing and the game will have no flow. Others will let a lot go and let them play. Some crews favor the home team while others call it evenly or have a personal agenda. The Celtics need to adjust to how the game is called and not let the officials take away their focus.
And make sure to check out CelticsBlog’s Playback stream for a live conversation about the game. To participate, just create a free account, connect your LP sub if you have it, and join our community.
Jayson Tatum was in control from start to finish, with support coming from all angles; Hauser’s shooting, Kornet’s verticality, and Scheierman’s spark off the bench.
#1 - Jayson Tatum unstoppable scoring
With Jaylen Brown out for a few games, the Celtics’ opponents can focus their defense on Jayson Tatum—and the Portland Trail Blazers did just that. Yet, Tatum once again showed he can get himself going in any situation. On the first ball screen with Al Horford, Tatum snakes the pick-and-roll and puts Toumani Camara on his back. Then, he waits until the last second to change direction on his drive, losing Donovan Clingan and opening a path to the rim.
His great shot-making was also on display last night with this beautiful fadeaway following a split action with Luke Kornet and JD Davison. It was a great reminder of his elite shooting touch from the mid-range, where he hit eight field goals.
The Celtics targeted various mismatches, and in the second half, the goal was to make Clingan switch onto Jayson Tatum. First, they ran a flare screen off the ball—this looks like a play that OKC often runs for Chet Holmgren as a trailer. Here, the Celtics are playing in from a made basket, but it works too.
On the next play, the Celtics use Horford again as a ball handler on a handoff. This two-man game forced Clingan to switch once more onto Tatum, and the All-NBA forward punished it with a four-point play.
From mid-range, at the rim, or from three, Jayson Tatum kept killing the Portland Trail Blazers’ defense — but what about his playmaking?
#2 - And his versatile playmaking
The synergy with Luke Kornet was very obvious again. With or without the ball, Kornet’s screening ability and Jayson Tatum’s offensive feel generated high-quality looks. Here, Tatum uses the flare screen away from the ball to free himself and finds Kornet for the alley-oop.
On the very next play, another great pick-and-roll navigation from Tatum, who finds his way between two defenders following a Kornet screen. The defensive shell cracks as he finds Davison in the corner, who swings it to Baylor Scheierman, who fakes and pulls up from three. This won’t count as an assist for JT, but once again, he’s the initiator and playmaker.
At the end, Jayson Tatum once again comes close to a triple double with nine assists and nine rebounds alongside 30 points.
#3 - Scheierman early minutes
With Payton Pritchard’s early foul trouble, the rookie was called into duty pretty early in the game. He quickly made an impact with a smart drive-and-kick from the corner. He gets the ball and is patient enough to trick his matchup into thinking he might shoot, then drives into the paint as the defense collapses, and finds Derrick White open for three.
Once again, he also showed great instincts on defense by being well-positioned and showing a lot of energy. On the same play, he tried to draw a charge, then got back up, fought for the rebound, and secured the ball.
Lately, he has been the first player called outside the usual rotation, and it’s easy to understand why.
#4 - Punishing Clingan drop coverage
Mount Clingan is hard to climb, but thankfully, the Celtics can do a lot of damage from deep. They looked for ways to either make the big man leave the paint or punish his deep positioning with open shots. The most basic action is a simple pick-and-roll to generate an open pull-up three.
The Celtics also put the ball in Horford’s hands to drag Clingan away from the rim. In the play below, they first tried a stagger twirl action—a couple of off-ball screens with a cut in the middle—but this didn’t open anything. So, Baylor Scheierman got into a two-man action with Horford to attack Clingan’s lack of mobility. The two drives and kicks led by the rookie collapsed the defense and opened another clean look.
With Horford on the court, the Celtics also ran a lot of pick-and-pop with him. This play is known to be a drop coverage killer.
The last example — and my favorite — came late in the second quarter with a sideline action. The Celtics used Kornet as a connector on a handoff to drag Clingan away from the rim and force a help from the corner.
OH MY KORNECTOR!
