BOSTON — The Celtics did not play close to their best on Tuesday night, particularly in an ugly first quarter. Ultimately, it did not matter though. Boston fought back from a 15-point deficit to pull away late for their 11th straight home win, adding to their lead on top of the Eastern Conference.
It was another balanced scoring effort from Boston’s starting five with all five players in double figures. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each led the way with 25 points but their supporting cast was just as important in the comeback win. In the aftermath of the victory, Joe Mazzulla made a point of highlighting just how important their contributions were in the big nights of Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White specifically.
” I thought the empowerment of Jaylen and Jayson, even though they were both playing well, they got him the ball in his spots as necessary, and he was able to make plays, and then he got to the free throw line,” Mazzulla said. “So tonight’s another example of success looking different for everybody, and everyone’s talking about KP’s second half.
BET ANYTHINGGET $250 BONUSESPN BET
21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
“I thought Jayson’s ability to dominate — 25, 10 and 5 was one of his most well-rounded games which he played and he had an impact on every level of the game, whether it was rebounding, defense, deflections, threes, scoring in the paint, assists and passes, and Jaylen’s ability to stay locked in defensively, and then Derrick and Jrue’s leadership. So in order for one guy to be good, everyone’s got to help him do that around, and as much as it was about that, I thought those guys playing on a different level is what helped us.”
Derrick White echoed those sentiments about his star teammates.
“They do so much that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet,” White said. “Just every time they drive, they track two or three guys. Making the right kick-out might lead to another pass which hits an open three for us but doesn’t count as an assist for them, but they made the play. Or just being a decoy, setting a screen – JT does a good job setting screens and getting guys off the body for me, and I’ve just got to make the right play after that. They do so much night in and night out that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet and we’re thankful to have them.”
The buy-in from Boston’s stars was evident as well after the win. The Celtics have gone 11-0 at home since the start of the year and that has largely come thanks to some incredible efficiency from Boston’s secondary offensive stars. Instead of forcing things, Tatum and Brown are looking for teammates more.
“Joe often challenges me to just dominate the game,” Tatum said. “I understand the dynamic of our team and just how talented we are offensively. Myself, JB, D White, KP, Jrue, Al, everybody has to sacrifice. I’m certain that none of us are averaging career highs in points. They’re all taking a dip. But it’s for the better of the team, our success as a unit is more important, and we understand that.”
With the win, the Celtics now have the best record in the NBA and that’s ensuring this formula won’t be changing anytime soon despite its challenges.
“We know what the ultimate goal is, and human nature plays a part,” Tatum said. “It’s not easy when you’re accustomed to playing a certain way, scoring a certain amount of points per game. You kind of have to empathize for every guy that it’s not easy but we’re winning, and we know we’re gonna need everybody to achieve our ultimate goal. So, it is true, success looks different every night for each guy. But everybody’s contributing at a high rate, and we’re winning. We’re the best team in the league, so winning takes care of everything.”
- Highly anticipated sportsbooks like BetMGM Massachusetts, along with Caesars Sportsbook Massachusetts have been live since Spring of 2023. New players can use promo codes like the FanDuel Massachusetts promo code and the DraftKings Massachusetts promo.
