Joe Mazzulla’s approach won Celtics both preseason games against the Nuggets

61 threes.

The Celtics shot two greater than they ever had in an everyday season sport on Friday. Somewhat than simply blindly testing the boundaries of Joe Mazzulla’s quantity taking pictures philosophy, the barrage occurred inside the stream of the sport. Boston hauled in 17 offensive rebounds, kicked them out and added extra taking pictures alternatives by forcing 23 Denver turnovers within the opener.

Two days later, an identical end result adopted. The Celtics tried solely 47 on Sunday at a 38.3% charge. The Nuggets narrowed the battle on the offensive boards, which ended tied 24-24 by two video games, whereas the turnover battle went 24-43 in Boston’s favor. An in depth consideration to these particulars strengthened the Celtics’ expertise benefit over the sector on their solution to a championship in June. Practically 4 months later, it powered preseason wins.

“We have been up seven at halftime,” Mazzulla stated after Sunday’s win. “However we have been shedding the shot margin and we gave them like 18 extra free throws than we had.”

The Celtics didn’t dominate the margins Mazzulla has talked about since ascending to the top teaching seat. The Nuggets dominated Boston in free throw makes an attempt, 53-29, for a 14-point benefit throughout two video games. However the Celtics’ 54-point edge by threes far outsized that. That’s the largest cause Mazzulla prioritized the three to start his tenure.

Solely 32.8% of the Celtics’ three-point makes an attempt went by on Friday, however an aggressive effort on the offensive glass counteracted the misses, all whereas managing the defensive glass with Kristaps Porziņģis and Al Horford out. Boston diminished its personal turnovers all the way down to eight on Sunday, which allowed them to run the rating up when the Nuggets gave the ball away.

It’s much less threes, threes, threes, and extra possessions, possessions, possessions. Mazzulla, who thrived flipping out-of-bounds calls with challenges final yr, even tried to benefit from a brand new rule that may reverse out-of-bounds calls into fouls on the opposite staff within the first sport. That try proved unsuccessful.

The Celtics constructed their method, partially, to beat an environment friendly taking pictures staff like Denver that they will’t reliably defeat with the within sport and even expertise alone. Two losses to the Nuggets final yr noticed Boston solely common 90 photographs and 41 threes whereas Denver shot over 50% from the sector in each. They stress the rim, power you to double and cross-match you in transition, resulting in some rebounding hassle for the Celtics in spots.

Growing the shot margin labored to counteract all that throughout this weekend’s exhibition, albeit in a preseason setting, whereas integrating youthful and fewer skilled gamers. It’s a troublesome matchup, stylistically, for the Celtics and one which finally pressured them to play the quantity’s sport to win.

“I believe Denver put us in some powerful conditions,” Mazzulla stated. “And uncovered some issues that we will work on the remainder of preseason, due to their personnel and the kind of ways that they’ve. They’re continually testing you. It was actually good to get that on movie.”

One other obvious quantity past the analytics additionally stood out from the world over. The Celtics had extra good gamers than Denver, maybe many extra. Julian Strawther performed nicely and Christian Braun slid comfortably into the beginning unit. Russell Westbrook intrigued enjoying off the bench and subsequent to Nikola Jokić in his Friday look.

But Boston hit them in waves, profitable 135-110 in bench factors. Payton Pritchard pulled the Celtics away with 21 within the first sport, Sam Hauser hit his threes on Sunday and Luke Kornet began each video games, enjoying strong minutes reverse of Jokić as Boston’s third heart possibility. Even Xavier Tillman Sr., the staff’s fourth possibility inside, offered helpful minutes.

Jordan Walsh, stepping up from Maine, performed nicely. Jaden Springer, who made few appearances final yr, contributed some respectable moments. JD Davison arguably flipped Friday’s end result along with his closing effort. The ten-man rotation that Denver courted on Sunday didn’t submit a single optimistic +/-.

That is solely the place to begin. That ball motion (62 AST on 84 FG, 73.8%), that focus to element and that bench contribution may all develop much more. They nearly inevitably will past preseason depth with minimal enjoying time for the starters. Jaylen Brown burdened turning into the smarter staff final season, and the weekend’s execution regarded like a staff that graduated. That’s to not affirm their supremacy over the sector or the inevitability that they’ll repeat. It’s a small pattern, however one which regarded fairly a bit like final yr already.

“Any probability we will get an additional possession or steal a possession, we gotta benefit from it,” Derrick White stated of his personal offensive rebounding. “I watched Payton have loads of success final yr with it, so I assumed I might strive it.”