From a sideline inbound, the Celtics are running an Zoom Action (Pindown into Handoff).
Kornet rolls immediately, catchs the ball mid hair and sends it to the Hauser in the corner; all in one motion.
The electric Celtics shooter hit eight triples—a strong mark that highlights how good he has been lately. Over the last 20 games, he’s shooting over 42% from three, a great sign heading into the postseason.
One play stood out to me and showcased what a great offensive reader he is. In the second half, he executed a Danny Green cut perfectly. The Blazers were mixing individual and zone defenses. To trick them, Hauser moved their backs from one corner to the other, used the ball’s gravity to be forgotten, and punished them for leaving him open.
#6 - Kornet offensive impact
In less than 20 minutes, the Celtics’ reserve big man scored 13 points without a miss, grabbed three offensive rebounds, and delivered three assists. While Horford was useful for spacing the floor, Kornet’s ability to connect plays and dominate the glass helped a lot. His verticality also offers a form of spacing, vertical spacing, we could call it.
Luke Kornet playing above everyone is a great reminder that court geometry is cubic, not flat. If a player can’t space the floor horizontally, he can still be a vertical threat.
#7 - Payton Pritchard special night
For the first time this season, the Celtics’ sixth man was in the starting five—ready to pull the trigger close to the Oregon college where he made his name in the NCAA. Last time he faced Portland, Pritchard scored his career high, and he’s usually at his best against this team.
Payton Pritchard career vs. Portland:
16.3 points per game 56.9% from the field 51.1% from three
However, the game didn’t start as expected. Due to foul trouble, he was quickly replaced by Baylor Scheierman. The rookie also started in his place in the second half, while Pritchard returned to the bench. But coming off the bench in the second half put him in his more natural role, and he bounced back with a great performance.
Surely, his parents were happy about it.
In a game where Oregon native Payton Pritchard made his first start this season, doing so in his home state, @tvabby spoke with Pritchard’s parents.
His father, Terry Pritchard: “It’s been pretty incredible…We’re just so proud of him, and we’re really blessed that he’s in… pic.twitter.com/LfxtejvAH2
Slowly but surely, Al Horford is playing closer to the rim late in the season. As the Playoffs approach, the Celtics want to ensure all their scoring options are ready. This game felt like most recent ones where Horford was asked to target mismatches and contribute inside.
I was under the impression that the Celtics were asking Al Horford to play closer to the rim lately, running a lot of empty side pick-and-roll to get him post-up position.
In March, he scored 38% of this point in the paint, his highest mark of the season.
The visual impression that Horford is playing closer to the rim is backed by the numbers. With 38% of his scoring now coming in the paint, it seems he has adjusted his shot distribution to be closer to the bucket, diversifying the Celtics’ offense.
#9 - Jayson Tatum and the referees
Despite a high usage rate and many paint attempts, Jayson Tatum shot only seven free throws—and it was clear he was frustrated with the referees.
Tatum was nooot happy with the refs. Game is over and he still had words for them pic.twitter.com/FwkZNiEvKE
Should Tatum get more calls? With only 11% of his possessions ending in shooting fouls this season, that’s close to a career low. But at the same time, his rim frequency is also close to a career low. Hard to get calls on jump shots.
#10 - Ready for Sacramento
No rest for the Celtics. Tonight, they’re playing the Sacramento Kings—an offense-minded team that dominated Boston earlier this season. Yet, things have changed since then, and the Celtics are now the best road team in the league. Should be a fun one!
Since returning from illness, Porzingis has been dominant and the Celtics will need him to keep this level of play up for the postseason.
Since returning from his “viral illness” Kristaps Porzingis has been dominant, averaging 25.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 block per game on 61% from the field over three games since his return. He has been absolutely dominating in the two-point area, hitting 79% of his shots inside the arc.
In the Celtics win on March 15th over the Nets, Porzingis scored 24 points while going 8/9 in the two-point area. In Boston’s win on Tuesday over Brooklyn, KP scored 25 points while going, yet again, 8/9 inside the arc. Finally, in Friday’s win over the Jazz, he scored 27 points while going 6/10 inside the arc; he also hit 3 three pointers in that game.
