Joe Mazzulla praises Celtics’ togetherness in short-handed win over Grizzlies

BOSTON – With the All-Star break shortly approaching, the Boston Celtics have caught the harm bug. Marcus Good has missed 10 games in a row, Jaylen Brown has been out for 2 (and will likely be out for another couple of weeks), and each Malcolm Brogdon and Al Horford have been sporadically absent as effectively.

Heading into their Super Bowl Sunday matinee towards the Memphis Grizzlies, they had been lacking Brown, Good, and Brogdon. Boston wanted their depth items to step up and ship big-time performances.

“Credit score to our locker room,” mentioned head coach Joe Mazzulla. “When Mike [Muscala] got here right here, I advised him, ‘cherish this as a result of it might be among the best locker rooms you could have, and the group of fellows that we now have, and basketball gamers.’ So, their capability to simply be knowledgeable, no matter their circumstances, it’s particular. [I’m] lucky to be round that.”

Of the 9 totally different Celtics gamers who checked into the sport towards Memphis, eight put up double-digit scoring numbers. Boston’s spectacular all-around manufacturing helped elevate them to a 119-109 win over Memphis.

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Jayson Tatum ended the evening with simply 16 factors on 3-of-16 capturing from the sector and 1-of-8 capturing from deep, however Mazzulla emphasised how necessary he’s been to the group no matter his effectivity.

“Tatum’s not going to get sufficient credit score for the way in which he’s performed,” mentioned Mazzulla. “He’s continuously being judged by his outcomes, however I assumed, you understand, final sport, he 41, he did an important job of scoring. [In] two of the final three video games, he’s finished a tremendous job managing the sport. Managing the sport by persevering with to play protection. Managing the sport by involving himself however not trying to rating [and] making the appropriate play. Superstars don’t get the credit score they deserve once they do this. And so, credit score to him. I believe that enables our guys to play with confidence and makes our group even tougher to protect.”

Along with his 16 factors, Tatum added seven boards, three assists, two steals, and two blocks, making his presence felt on either side of the ball, however his teammates picked up the slack round him within the scoring column.

Sam Hauser, who made his third profession begin (all prior to now week) towards Memphis, churned in yet one more environment friendly capturing sport.

“I really feel like we now have a few our high canine out proper now,” Hauser defined. “It’s simply alternatives for guys to sort of showcase extra of what they will do and attempt to fill that void of the blokes who’re out. They create so much to the desk, so we simply attempt to do our greatest to do no matter we are able to to assist the group win. And we’ve been doing that fairly effectively. And the blokes who don’t play as a lot, we get to play extra in all these video games and simply attempt to showcase us as a participant.”

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The second-year wing poured in 20 factors towards Memphis, marking the third 20-point sport of his profession and his first towards a group not named the Detroit Pistons.

Hauser’s insertion into the beginning lineup meant deep bench guys had been propelled into bigger roles. Payton Pritchard put up 12 factors, and Muscala dropped 10.

“I believe simply trusting each other,” Hauser mentioned when requested in regards to the Celtics’ capability to step up with guys out. “We now have a very good group from high to backside, all the way in which right down to the top of our bench. We now have actually good gamers and guys who’ve expertise on this league, and I believe everybody brings a special sort of talent set to the desk. And I believe it’s distinctive, and it’s arduous for groups to protect after we’re on the market. I really feel like we moved the ball rather well. We had been related on protection, and guys [were] speaking and speaking. So, all that added up collectively is, I believe, an enormous purpose why we’ve been successful with out a few of our guys.”

In the meantime, Derrick White recorded his second-ever 20-points, 10-assist double-double, with the opposite approaching Friday towards the Charlotte Hornets. Good’s absence has thrust him into the place to begin guard spot, and he has thrived.

After a mid-season capturing hunch just like the one Hauser went by way of, White has as soon as once more discovered a rhythm, and it’s paying main dividends for the Celtics.

“I inform myself simply to have good power,” White mentioned. “I really feel like when I’ve good power, whether or not they’re [Boston’s injured players] in or not, I’m capable of do some good issues on the market. So, I simply inform myself that earlier than each sport simply to deliver the power. After which, make pictures, miss pictures, simply make the appropriate play.”

Shedding Good and Brown for an prolonged time frame might have been a killer for the Celtics, however they’ve now gained 4 video games in a row with two contests remaining till the All-Star break.

Moderately than letting the accidents have an effect on them, Boston has adopted a next-man-up mentality with a concentrate on taking part in the appropriate approach whatever the personnel on the courtroom.

“I simply preferred our capability to maneuver ahead,” Mazzulla mentioned when requested about Boston’s success regardless of having a number of absences. “Gameplan and execution [are] enormous for our group. And so tonight, I assumed we managed the sport very, very effectively. And we actually know that we now have to handle the sport with our offense as a result of it places us able to play nice protection. And so, that’s one thing that we talked about so much. And I like that our group [has] made a acutely aware choice to concentrate on the main points.”