Celtics reserves deliver production against 76ers with 2 starters out

PHILADELPHIA — When Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis were downgraded to out shortly before Wednesday’s game against the 76ers, the Celtics would need to be creative with their rotations. Both players are key parts of not just the starting lineup but a lot of what the C’s do on both ends of the court.

But the Celtics have prided themselves on their depth, so they simply adjusted. Enter Al Horford, who had a huge game Wednesday, and Sam Hauser, who’s been blistering from 3-point land, into the starting lineup. Hauser earned his spot as a starter as he has aided the Celtics aside from just his valuable shooting.

Beyond those changes, the Celtics also leaned heavily on their bench. It’s why C’s coach Joe Mazzulla rolled with Payton Pritchard, Luke Kornet, Svi Mykhailiuk and Dalano Banton off the bench. That reserve crew made an immediate impact in the first quarter, providing the C’s points and a jolt of energy in their 117-107 win over the Sixers on Wednesday.

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“The work they do every day,” Mazzulla said. “That’s it. I felt like we didn’t miss a beat tonight and it’s because of the consistency and our development by the way of our assistant coaches…. So the goal is to not miss a beat when we’re in situations like this, and I thought those guys were ready to play.”

The Celtics dominated the first quarter up 37-22 after the opening 12 minutes Wednesday. The depth players were a key part of that equation. Mykhailiuk hit an early 3-pointer and a put-back bucket. While Banton missed shots, his energy was noticeable, and he picked Joel Embiid’s pocket to get a fast-break bucket on the other.

While the C’s struggled again in the second quarter, it was evident Mazzulla trusted his bench guys Wednesday. They weren’t perfect, but the bench was exactly what the a shorthanded team needed to get to 9-2 on the season. The starters took it from there with Horford and Derrick White excelling in the second half. But make no mistake the bench players were huge for the C’s on Wednesday.

“They’ve just been very mature about it,” Mazzulla said of the bench. “They come to work every day. The thing about those guys is they all have NBA experience. Like Dalano, Svi, (Neemias Queta), Lamar (Stevens), Oshae (Brissett) — those guys, they’ve all played in NBA games. So it’s not that they’re not really good players. We’ve watched them play against us.”