Now, neither Brooklyn nor Utah are the most imposing teams the Celtics will see in the playoffs, but that doesn't mean you shouldn’t be encouraged by the way Porzingis has played. He seems to be 100% after a viral infection and that is important for Boston as we head into the postseason because they will need Porzingis to play at this really high level he has been at.
Porzingis has been cutting at a very high level. Since returning, he is just 5/13 from three, so he has needed to generate baskets at the basket and his cutting has been a big part of that.
While the three pointer hasn't been awesome since his return, Porzingis’ mid-range jumper has been money.
As you can see, a lot of those shots came off of post-ups, which Porzingis has been wildly efficient at since coming to Boston. This season, his points per possession on post-ups is at 1.20 in 123 possessions. Last season, he was at 1.30 points per possession in 185 possessions.
The Celtics will need him to play at this level if they want to go back-to-back.
The Oklahoma City and Cleveland losses proved that Boston isn't a perfect team when Porzingis is not on the court. They missed his ability to change the way teams guard them and his rim protection in both of those losses was lacking.
With the way he puts pressure on the defense when they double Tatum or his 2-man game with Brown, the Celtics need Porzingis’ offense to be at their best.
On the other end, his rim protection changes the Celtics D. They don't switch as much but his defensive impact has been a game changer for the Celtics. In 2,374 minutes with Porzingis off of the court, teams are shooting 53.7% from two-point range. In 1,011 minutes with KP on the court, teams are shooting 49.4%. At the rim, teams shoot 58.5% with KP on the floor this season, 8% worse than they do when he is off the floor. His impact at the rim is felt and it makes Boston’s defense that much better.
Last season, we remember Kristaps missed most of the playoffs due to multiple lower leg injuries. The Celtics won the title with him out of the lineup for 12 games during the playoffs. This year, they will need him.
Balanced scoring attack sees the Celtics win a second consecutive game on the road.
The Boston Celtics returned to action Sunday against the Trail Blazers at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. Boston posted yet another win 129-116 in their second game of a 5-game west coast road trip. Jayson Tatum was exceptional once more for the short-handed Celtics.
Former Oregon Duck Payton Pritchard started his first game of the season in place of veteran Jrue Holiday; Al Horford and Sam Hauser also were given the starting nod. It was Pritchard who would score the first points of the game on a Jayson Tatum-assisted triple. Tatum then dribble-drove for a massive one-handed dunk, and then Pritchard converted on a shifty drive for his second score of the game.
Photo by Rio Giancarlo/Getty Images
The young Trail Blazers kept pace early, scoring at will on the interior, as Boston lacked any real shot-blocking threats with Kristaps Porzingis out. Pritchard was whistled for his third foul of the game at the seven-minute mark and was immediately brought out of the contest, with rookie Baylor Scheierman getting an early look.
Scheierman showed patience to assist Derrick White for his first three-pointer of the game, and Sam Hauser converted his second triple of the contest as Boston took an early lead, 18-15. J.D. Davison would also see early minutes alongside Torrey Craig as Joe Mazzulla looked to the deep bench with 3 starters absent. Davison and Scheierman would both connect on their first triples of the game as the Celtics would end the first quarter up 34-24, with 8 Boston players scoring.
The second quarter opened up with more of the same hot Boston shooting as both Derrick White and Sam Hauser hit on three-pointers. The Trail Blazers got a balanced spread of scoring to start the second quarter as they roared back into the game to cut Boston’s lead to 2 points, 40-38. Former C, Dalano Banton, would score a fast break layup to tie the game up at 40 apiece.
Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
38-year old big man Al Horford would then connect on consecutive three-pointers for Boston, midway throught he second quarter. Derrick White’s second steal of the game, saw the wing break away for an uncontested dunk and his eighth point of the night. Sam Hauser’s fourth straight three-pointer of the night saw the C’s lead go back to 7 points.
