Everything you need to know about the Celtics win over the Hornets, with BSJ insight and analysis
IN A NUTSHELL
A hot-shooting first quarter and strong attacking offense gave the Hornets a two-point first-quarter lead and kept them close the entire first half. The Celtics got a little separation thanks to a late run to close the half and took a six-point lead into halftime. The teams alternated runs in the third, with Boston ultimately adding 10 to their lead thanks to a big quarter by Kristaps Porzingis. Sam Hauser’s shooting helped salt things away in the fourth.
Box Score
HEADLINES
- Staying the course: The Hornets came out hot, but Boston didn’t change its approach and never overreacted to what was happening early. They took the opening punch and then held the Hornets to 21, 26, and 25 after allowing 32 in the first quarter
- Points in the paint: The Celtics lost that battle 34-18 in the first half, but in the second, they flipped that around and won 26-14. That's a combination of better defense and the Celtics attacking on offense.
- Going with what works: There were very distinct stretches of this game where one chunk belonged to Derrick White, another belonged to Porzingis, and another belonged to Hauser. Jayson Tatum was a constant, but it’s fun to see the Celtics just go to what works, and then when the other team adjusts, they easily flow into something else.
TURNING POINT
The Celtics went on a 14-4 run starting with just under 10 minutes to go in the third to open up a 14-point lead. The Hornets did manage to get it under double-digits, but the Celtics answered. That initial run gave Boston control of the game and they were never really in any danger after that.
THINGS I LIKED
- Jayson Tatum: Aside from a couple of selfish plays, he gave the game everything it needed without going overboard looking for his own shot. He finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block. He only played 34 minutes, which is great on a night they didn’t have Jaylen Brown, because it means the non-Tatum minutes went well enough where he didn’t have to bail his teammates out.
- Sam Hauser: He has really improved in his time in the NBA. He’s now deadly on the move as well as spotting up. His footwork is great. He’s one of the feathers in Brad Stevens’ cap.
- Kristaps Porzingis: He punished mismatches and drew a few fouls on his post ups. The Hornets went small and he made them pay for it.
- Derrick White: 19 points, nine rebounds, five assists. He had a stretch where his 3-point shooting helped keep things close while the Hornets were hot. He also hit a $500,000 bonus for hitting his 185th 3-pointer of the season, so congrats on the extra pocket cash.
- Al Horford: A casual 15/5/3 for him, and his scoring involved a nice variety of buckets. He had a baseline cut for a layup, a couple of post-ups, and was 3-6 from deep. He was also a central character in this play:
THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE
- Early defense: I felt like they were a little loose at the point of attack, and that's what led to a lot of the early points in the paint. It’s a familiar story for the Celtics when things aren’t on point on the ball. They allow dribble penetration, someone steps up to help, and either (a) the Celtics are out of position for a rebound as they were a bunch in Atlanta, or (b) they are out of position for dump-offs and alley-oops like they were early in this game.
It wasn’t that big of a deal, but it’s just something that stood out.
HIGHLIGHTS
ONE TAKE KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
- The Celtics have some tough playoff decisions to make
Hauser is making a strong case for being part of a playoff rotation. Payton Pritchard has done the same. In games throughout this trip, we’ve seen each of them continue to make strong cases for their inclusion into the playoff rotation.
The big question is how they crack that top seven.
Let’s do a quick breakdown:
There are five players on the court at any one time, and there are 48 minutes in a game. So there are 240 minutes per game to be distributed.
Tatum and Brown will get at least 40 each (probably more, but let’s use round numbers for now). We can probably expect 40 for White, who is durable and very important on both ends. That brings us down to 120 remaining for Porzingis, Horford, and Jrue Holiday.
I’d expect 35 each for Porzingis and Holiday is fair, which leaves 50 left.
I’m assuming 30 for Horford, which leaves 20 left for a seventh player. We might be able to tweak Porzingis and Holiday down on certain nights, which would leave some for Hauser or Pritchard, but that could open the door for Luke Kornet as well.
I can’t fathom Hauser getting DNPs when he’s been shooting this way, not to mention rebounding and defending well, but that's how it might go.
Hauser and Pritchard are making strong cases for inclusion. It might just depend on who has it going that particular night. One of those guys might have to sit and watch playoff games, which will be tough but that's how things might shake out.
Next up: The Celtics return home to take on the OKC Thunder Wednesday night. A win would give Boston the top overall seed.
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