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 document, falling solely to the 30-5 Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder.

I believe in case you advised Celtics followers that the workforce would fare this fashion when the NBA launched its schedule again in August, they’d really feel fairly pleased with it. Hell, in case you advised 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 workforce is not any joke (even when Nikola Jokic didn’t play for the Nuggets).

The timing of this stretch was perfect.

Boston had simply limped by way of December, dropping a handful of winnable video games on their technique to an 8-6 document. 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 necessary areas.

Photograph by Joshua Gateley/Getty Pictures

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How about some protection?

Maybe the most important 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 workforce’s effort ranges and concentrate on that aspect of the ball.

The person in cost didn’t utterly give his workforce a move, however did shine some mild on the chance that they have been in a hunch and the bounces weren’t going their manner regardless of a strong effort.

“It’s so straightforward accountable effort versus ‘simply make a shot,’” Mazzulla advised 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 share 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 you recognize what our 3-point share is? It’s twenty eighth… We do must play higher, although, on each ends of the ground. Let me be very clear. There’s 10 to 12 possessions per sport the place we completely must be higher on the defensive finish of the ground. I need to be sure that I’m one hundred pc clear on that. However it is vitally, very straightforward when issues aren’t going nicely accountable protection and energy.”

The Celtics packed that effort up and introduced it out west with them, for certain. Apart from the opening sport in opposition to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston held every workforce to no less than 10 fewer factors than their season averages.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photograph by Bart Younger/NBAE by way of Getty Pictures

KP cleared for takeoff?

Kristaps Porzingis shined in Denver on Tuesday evening. He logged his first double-double of the season with 25 factors on an environment friendly 9-18 from the sphere to associate with 11 rebounds.

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

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

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

Sadly for the Cs, the Latvian massive 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 flawed, he’s been tremendous however hasn’t fairly been the kind of man who’s “modified the momentum,” as Tatum put it, as steadily — not but.

He additionally simply hasn’t been capable of keep wholesome. To date within the 2024-25 marketing campaign, he’s already sustained 4 totally different accidents since returning, the latest of which had sidelined him up till final Friday’s sport in Houston.

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

Once more, under no circumstances was it a “unhealthy sport,” however it’s one other instance of how the frequent accidents have stored KP on the tarmac as he awaits takeoff towards his true type.

This previous highway journey may very well be the stretch that’s lastly waved him in direction of the runway.

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

KP performed with a fireplace that we hadn’t gotten to see a lot of this 12 months. He was hitting the glass onerous, operating in transition, and even hustling after unfastened 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 manner again into fine 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 manner 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 fine condition.”

Photograph by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Submit

Beware of damage and tear

Alright, so, this may sound like an annoying coping mechanism, however I actually really feel it’s received 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 along 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 by way of ache, it may be straightforward to overlook that they’re doing simply that — enjoying by way of ache. It’s going to have an effect on their video games till they’re capable of get proper and we’ve gotten a have a look at that in latest outings on each ends of the spectrum.

Vacation is trying increasingly more comfy with every sport 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 profitable play after profitable 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 capable of put collectively a full sport of it, since coming back from his shoulder harm on Sunday. He began off crimson sizzling 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, however it’s clear that he’s going by way of the identical factor that a few of his teammates have handled — readjustment.

Nagging accidents are simply going to be a factor with this Celtics workforce. They’ve received a gaggle of gamers who’ve performed deep into the playoffs 12 months after 12 months, to not point out that Tatum, White, and Vacation suited up for Staff USA on the Paris Olympics.

The necessary factor is for the workforce to proceed constructing in direction of being their finest when the playoffs roll round. Their most-daunting journey of the 12 months could have been the correct first step in direction of that purpose.