No person celebrates losses, not to mention ones within the canine days of March. However in the event you’re on the lookout for indicators about the place this Celtics staff is headed, this street journey supplied loads of these.
The Celtics beat Cleveland to kick off the street journey, however then fell to the highest two groups within the West. They gave one away in San Antonio after Jaylen Brown’s ejection and fell two factors quick in Oklahoma Metropolis with out Jayson Tatum and Derrick White. Nikola Vučević continues to get well from his proper ring finger fracture, so he missed each video games as nicely.
Within the standings, these are simply two losses. Zoom out, although, and this was about as encouraging an 0–2 stretch as Boston may have produced. The street journey received’t fulfill anybody’s urge for food for wins, however this time of yr is extra about determining what you even have, and whether or not will probably be sufficient when the video games begin to actually matter.
If the purpose of this journey was to find out how Boston stacks up towards one of the best of the West, the Celtics got here away with lots to love. They had been short-handed, nonetheless integrating Tatum again into the combo versus San Antonio, and asking a variety of position gamers and younger guys in high-leverage spots. Even so, they appeared aggressive, deep, and annoyingly resilient towards two groups that might completely be enjoying in June.
The Celtics didn’t go away San Antonio and Oklahoma Metropolis with wins, however they did go away with proof that this group is likely to be sturdier and deeper than many people thought — and able to making elite groups uncomfortable even when the circumstances are removed from excellent.
San Antonio examined the Celtics’ composure
The Spurs recreation may have unraveled in a dozen other ways, none of which might have concerned Jaylen Brown being ejected.
Boston was already with out Payton Pritchard and Vučević, then misplaced Brown within the second quarter on a double technical that everybody in inexperienced appeared to search out absurd. Joe Mazzulla had his principal-versus-hall monitor line prepared postgame. Derrick White known as the second tech “bulls—.” Jayson Tatum made it clear he thought the officers had been too wanting to make themselves a part of the present.
As soon as Brown obtained tossed, the Celtics had each excuse to fold. As an alternative, they saved enjoying like they’ve all season.
Which may have been probably the most helpful takeaway from the Spurs loss. Not that Brown obtained a tough whistle or that Victor Wembanyama continues to be a basketball glitch. Not even that White had a season-high 34 and Ron Harper Jr. dropped a career-high 22. It was that Boston obtained hit with a game-altering occasion towards one of many hottest groups within the league and nonetheless made San Antonio work for all the pieces.
Regardless of the early chaos, the Celtics had been tied 58-58 at halftime. White then detonated for 19 factors within the third quarter simply to maintain Boston inside attain whereas Wembanyama saved answering all the pieces with one other three, one other dunk, one other reminder that he’s in some way each monumental and fluid. Tatum, nonetheless on a minutes restriction and nonetheless feeling his method again into recreation form, had a private 7-0 run within the fourth that briefly made it really feel like Boston would possibly pull it off.
The loss uncovered the margin for error towards elite groups, certain, nevertheless it additionally confirmed how Boston tends to reply when issues go sideways.
This group didn’t get shell-shocked or flip inward once they obtained thrown a curveball. They didn’t begin enjoying like a staff ready for someone else to reserve it. White saved cooking. Harper saved firing. Tatum saved competing. Mazzulla saved looking for solutions, even when a few of these solutions concerned getting bizarre with matchups and asking extra from Garza, Walsh, and the remainder of the rotation.
There was additionally one thing instructive in how Boston selected to defend Wembanyama. Mazzulla admitted afterward that, “towards a participant like that, you’re continuously deciding what you may reside with”. The Celtics clearly determined that if Wembanyama was going to beat them, they most popular him doing extra harm away from the basket. That gamble burned them as a result of he hit eight threes, nevertheless it wasn’t a loopy gamble. Generally a seven-foot-five alien buries your course of anyway.
The larger takeaway was that Boston stayed linked sufficient to make the sport matter into the ultimate minutes even after dropping Brown and coping with Wembanyama together with his chaos dial turned as much as eleven.
