#1 – Boston took over the isolation battle
Just a few nights in the past, we had a battle between the Jazz’s ball motion and the Celtics’ extra stagnant method — which was gained by Joe Mazzulla’s crew, taking revenge after a last-second loss in Boston earlier this season. However final evening was completely different — it was a battle between two groups that rely closely on isolation, and Boston took over.
Boston was capable of create much better isolation alternatives due to their spacing and matchup searching. Defensively, they made positive not to surrender the matchup or the area that Kawhi wished, whereas producing probably the most optimized alternatives on the opposite finish.
Isolation goes past one-on-one. Within the fashionable NBA, even isolation isn’t about particular person matchups or old-school duels. It’s about producing the perfect shot doable in your most prolific scorer by way of spacing and matchup benefits. How did the Celtics do it on each ends? Let’s discover out.
Joe Mazzulla went to considered one of his favourite tips final evening and blended the matchups once more. As usually with this method, the purpose is to make use of groups’ offensive weaknesses to guard the paint as a lot as doable.
To start out the sport, the Celtics had Derrick White matched up with Brook Lopez. As the previous Buck isn’t a lot of a post-up menace anymore, White might comfortably defend him on the perimeter. Plus, with Lopez usually appearing because the screener for Kawhi Leonard, this alignment provides the Celtics the choice to change or double utilizing White.
In the meantime, Neemias Queta roamed close to the rim, because the Celtics handled John Collins as a non-shooting menace — a basic transfer from Joe Mazzulla’s teaching employees.
On the primary play of the sport, Lopez, as anticipated, set a display screen for Kawhi. Each White and Brown utilized stress on the ball, briefly leaving Lopez open. Pritchard switched onto him and left Dunn open, as he’s one other non-shooting menace. That gave White sufficient time to recuperate, and the protection was set once more.
Whereas it initially regarded like a defensive thoughts recreation designed to remove the paint, this recreation plan had one other goal: placing an finish to Kawhi’s MVP-level stretch.
#3 – Limiting Kawhi utilization
In the course of the Los Angeles Clippers’ profitable streak, Leonard’s scoring influence was the inspiration of their offense. Over the six video games they gained, he scored at the least 30 factors in 5 of them. The Celtics knew they needed to cut back his scoring and did so collectively, serving to Jaylen Brown fulfill his want to lock him down.
By sending a number of defenders at him as a substitute of respecting each capturing menace, Joe Mazzulla’s employees pressured the Clippers’ supporting forged to take extra pictures than traditional. By pushing the Clippers into an offensive model they didn’t wish to play, the Celtics succeeded in taking away Kawhi’s latest MVP-level influence.
Per Cleansing the Glass, Kawhi’s utilization fee was as much as 36.5% throughout the profitable streak. It dropped to 31% final evening in opposition to the Celtics. An incredible collective effort, led by JB and put in place by the teaching employees.
#4 – Empty-side choreography
The Celtics’ first play calls to start out video games are all the time a pleasure to dissect — they usually provide you with a touch of what they’ll be making an attempt to perform all evening. They opened the sport in LA with an empty-side motion, one other basic from Joe Mazzulla’s playbook. However earlier than the how, let’s give attention to the why.
The purpose of this play is to contain James Harden on protection — extra particularly, his off-ball protection. Like different offensive stars, Harden can lose give attention to that finish. Right here, after the swap onto Jaylen Brown, a miscommunication with John Collins leaves White extensive open.
Just a few possessions later, the Celtics ran the identical play, however this time Harden was hiding on the weak facet. Even then, White drove the ball and Harden was hunted once more. Sam Hauser, now defended by the previous MVP, used Queta’s display screen to relocate to the nook and lose his matchup. White anticipated it, swung the ball, and 6 factors had been generated purely from Harden’s off-ball protection.
Whereas isolation would possibly seize the headlines when speaking about Jaylen Brown’s evening, this play confirmed how properly the Celtics’ teaching employees is aware of easy methods to get him going early.
