#1 – Early game trouble
As it was highlighted by Gray Washburn in the press conference after the game, it’s rare for Joe Mazzulla to call multiple timeouts so early in the game. However, pretty quickly, the Celtics were falling behind, especially because of their offense. As the Celtics head coach said, there were too many “empty possessions.”
Looking back at the film, most of the shots prior to that second timeout were contested pull-up shots or floaters, but rarely open opportunities or layups at the rim. The Hawks did a great job of contracting the space without leaving too much gap to the shooters.
Right after the timeout, it was yet another missed pull-up from the mid-range, but this time the Celtics crashed the glass and extended the possession for a Hugo Gonzalez three-pointer.
#2 – Quick adaptation
To get back in the game, the Celtics needed to find a way to the rim. For that, they used the Hawks’ coverage against them. As the Hawks were willing to switch over screens, the Celtics multiplied the cuts and increased the movement while obtaining the matchup they wanted.
On the play below, the screens on the strong side of the court create a switch that gives Luka Garza a big size advantage on Gabe Vincent. This makes it easier for Derrick White to find him on the cut and finally get a shot at the rim for the Celtics.
The Celtics used that momentum against the Hawks bench to get going and make the most of the mistakes. Here, Jonathan Kuminga jumps on the fake and White drives right away for another layup. The Celtics were finally able to get deep into the paint.
The lack of good execution on switches was perfect for the Celtics offense, and showed how deep the Celtics can be. While the starters struggled a little at first, the bench rolled over the Hawks. Here, the switch is completely broken and Garza gets a free roll to the rim.
This run was fueled by a man who was craving buckets, Payton Pritchard.
#3 – MVPayton the tornado
Of course, it had to be him to conclude the first-quarter run.
But he was just getting started, as the guard ended up with 36 points last night. Often, Joe Mazzulla talks about creating good looks early in the possession. Well, look at PP here going full speed on that handoff with Garza. The defense isn’t even set and he scores right at the rim. The early bird gets the worm, right?
Then, a little give-and-go early in the possession. As he passes to Jayson Tatum, PP uses the flare screen from Neemias Queta to get enough space for another bomb.
Here, the action starts a bit slow as he runs a first ball screen with Tatum. He sees space to attack, so he swings it to the side, but immediately cuts and gets the ball back for another layup.
And he kept attacking the Hawks like this all night until the final buzzer. Great game from PP with Jaylen Brown sitting out. But while the scoring is what stands out, he impacted the game in other ways.
#4 – Pritchard beyond the scoring
Joe Mazzulla was right, the 36 points will make the headlines, but some plays had an even bigger impact on the game. In the second half alone, he created four extra possessions with offensive rebounds.
He also put his body on the line late in the game to force a foul on Nickeil Alexander-Walker that created a much-needed extra possession.
This extra effort from one of the smallest guys on the court speaks loudly to the commitment to winning and doing what it takes to put the team in the best position possible, with or without the ball.
#5 – Roaming off Dyson Daniels
The other big factor in the game was the Celtics’ defensive plan against the Hawks — and once again, it was about how they mixed matchups. As expected, they put Neemias Queta on the Atlanta Hawks’ worst shooter, Dyson Daniels. This lack of shooting from the former Pelicans guard created an overload of players in the paint for the Hawks on offense, as Queta was playing the safety.
Yet, what was surprising was Sam Hauser being matched up with Onyeka Okongwu, and the Hawks weren’t going after him to punish the Celtics’ bet. Of course, the Celtics center isn’t known for his post-up moves and isn’t even that tall, but the Hawks could have tried to put pressure on the Celtics’ defensive shell with that size advantage.
The Hawks tried various things to help Daniels. They attacked the Celtics big men with drives, or asked for more movement from their non-shooting wing, but the flow seemed off when the actions involved him, and the paint was full of bodies anyway.
Overall, the Celtics were able to turn him into a non-impact offensive player, forcing others to make the difference from the outside.
#6 – Dealing with Jalen Johnson
A big wing with driving and shooting abilities like Jalen Johnson is tough to handle for any team, but the Celtics had a plan in mind to make sure they gave away the right thing. Early in the game, they were comfortable living with his shooting variance, even as he was making pull-up threes from deep.
On the action above, it is clear that the threat the Celtics identified was his drive, not his shot. The following play speaks even louder. Like against the Thunder, the Celtics sent a lot of help from the nail, closed the drives, and took away the pass to the corner. And if you take away the drives and the corner three from a team… well, there isn’t much hope left.
#7 – Queta the QB
Against a team with a lot of ball pressure, drawing offense around Neemias Queta was smart and worked pretty well. Here, he gets the ball at the nail, and Sam Hauser sets a back screen for Jayson Tatum. The action isn’t well read and that creates a gap for JT’s cut.
Right away, they run the same play again and Queta finds JT deep in the paint so he can use his size and touch to go over Dyson Daniels.
A little later, Tatum returns the favor to Sam Hauser with a screen on the zoom action, and Queta is again the man holding the ball while the play unfolds, like a QB waiting to deliver a touchdown pass.
#8 – Small-ball experiment
With 5 minutes left in the second quarter, the Celtics were up 3 points and then went for a small-ball unit to close the first half. While the score at the break indicates it didn’t go as expected, there are some encouraging flashes and lessons from that stretch.
First, the Celtics — and Jayson Tatum in particular — will need to be more disciplined in these situations where he is the rim protector. Here, he gets caught by Daniels behind him and that’s an easy layup for the Hawks.
At the same time, Jayson Tatum at the five is great for spacing and mismatch hunting. He can be the screener and, depending on the defensive coverage, it creates gaps in the defense. Here, the double comes and he finds Jordan Walsh on the cut.
The Celtics will need to keep working on that lineup because it could be a game changer depending on the matchup when the playoffs come.
#9 – Jordan Walsh delivers
After six games without playing, the opportunity was much needed for Walsh — especially in such a competitive game. And Jordan delivered.
On offense, it was simple and energetic. He made the right reads and took the shots he was supposed to. Most importantly, he showed presence on the offensive glass to generate much-needed extra possessions.
On defense, he was very active but remained disciplined. He had the second-most contested shots for the Celtics and did a great job against the Hawks guards, especially on CJ McCollum. On the play below, he stays connected, navigates the screen the right way, and baits McCollum into a shot that he can block.
Jordan stayed ready and delivered a strong performance with a real impact.
#10 – Another trip, another blast because of you
This three-week trip to Boston to cover the Celtics was, like last year, an immense honor. Every game, I have to pinch myself to make sure it is still real.
However, this experience wouldn’t be possible if all of you weren’t here to read, comment, and react to these articles. So I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to go through these lines.
The kid I was back in my French Alps wouldn’t have dared to dream about an opportunity like this, and you made it possible by reading my work on CelticsBlog. I hope I didn’t disappoint.
Thanks.
