Third quarter strikes again: 10 takeaways from Celtics/Thunder

#1 The third quarter swing

The Boston Celtics and Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder had been buying and selling blows all through the primary half. Boston made their runs and saved issues shut regardless of the Thunder discovering constant methods to get their photographs off and create high-quality seems to be. Nonetheless, it was the third quarter the place issues took a flip, and the Celtics misplaced floor, which ended up being the most important turning level within the sport.

The Celtics misplaced the third quarter by 15 factors, with nobody within the rotation cracking double-digit scoring. The Thunder, nevertheless, dropped 40 factors in 12 minutes, with each Josh Giddey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander discovering a rhythm on the offensive finish.

What’s worse? As Cameron Tabatabaie identified on Twitter, the Celtics gained the first, 2nd, and 4th quarters when it comes to scoring.

That 15-point swing was a serious blow to a Celtics group that had been conserving the Thunder inside touching distance for the primary two quarters.

#2 OKC set the tempo

The Celtics wish to play with tempo. But, there’s a distinction between enjoying at your individual tempo and having one set for you. For a lot of the season, the Celtics have been setting the tone throughout video games. They ramp up their pace when required and sluggish issues down when they should get into some actions.

The Thunder had completely different concepts, although. They didn’t permit the Celtics to settle into their standard rhythm. As an alternative, they pressured their model of play onto the sport, dashing the Celtics up and taking them out of their standard strategy to the sport. What adopted was some enjoyable, break-neck basketball. The draw back is that tempo favored the Thunder — it’s how they wished to play, and it’s the place they thrive.

It wasn’t till the fourth quarter that the Celtics lastly took management of how the sport was flowing, and by then, the harm had already been achieved. They had been behind, they had been drained, they usually had been enjoying an uphill sport in opposition to among the best rosters within the NBA (record-wise.)

#3 Brown’s powerful evening harm the Celtics

Jaylen Brown has spent the vast majority of the season working as a featured scorer inside Boston’s system. He’s thriving when attacking the rim. Relentlessly selecting his spots within the mid-range. And he’s proven that he can create performs with sensible rim-reads and fast choices as defenses shut in on him.

Nonetheless, enjoying on the Thunder’s tempo in opposition to a group that collapsed on his each drive and performed bodily with him from the bounce, Brown struggled to influence the sport. He went 4-of-18 from the sector (22.2%) and 0-of-8 from three. Stinkers of this magnitude are extremely uncommon for Brown, which is why it was such a shock to the system to see him struggling to the extent he did.

Sure, if he had been enjoying at his standard normal, the Celtics in all probability would have gained in opposition to Oklahoma. Sure, we count on extra. No, we shouldn’t blame him for the loss or look neglect how good he’s been this season. It was a tough sport in opposition to a protection that got down to stifle him and take him out of the sport. The protection succeeded in its mission. Subsequent time Brown faces the Thunder, we must always count on an enormous response from him.

Nonetheless, that efficiency harm. On to the subsequent one now.

#4 Kristaps Porzingis gained the Unicorn battle

Kristaps Porzingis has had two “Battle of the Unicorn” video games this week. First in opposition to Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, after which in opposition to Chet Holmgren and the Thunder. Porzingis had an off evening in opposition to Wembanayma however bounced again to be a monster in opposition to Oklahoma.

Actually, Porzingis was arguably Boston’s greatest participant all through the sport. Regardless of being swarmed on by the protection, he discovered methods to attain within the submit. He hit his perimeter jumpers. And, when he acquired to the road, he hit 8 of his 9 makes an attempt.

It is a good instance of the form of evening Porzingis had. Three defenders are clogging his air house, but he in some way discovered a strategy to get the shot off and convert the try. The whole lot Porzingis did got here at his personal tempo and was in his personal stream of the sport, which allowed him to considerably ignore the strain being despatched his method and for his pure sport to stream.

Oh, and we will’t neglect that he had 3 blocks within the sport, too. This one stood out to me.

The Thunder runs two separate “via” cuts over screens, forcing the Celtics’ weakside protection into rotation and creating an open lane for Vasilije Micic to assault the rim. Porzingis acknowledges the risk, rotates over, and will get the block. Nice court docket consciousness from the veteran massive man.

I additionally need to give Porzingis props for the second bounce on this block.

Getting sufficient elevate to safe the block whereas flipping your hips on a second bounce is extremely troublesome. That’s high-level athleticism that’s usually neglected.

#5 Sticking with Pritchard down the stretch

Jrue Vacation wasn’t having his greatest sport. He fell sufferer to the Thunder’s tempo of play and had some sloppy possessions by his lofty requirements. As such, Joe Mazzulla made a judgment name, sticking with Payton Pritchard for all the fourth quarter and limiting Vacation to three:44 of enjoying time.

Pritchard had a superb sport. His skill to modify gears allowed him to maintain tempo with Oklahoma, whereas his willingness to battle for rebounds and to get others open saved the Celtics offense ticking. Granted, Pritchard missed each of his photographs within the fourth. Nonetheless, he was making issues occur on either side of the ground, and that influence performed an enormous half in Boston’s late-game comeback.

