Make it 4 straight wins for the Boston Celtics. Make it 1-1 between the Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers of their season collection. With out Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis, Boston’s guard duo stepped up and helped lead their staff to a different win, bringing the Celtics season document to 9-2. Al Horford was big, too.
As you’d count on, the sport was bodily. It bought mucked up at instances. But, the Celtics’ new “by no means say die” angle prevailed. Let’s dive into it.
#1 Al Horford’s huge night time
Al Horford hasn’t loved a seamless transition into his new bench function. Nonetheless, he discovered himself again within the beginning 5 on Wednesday and made certain he reminded everyone what he was able to. Horford has by no means been a score-first man. His affect happens within the margins. But, one factor we’re certain of is he is aware of the best way to lock down Joel Embiid and anchor a protection.
5 blocks. Horford ended the sport with 5 blocks to his identify. Two of them got here towards the reigning MVP.
One other got here as a assist defender rotating over to guard the rim.
Horford is nice at defending angles. He makes use of his physique to chop off lanes or to drive ball-handlers to go the place he desires them to. Then, he seems to be to neutralize the menace by forcing a contested shot, a go, or getting his hand to the ball. With out Porzingis within the rotation, Horford’s steadying presence was a blessing.
In fact, it additionally helped the veteran huge man with eight rebounds and was cell throughout the Celtics’ general defensive system.
#2 Sticking with Al for a second
5. That’s what number of threes Horford had made this season heading into the Sixers sport. He virtually doubled his season tally in a single night time, dropping 4 from deep. Three of these perimeter photographs got here within the third quarter.
Boston gained the primary quarter with their tempo and hustle. Philadelphia matched that effort to win the second quarter. Heading into the third, it was anyone’s sport. Horford’s sudden shot-making gave his staff the enhance they wanted as they clawed for momentum all through the third.
Final season, Horford was probably the greatest perimeter capturing bigs within the NBA. Seeing him snap out of his funk to place 12 factors on the board and area the ground was enjoyable to look at and vital for the way the Celtics approached the sport.
#3 Derrick White to the rescue
Derrick White has been one of many Celtics’ most impactful gamers because the All-Star break of final season. Nonetheless, he generally put the Celtics on his again on Wednesday. Anybody watching the Celtics feed of the sport in all probability heard Brian Scalabrine calling for the staff to run excessive pick-and-rolls to get White onto his proper hand.
The explanation for this was easy: Philadelphia couldn’t include his floater sport when he was attacking off the dribble and had room to launch the shot along with his proper.
Philadelphia primarily runs a drop protection — the identical because the Celtics. Meaning there’s normally area across the nail, particularly for those who’re a menace to strain the rim. White was benefiting from the area within the mid-range, getting paint touches earlier than letting his floaters glide excessive of the protection.
White’s rim strain was a spotlight of the Sixers’ scouting plan. They regarded to close up store across the rim and drive White to beat them from the free-throw line. Dangerous plan. White went 9-of-10 from the charity stripe and led the sport in gimmies. His slitheriness allowed him to repeatedly put the protection in robust spots, forcing them to foul or attempt to include the drive.
#4 Movie Room: Movement Robust Via Slice
New identify for the section, the identical previous X’s and O’s stuff.
For probably the most half, the Celtics ran a free-flowing offense towards the Sixers. All the things was designed out of read-and-react rules, and only a few actions had been run throughout the sport. Which was a stark juxtaposition to what we’d seen towards the New York Knicks.
Nonetheless, one motion that I actually favored was a mixture of actions. When this occurs, I have a tendency to simply identify the motion after the actions. On this case, we get “Movement Robust Via Slice.” Let’s take a fast look.
Movement Robust is when two passes reverse the ball. On this occasion, it went from Jayson Tatum to White, to Payton Pritchard. As soon as that occurs, the staff units a stagger display screen on the weak aspect.
Via is when a participant receiving a stagger display screen curls over the primary display screen and cuts by the hole between the screeners. Slice is a back-screen on the wing.
I favored this play as a result of it pressured the protection to rotate over and decide up Pritchard whereas defending a possible guard-guard motion with White. Svi Mykhailiuk’s slice opened up Tatum to chop throughout the courtroom and duck right into a post-up place. Tatum bought the mismatch with Tyrese Maxey and nailed the shot.