White dealt with the ball whereas the Celtics set two screens: one by Queta to contain Lopez and his drop protection, and one by Pritchard so as to add confusion.
Due to the stress on the ball, Kawhi helped from the weak facet, leaving JB open for 3. It was a entice — and the Clippers fell proper into it.
#6 – Spain to beat the drop
In opposition to drop protection from Lopez or Ivica Zubac, there was little doubt the Celtics would lean into Spain pick-and-roll actions. These are designed to punish massive males who keep low by putting a shooter behind them.
On this play, discover how Hauser subtly nudges Lopez to power a swap onto Jaylen Brown. That small display screen fully breaks the Clippers’ defensive construction, leaving nobody to tag the roll man, Neemias Queta, who finishes on the rim with area.
With a number of screens, the Celtics pressured the Clippers’ facilities to commit and vacate the paint. On the following motion, they reversed the order. After staggered screens freed White, Pritchard — as a substitute of Queta — set the on-ball display screen, then ran off Queta’s display screen himself.
Pritchard acquired the ball with a step on Kris Dunn, forcing Zubac to assist — and the deal was sealed. The middle was pulled out of the paint, and Queta completed on the rim.
Exhausting to not be romantic about Celtics basketball.
#7 – Factors off turnovers differential
The turnover financial system is a significant component within the NBA. Final 12 months’s playoffs confirmed how groups that shield the ball — just like the Pacers — or generate transition from live-ball turnovers — just like the Thunder — achieve a major edge. Owen Phillips highlighted this throughout final postseason:
“One of many dominant themes on this 12 months’s playoffs from my perspective has been the influence of turnovers on the outcomes of video games. On this 12 months’s postseason, groups are 46-20 once they have fewer turnovers than their opponent. That’s a 70 % win fee — up from 58 % within the common season and 56 % in final 12 months’s postseason.”
Final evening, the Celtics dominated each side of that equation. They dedicated fewer turnovers than LA (six vs. 9), however extra importantly, they capitalized on them. Per NBA.com, Boston scored 20 factors off the Clippers’ 9 turnovers — 16 greater than LA generated from Boston’s errors.
That 16-point differential stored Boston in management all evening, because the Clippers by no means took the lead.
#8 – Offensive rebounding
Rebounding is one other essential a part of the sport — and one which damage the Celtics early within the season. However final evening, it flipped the script, giving Boston 11 extra true shot makes an attempt than the Clippers.
That may sound minor in a blowout, however the recreation remained shut till late within the second half. By dominating the possession battle all through, the Celtics stored LA at arm’s size earlier than Jaylen Brown closed the door.
#9 – The very best offensive efficiency of the season
Let’s step again and take a look at the numbers:
158 factors per 100 possessions (one centesimal percentile amongst all NBA video games this season)68.2% eFG% (97th percentile)7.0% TOV% (98th percentile)42.5% OREB% (ninety fifth percentile)
In opposition to the most well liked crew within the NBA getting into the evening, the Celtics got here to LA and delivered their finest offensive recreation of the season. A powerful assertion to shut a West Coast street journey.
#10 – JB had a message to share
You already know who else had his finest recreation of the season? Jaylen Marselles Brown.
It was his most effective efficiency of the 12 months, scoring 1.61 factors per shot whereas posting considered one of his highest utilization charges of the season at 40%.
As proven earlier, he wasn’t simply scoring in isolation — he was additionally used as an off-ball weapon to punish the Clippers’ aggressive method. He was assisted on 33% of his subject targets, greater than his season common, displaying actual adaptability to the sport plan.
There might be numerous tweets and articles about his historic evening in LA — and no single takeaway can seize all of it — however this was a hell of a response to the Participant of the Month noise.
I’m not normally a fan of off-court narratives and viral debates, however answering with the perfect efficiency of the 12 months in opposition to the league’s hottest crew? Sheesh, JB — you retain shocking me.
