The Celtics have been all about their depth as they’ve mixed and match different lineups based on who’s healthy. That was again evident in their blowout win over the Rockets on Friday, where they were missing a pair of rotation players in Jaylen Brown and Al Horford.
So, C’s coach Joe Mazzulla altered his look. Just like in the Timberwolves win, the double big lineup was a huge weapon. But this time, instead of Horford and Neemias Queta, it was Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet changing the game for the Celtics against the Rockets. Porzingis finished with 11 points and five rebounds in 28 minutes while Kornet had nine points, 10 rebounds and four assists in his 24 minutes.
“We were just able to help each other more at the rim and be a bit more aggressive,” Porzingis told reporters. “Luke did a phenomenal job rebounding, being in the dunker, finishing, getting us second opportunities with offensive rebounds. So Luke was really good tonight. And I’d say added confidence at the rim. That’s what we can do with the double bigs and it worked out in the second half.”
The Celtics transformed the game in the second half. The Rockets scored 56 points in the first half then just 30 in the final two quarters of the game. Part of that was the double big lineup, which was a huge part of the win. That look also helped out at the beginning of the fourth quarter, when an 11-0 run blew the game wide open. Plus, Jayson Tatum was on the bench for that stretch.
Rockets big Alperen Sengun poses problems as Porzingis saw early in the game coming back from his ankle injury. So, the Celtics stuck a different big on Sengun, allowing Porzingis to protect the rim. The strategy worked as Kornet started the second half in Sam Hauser’s place as the C’s locked down defensively from there.
“It was good to just try to match physicality,” Kornet said. “He’s a very physical player. And then I think having the other guy kind of being able to protect and show help and kind of be there if any kind of advantage was created. … I feel like especially in the second half, our physicality was great and just trying to match that and make things difficult.”
The double big lineup is also another trusty tool for Mazzulla and his staff. He can adjust his rotations like he did Friday based on matchups. Of course, the collective big men’s strengths and styles allow them to match up well. Horford and Porzingis being able to stretch the floor allows the C’s to match them with guys like Kornet and Queta.
Considering the regular season is long, it’s also the time to try out different looks and lineups. The double big in general falls right in there as Mazzulla pushed the right buttons Friday to help the Celtics to victory. Now, the C’s are 2-0 on their four-game road trip. But it doesn’t get any easier as they face the first-place Thunder at 3:30 p.m. Sunday in Oklahoma City.
“Sengun’s one of the better big men in the league,” Mazzulla said. “And when you can have help behind him and just be able to have him see bodies. You first have to be able to defend at the point of attack. And so Luke was able to do that. And our guards did a great job in pick-and-roll, taking away the seam catch. And when they did, KP was there to swarm him. So it was a team effort. Defensively it was good stuff.”
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