Luke Kornet had a decent impact to end the quarter, scoring first on a mini-hook shot and then an outstretched rebound tip-in to convert on his third bucket of the game. Luke then rebounded and assisted Sam Hauser for his fifth triple and his second assist. Boston were rolling into the half with everything clicking, up by a commanding 13 points, 64-51.
Jayson Tatum would score Boston’s first points of the second half, tipping in an Al Horford miss and then assisting Sam Hauser for his eighteenth point of the night. Hauser would then blow a wide-open backdoor layup, but Jayson Tatum connected on his next jump shot to hand Boston a nineteen-point lead.
Donavon Clingan was caught in a switch out near the Boston three-point line and would foul Tatum, who would connect on the four-point play. Deni Advija would also struggle to contain Jayson Tatum as the Boston superstar nailed the turnaround jumper at the elbow. He then went to work on Advija and attacked the paint to score his eighteenth point of the night as he was stamping his name all over the third quarter.
Derrick White found Sam Hauser in the corner with a stellar behind-the-back pass, as Sam hit on his seventh three-pointer of the night, Boston shooting a blistering 47 percent from beyond the arc with 23 assists midway through the third. The Blazers wouldn’t go away, though, as they pulled back into the game, cutting the Celtics lead to just ten points with 4 minutes to go in the quarter.
Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Torrey Craig was the recipient of Jayson Tatum’s seventh assist, as he hit his first make, a corner three-pointer, becoming Boston’s tenth scorer of the night. Despite foul-trouble and having a relatively quiet night up until the third, Payton Pritchard exploded to hit his second, third and fourth triples of the game as Boston went on a 8-0 run and took the lead back to 12 points at the end of the third, with a 102-90 lead. Tatum had 18 points in the third quarter, as he did everything required for the short-handed Celtics.
All five starters for Boston would score in double figure points on the night, as the fourth quarter saw the Celtics lead see-saw around 15 points throughout the opening few minutes. The Celtics bench would be spearheaded by Luke Kornet who was too strong for the Blazers second unit, Luke would score at will in the fourth with 7 points in just five minutes of action. Despite Portland's ability to hang around late, Boston were just clicking on all cylinders in this game and answered every Portland run.
Boston would end the contest converting on 23-50 from three, with 31 assists as the game ended 129-116. Jayson Tatum led Boston with 30 points and once again flirted with a triple double with 9 rebounds and 9 assists. Sam Hauser ended the game 24 points with eight three pointers and Luke Kornet was huge with 13 points from the Celtics bench.
Boston next travel to Sacramento tomorrow night to take on the Kings at 10pm Eastern, as they continue their west coast road trip.
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Online sites for Boston Celtics basketball NBA live stream
Fans of the Boston Celtics can watch their team on various streaming services. Here's a guide to help you find the best options, prioritizing free services and those with free trials:
Free Streaming Options:
1. NBA.com: The NBA and its broadcast partner TNT occasionally offer free streamed presentations of particular games. To check availability, visit NBA.com and look for the "Watch" link next to the scheduled game. If available, you'll see "Watch TNT" as an option.
2. TNT Overtime: Sometimes available within the NBA League Pass selection box on NBA.com, offering free streaming for select games.
Paid Streaming Services with Free Trials:
1. YouTube TV: Offers a free trial period. Sign up here.
2. Hulu + Live TV: Provides a free trial. Sign up here.
3. fuboTV: Includes a free trial period. Sign up here.
Regional sports networks (RSNs) often air local NBA games. Ensure your streaming service package includes the relevant RSN.
Some streaming providers allow sign-in using credentials from your existing cable, satellite, or telco TV provider without additional cost.
By exploring these options, you can find the best way to watch Boston Celtics games, whether through free streams or by taking advantage of free trials from paid services.
TD Garden Arena location and map
TD Stadium Arena 100 Legends Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02114 Phone: 617-624-1331 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. https://www.tdgarden.com/
Contact the Boston Celtics NBA Basketball organization Boston Celtics Arena and Headquarters 226 Causeway Street, Fourth Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02114 Phone: 866-4CELTIX Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. http://www.nba.com/celtics
