Souvenirs from Celtics’ 3-1 journey out west

Tuesday’s 118-106 win over the Denver Nuggets capped off a four-game highway journey out west for the Boston Celtics. The Cs logged a 3-1 file, falling solely to the 30-5 Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder.

I believe when you informed Celtics followers that the staff would fare this fashion when the NBA launched its schedule again in August, they’d really feel fairly proud of it. Hell, when you informed them {that a} week in the past, they’d react the identical. Taking three of 4 from a trio of Western Convention heavies on the highway, plus an up-and-coming Houston Rockets staff is not any joke (even when Nikola Jokic didn’t play for the Nuggets).

The timing of this stretch was best.

Boston had simply limped via December, dropping a handful of winnable video games on their solution to an 8-6 file. They wanted a bounce-back like this. Not solely did they bounce again within the win column, however they merely took some strides ahead in some vital areas.

Picture by Joshua Gateley/Getty Pictures

How about some protection?

Maybe the biggest looming query after that lackluster December was in regards to the Celtics’ protection. After each loss, Joe Mazzulla would take the rostrum and be questioned about his staff’s effort ranges and give attention to that facet of the ball.

The person in cost didn’t fully give his staff a go, however did shine some mild on the likelihood that they have been in a hunch and the bounces weren’t going their approach regardless of a stable effort.

“It’s so simple accountable effort versus ‘simply make a shot,’” Mazzulla informed reporters forward of the New Yr’s Eve win over the Toronto Raptors. “As a result of our anticipated protection is No. 1 within the final 10 video games, and our layup proportion protection is No. 1 within the final 10 video games, and our anticipated factors per shot protection is like No. 3 within the final 10 video games. However what our 3-point proportion is? It’s twenty eighth… We do need to play higher, although, on each ends of the ground. Let me be very clear. There’s 10 to 12 possessions per recreation the place we completely need to be higher on the defensive finish of the ground. I need to make sure that I’m 100% clear on that. However it is vitally, very simple when issues aren’t going effectively accountable protection and energy.”

The Celtics packed that effort up and introduced it out west with them, for certain. Apart from the opening recreation towards the Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston held every staff to at the least 10 fewer factors than their season averages.

Through the four-game span, they allowed the fewest area objectives per recreation within the league at 33 and the fifth-lowest field-goal proportion at 44%.

Even within the recreation the place they allowed Minnesota to place up 115 factors, the Celtics left star guard Anthony Edwards in shambles. After his staff fell to the reigning champs, Edwards ranted to reporters about how Boston made him play a extra passive recreation, somewhat than permitting him to be the staff’s main scorer.

“It’s not how I need to play, in fact,” he mentioned. “I’m solely 23, I don’t wanna simply be passing the ball all night time… However the best way they’re guarding me, I believe I’ve to.”

Edwards added that it was “tremendous laborious” to remain engaged because the Cs successfully took the ball out of his fingers.

Quite the opposite, Boston managed to remain engaged on protection, regardless of struggling to attain the ball. They averaged simply 109 factors per recreation on this highway journey, a complete rating within the backside third of the league throughout the four-game span.

With out the sturdy defensive displaying, the outcomes out west might’ve been totally different.

Picture by Bart Younger/NBAE by way of Getty Pictures

KP cleared for takeoff?

Kristaps Porzingis shined in Denver on Tuesday night time. He logged his first double-double of the season with 25 factors on an environment friendly 9-18 from the sector to go together with 11 rebounds.

“I believe the drive that he performed with tonight on each ends, that block on DJ [DeAndre Jordan], and the drive he performed with on the offensive finish: drawing fouls, attacking the mismatches, getting offensive rebounds,” mentioned Jayson Tatum of Porzingis’ play. “He had a few put-back dunks.

I believe that actually helped us separate [in] the sport and altered the momentum. So, the best way he performed tonight was a lot wanted.”

When Porzingis is sweet, he’s actually good and a professional game-changer for the reigning champions.

Sadly for the Cs, the Latvian huge man hasn’t fairly been himself.

It’s been a shaky begin for KP since his return from offseason surgical procedure. Don’t get me mistaken, he’s been high quality however hasn’t fairly been the kind of man who’s “modified the momentum,” as Tatum put it, as incessantly — not but.

He additionally simply hasn’t been in a position to keep wholesome. To this point within the 2024-25 marketing campaign, he’s already sustained 4 totally different accidents since returning, the newest of which had sidelined him up till final Friday’s recreation in Houston.

Porzingis netted 11 factors in his return to the lineup, serving to Boston to a blowout win over the Rockets.

Once more, on no account was it a “unhealthy recreation,” but it surely’s one other instance of how the frequent accidents have stored KP on the tarmac as he awaits takeoff towards his true kind.

This previous highway journey could possibly be the stretch that’s lastly waved him in the direction of the runway.

Regardless of the loss in OKC on Sunday, Porzingis impacted the sport on a number of ranges. He supplied a robust scoring punch with 19 factors on 6-12, however sadly went chilly (as did the whole staff) within the second half. Even so, he made his presence identified.

KP performed with a fireplace that we hadn’t gotten to see a lot of this yr. He was hitting the glass laborious, working in transition, and even hustling after free balls to get the Cs some much-needed additional possessions.

For him, the problem of getting his sharpness nonetheless looms, however is an attainable purpose.

“I’ve to play my approach again into good condition, after which, clearly, I can exert extra power on issues. However I do know that is what all people expects from me; that is what I confirmed final season.

“And now, I’m simply working my approach again up, and actually, tonight was, for my part, one of many first video games that I felt like I’m getting near feeling wholesome, feeling good, and getting again in good condition.”

Picture by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Put up

Beware of damage and tear

Alright, so, this would possibly sound like an annoying coping mechanism, however I really really feel it’s bought some legs.

Boston’s scoring was within the backside third of the NBA throughout this journey. They’ve been inconsistent capturing the ball for a big a part of the final month and it’s damage them.

Jaylen Brown, Jrue Vacation, Sam Hauser, and Porzingis have all regressed of their effectivity this season. Coincidentally, all of those guys have been coping with accidents. Vacation missed time with some knee points and just lately had an issue together with his shoulder. For Brown, it’s been his hip and shoulder. Hauser has had again points.

When guys are out on the ground enjoying via ache, it may be simple to neglect that they’re doing simply that — enjoying via ache. It’s going to have an effect on their video games till they’re in a position to get proper and we’ve gotten a have a look at that in latest outings on each ends of the spectrum.

Vacation is wanting increasingly snug with every recreation again. In Denver, he scored 19 factors and dished out seven assists. The veteran guard additionally had his fingerprints throughout Boston’s game-sealing fourth-quarter run, as he made successful play after successful play.

Hauser has been fairly inconsistent this season by his requirements, however put collectively a number of spectacular capturing performances out west.

In the meantime, Brown has proven flashes of dominance however hasn’t been in a position to put collectively a full recreation of it, since getting back from his shoulder harm on Sunday. He began off purple scorching in OKC, went ghost within the second half, then didn’t rating within the opening half in Denver, earlier than ending sturdy.

He’ll get there, but it surely’s clear that he’s going via the identical factor that a few of his teammates have handled — readjustment.

Nagging accidents are simply going to be a factor with this Celtics staff. They’ve bought a bunch of gamers who’ve performed deep into the playoffs yr after yr, to not point out that Tatum, White, and Vacation suited up for Group USA on the Paris Olympics.

The vital factor is for the staff to proceed constructing in the direction of being their greatest when the playoffs roll round. Their most-daunting journey of the yr could have been the proper first step in the direction of that purpose.