A enjoyable and practical play design.
#5 Tatum within the put up
I’ll hold banging this drum all season, as I’m certain many people will. Tatum’s willingness to work out of the put up is a serious growth for his general sport and the Celtics offense. As an commentary, he does appear to favor the left aspect of the courtroom when working within the put up.
Nonetheless, he’s growing counters, can face up and assault off the dribble, and appears to be a extra full three-level scorer now that he’s constantly including the put up play into his scoring profile.
#6 A Dalano Banton sighting
This wasn’t the primary time we’ve seen Dalano Banton on the courtroom, but it surely was in all probability probably the most significant minutes he’s performed this season. Banton brings dimension and size to the rotation; he hustles, can deal with the ball, and runs some pick-and-roll motion. He struggled to get his shot to drop however did have one good play when he hustled again after a miss to poke the ball unfastened and provoke a transition bucket #hustlecreation.
#7 Are Jrue prepared?
Identical to White, Jrue Vacation stepped into a much bigger function for the Celtics and had his fingerprints everywhere in the sport. His capacity to place in work on the glass, run the offense, create for himself, and defend at a excessive degree had been all on present towards the Sixers.
Right here’s a stable defensive possession that turns right into a run-out for Boston. Vacation will get the steal and the bucket.
And right here he’s, rotating over to get a fringe block on Robert Covington. Boston’s guard duo of Vacation and White is a severe weapon for the Celtics. They’re high-level two-way threats at their place and have been rising in affect, individually and collectively. Vacation and White did a terrific job of stepping up with two of the highest three guys out.
#8 Movie Room: Pitch Aheads
The Celtics regarded to push the tempo wherever potential. All through the sport — however most notably within the first quarter, Boston was seeking to hit early pitch forward (EPAs) to get the ball up the courtroom as rapidly as potential. The concept is that you simply make the ball the quickest participant in your staff.
Pitch-ahead passes are a easy solution to set off early offense whereas the protection continues to be getting again and seeking to get into the scheme. Above is an instance of how efficient these EPAs might be when gamers leak out after defensive rebounds. We noticed Boston go to a majority of these passes constantly all through the night time.
#9 Setting the tone
The Celtics jumped out to an early lead. A robust first quarter noticed Boston set the tone. They executed their offense, performed with tempo, locked down on protection, and managed their glass. The Celtics gained the scoring, rebounding, steals, and blocks battle in that first quarter whereas being tied in assists.
Having such a powerful begin towards probably the greatest groups in your convention is an effective way to generate momentum and instill confidence within the rotation. You’re proving to your self that they are often crushed, no matter who’s or isn’t within the lineup. Philadelphia struck again within the second quarter, however general, Boston had set the tone for approaching the sport and caught to the blueprint.
In fact, White, Vacation, and Horford entering into larger roles and making an affect helped hold the general sport plan shifting in the precise route.
#10 Crowding on protection
The Sixers like to leap passing lanes and harm you in transition. Within the half-court, they run actions to get their guys downhill or give Joel Embiid the ball in his favored spots. The Celtics struggled to seek out solutions for that blueprint of their first assembly with the Sixers; nevertheless, on Wednesday, they got here ready.
Joe Mazzulla had his staff strain the ball across the rim whereas gamers guarded the passing lanes. You had been both taking a extremely contested shot or risked getting picked off on the go.
In transition, one of these protection works very well. The half-court offense isn’t arrange, so gamers aren’t assured to be of their spots. It accelerates decision-making and is conducive to forcing errors. You circulation into your regular defensive scheme within the half-court and ship two when essential.
Boston had an identical sport plan with Embiid wherever they wished to strain his decision-making.
After the final sport between these two groups, I wrote that Boston wanted to determine the best way to decelerate the Sixers (and Tyrese Maxey), and this was a superb reply to that query. There’ll undoubtedly be some evolution in how the Celtics execute this high-pressure protection, as it could actually generally be dangerous. Nonetheless, it did what it was presupposed to, and the Celtics gained. Completely happy days.
Trying forward.
The Celtics are up towards the Toronto Raptors on Friday. Will probably be their second in-season match sport of the season. Hopefully, Brown and Porzingis will probably be again within the rotation. And hopefully, we are going to talk about the staff’s fifth straight win.