Sure, there was loads of frustration afterward in regards to the officiating and the way the sport unfolded. That was unavoidable, and arguably warranted. However beneath that frustration was one thing else: the Celtics gave the impression of a staff that believed that they had let a winnable recreation slip away.
That’s really a fairly wholesome signal.
Oklahoma Metropolis confirmed how actual Boston’s depth is likely to be
If the Spurs recreation felt like a bar struggle, the Thunder recreation felt extra like a high-speed chess match.
Boston went into Oklahoma Metropolis with out Tatum, with out White, and nonetheless with out Vučević. The Thunder had been additionally lacking items, however they nonetheless had Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Lu Dort, and one of the best file within the league.
The Celtics nonetheless got here inside one missed Payton Pritchard three of stealing the sport solely.
In actual fact, that is likely to be the largest motive this street journey felt so encouraging. The Thunder recreation was a showcase for all of the gamers Boston will want when the video games begin to tighten up later within the spring. Brown was glorious, pouring in 34 factors and 7 assists whereas mainly dragging the offense by means of lengthy stretches. Pritchard appeared like precisely the form of bench guard each contender needs it had, fearless and twitchy and apparently born to aim unattainable late-clock pictures. Baylor Scheierman saved pulling down huge threes. Hugo Gonzalez gave significant minutes, as did Jordan Walsh. Garza stretched the ground. Queta battled. Ron Harper Jr. saved doing Ron Harper Jr. issues.
That’s a variety of helpful contributions from a variety of totally different locations.
For many of the season, Boston’s depth has been mentioned as a pleasant story. Towards Oklahoma Metropolis, the ‘younger wolves’ appeared extra like a bunch of helpful playoff belongings. Not as a result of Mazzulla goes to run 10 deep in a Finals recreation, however as a result of the Celtics have an actual assortment of gamers who can maintain up when a matchup or harm state of affairs calls for it. In final yr’s playoffs, we noticed simply how severely accidents can change issues immediately.
Boston led 59-56 at halftime largely as a result of the bench had 27 factors and the ball was popping. They had been up 83-80 after three, with the younger guys persevering with to make profitable performs towards one of many league’s most disciplined groups.
Oklahoma Metropolis will not be the form of staff that unintentionally lets position gamers really feel good. The Thunder stress each choice, make easy actions really feel crowded, and switch “respectable” into “a little bit rushed”. That slight rush is usually sufficient to throw a wrench into any offense, however Boston dealt with it higher than I anticipated.
Not completely, in fact. The fourth quarter obtained sloppy and the turnovers had been a problem all recreation. Shai obtained to his spots and appeared, as at all times, like a person working beneath totally different legal guidelines of physics. However the bigger level stays: Boston appeared prefer it belonged in that recreation, and it appeared that method whereas lacking two starters.
There’s one other layer to this, too. The Thunder appeared relieved to outlive. Their followers had been speaking a few Finals preview, whereas their gamers and commenters had been praising Boston’s capturing and toughness. That’s normally an honest clue – nice groups know when one other nice staff has made them really feel uncomfortable.
They usually did it whereas nonetheless very clearly having room to develop. Tatum, White, and Vučević had been all out, which means Brown needed to do an excessive amount of at occasions. Pritchard needed to create greater than standard. The rotation bent in ways in which most likely won’t be needed in a more healthy, extra settled playoff model of this staff.
However Boston nonetheless practically received anyway, and for a loss, that’s about as helpful because it will get.
Two losses, one fairly good reminder
Perhaps the cleanest solution to put it’s this: the Celtics didn’t look overmatched towards the Spurs or the Thunder.
San Antonio and Oklahoma Metropolis are two wildly totally different issues. One can throw Wembanyama at your complete offensive ecosystem and dare you to resolve superior geometry in actual time. The opposite makes each possession really feel sped up and barely merciless.
Boston misplaced each video games, however by no means appeared misplaced. In March, once you’re making an attempt to determine what sort of staff you even have earlier than the playoffs arrive, that issues.
As a result of if these two video games confirmed something, it’s that the Celtics nonetheless seem like a staff no person goes to get pleasure from having to beat 4 occasions out of seven.