#6 Horford can regular the ship

When Al Horford is on the court docket, there at all times appears to be an air of calmness throughout the rotation. His skill to defend a number of positions and the way hardly ever he makes a mistake make him the proper veteran chief coming off the bench.

I selected to make use of the above clip as a result of I feel it illustrates the extent of protection Horford gives, particularly when it comes to chopping off angles and, on this occasion, “icing” the ball-handler to guard the center of the court docket.

Horford begins the possession by enjoying up-to-touch on the display screen. He then switches onto Micic and takes away the middle of the ground. Take note of how Horford slides his ft to maintain his angle and guarantee he’s funneling the ball-handler towards the baseline. When he’s acquired nowhere left to go, Micic resets by bringing the ball again onto the perimeter.

A dribble hand-off with Holmgren will get Horford switched onto the spectacular rookie. Nonetheless, the result is identical. Holmgren does his greatest to get into the middle of the ground, fails in his makes an attempt, after which offers a hand-off again to Micic the place Horford then blocks the jumper.

This man is 37 years previous. He tallied 5 blocks, 3 assists, 2 rebounds and went 3-of-5 from the sector. Horford’s presence has by no means been primarily based on what the boxscore says. As an alternative, it’s possessions just like the one above that really present his influence.

#7 Tatum balled out

I favored this sport from Jayson Tatum. He was an enormous a part of the vitality shift within the fourth quarter. He was getting the ball out of his arms when the protection took away his driving lanes or taking pictures alternatives, and as has turn into the norm, he went to work on the glass.

What I favored most is that Tatum is beginning to turn into extra even handed along with his shot choice. He is aware of the place his spots are, and he’s seeking to get them with a better frequency than we’ve seen earlier than. Take the blow play, for instance. The protection takes away his drive. Moderately than going through up and forcing one other drive or taking pictures a contested shot, Tatum slows the tempo down, drop-steps towards the elbow to create house, then turns and shoots a fadeaway — and everyone knows that’s a part of his bag.

It was the identical story on the perimeter.

Tatum is best when taking pictures from the catch. He’s additionally a bit higher when firing from the wing. The shot is available in rhythm, and he nails it. Much more spectacular, although, was how he used his standard dribble pull-up setup to create an help early within the sport.

Tatum had a stable sport on each ends of the ground. If I’ve time within the coming days, I hope to take a better take a look at his protection on this sport in a separate article.

#8 Gettin’ nerdy with it: The opening play

I favored this play: “Zipper Flex Pop” — you could find the definitions of those actions within the X’s and O’s glossary.

Boston didn’t get the ending they wished on this possession. Nonetheless, each a part of the motion acquired gamers to their spots. The zipper lower from Tatum acquired him the ball within the slot. The flex display screen from Brown acquired Porzingis on the block. And the “pop” put Brown in his most trusty catch-and-shoot spot on the ground.

I actually get pleasure from it when the Celtics open video games with a designed play; it units a superb tone for the motion and off-ball screening and, as a rule, has a superb outcome.

#9 Gettin’ nerdy with it: Getting manufacturing out of a decoy motion

Not too long ago, the Celtics have been discovering some success with “chin actions” — I really feel like we’ve checked out these a bunch over the previous week or two. So, when the Celtics used their “chin” alignment as a decoy to get Tatum into the excessive submit, it shouldn’t have come as a shock to us.

Moderately than chopping off Tatum’s display screen, both by way of the non-ball facet (chin) or ball-side (UCLA) White rejects the display screen and will get a hand-off from Tatum. From there, Tatum posts up, will get the rock, spins, and increase, a momentum-generating (we hoped on the time) dunk.

Groups scout one another. They know what performs have been having success in current video games. Utilizing that scouting report back to generate offense by promoting a play you’ve been working is nice playcalling by the teaching workers.

#10 The comeback

The Celtics scored 37 factors within the fourth quarter. They sliced the lead down and put important strain on the Thunder all through the ultimate 12 minutes. Brown got here to life, dropping 9 factors, White additionally had 9, Tatum had 8 and 4 assists. Boston took management of the sport by setting the tempo and working their actions.

Sadly, Oklahoma’s lead proved to be an excessive amount of for Boston to claw again, regardless of a big-time late-game efficiency from the group. Nonetheless, for me, the battle and need the Celtics confirmed, and the way they took management of the sport when it mattered most, was encouraging. I got here away from the competition feeling like this matchup was a superb studying software for the group, and they need to have the ability to beat the Thunder of their subsequent assembly or in a sequence.

The Celtics have extra expertise than Oklahoma. Nonetheless, the Thunder are an excellent younger group, and Gilgeous-Alexander is outstanding.

Wanting Forward

At the moment’s takeaways are extra optimistic than some would possibly get pleasure from. Nonetheless, I refuse to get down on a group that’s 26-7, high of the Jap Convention and fought till the ultimate buzzer. Losses occur; I’d quite that once they did, they had been in a sport the place the Celtics by no means gave up — similar to this one.

Boston now has two days off earlier than they face the Utah Jazz in entrance of their residence crowd. Till then, get pleasure from the remainder of your week, and we are going to get again to it with the Takeaways on Saturday!