#1 – 60 seconds that says it all
Sometimes, 48 minutes can be sum up in just 60 seconds – and last night’s game against LA was the case. In this sequence, the Celtics are able to take four shots while the Lakers only have one attempt, which is blocked from behind.
The willingness to fight for offensive rebounds and to put pressure from the other side of the court was a big difference-maker for the Celtics against a team that can be elite offensively when they are able to run their usual offense.
The Celtics didn’t let that happen and limited the Lakers to an 89-point game.
#2 – Payton Pritchard’s magic
The level of efficiency Payton is showing since moving back to a 6th-man role is just out of this world. Last night, again, the former Oregon star showed why the Celtics believe so much in him to get the offense going, especially in late-clock situations.
Besides the incredible shooting touch, his ability to create space is what stands out the most this season. At the rim or on the perimeter, his frame, handle, speed, and footwork are working together to create space, even when he seems to be stuck.
As he said, he likes the ball and wants to dance with it — and the ball loves him back.
It’s not just a gimmick, and the shots he is making aren’t just fun highlights for TikTok. He is becoming an offensive threat that the Celtics can rely on to close games because, against the matchup he wants, Pritchard is able to get to his spots and carry the team on his large shoulders.
#3 – Deep touches for Vooch
The other big change in the last few weeks was the addition of Nikola Vucevic, who is also coming off the bench. The former Bull is bringing some post-up gravity, but it is quite different from what we are used to seeing from the Celtics. He gets the ball far deeper than Kristaps Porzingis would.
His post-up positions are deeper in the paint, not at the top of the key. With his low center of gravity (for his size), he can push back players with ease and find deeper positions on offense. This gives the Celtics coaching staff new options for play-calling, like here where, after a timeout, they draw a play to get the ball inside for Nikola.
Derrick White cuts from the right corner to the left as the center sets a screen for him, and then Hugo Gonzalez screens to give Vucevic more space to catch the ball near the rim. Exquisite play call to beat the Lakers’ zone defense.
#4 – Ghost to beat the switch
When the Lakers weren’t in a zone defense, they tended to switch a lot, and the Celtics took advantage of that. Recently, we saw a lot of teams that would rather hedge on the pick-and-roll, leaving the short roll open, but this wasn’t possible against that Lakers defense. So, instead of setting ball screens with their big men, the Celtics went for ghost screens with shooters.
Ghost screens, or slip screens, are very tough to defend for switch defenses because often one of the two players involved forgets to switch, as it doesn’t feel like a “real screen.” However, even if that isn’t a real screen, the confusion between the defenders is enough to create the required space.
On this second example, Queta’s screen creates confusion off the ball, as Luka Doncic expects Deandre Ayton to switch onto Hauser, but the big man follows Neemias Queta and that’s an open shot for Boston.
Here again, this time for White, the Celtics trick the Lakers. Derrick gets close to Luka Doncic as if he were setting the screen, so Luke Kennard gets ready to switch. But Luka doesn’t feel White, so he stays on Pritchard, as there was no “real screen.” The consequence? Yet another 3-pointer for the Boston Celtics.
#5 – Jaylen Brown’s reads
With a bigger volume, the opportunity for Jaylen Brown to learn how to become elite at reading space has been obvious — and he is getting there. There were a couple of actions last night where he looked like one of the great playmakers in this league.
On this first drive of the game, he attracts three defenders and doesn’t have a lot of time to think or space to move. He stops, pivots, finds an open man, and swings the ball to the corner for Baylor Scheierman.
On the pick-and-roll below, he reads the defensive mistake really well. Ayton switches, but Rui Hachimura doesn’t, leaving the roll man alone for a second. Brown sees it and finds a passing lane above the Lakers center, right where Queta needs the ball. Great read again to punish the defensive mistake.
Yet, his passing wasn’t the most impressive part of his game last night.
#6 – Brown’s defense and transition motor
The Celtics’ #7 was the transition motor the Celtics needed to get over that Lakers defense. The All-Star put a lot of pressure on the ball and in the passing lanes, leading to three steals and one out-of-bounds turnover.
In transition, he was able to draw a lot of free throws, which were more than welcome to compensate for his 18 missed field goals. His speed, aggressiveness, and willingness in these fast-break situations really made the Lakers defense collapse and were perfect to punish the turnovers he often created.
#7 – The drop effect
Defensively, the Celtics dared the Lakers to make their pull-ups — and they didn’t. Straight from the jump, Queta was deep in the paint after the Ayton screen, showing LA that if they wanted to win, they had better be ready to make it rain.
Unfortunately for Pat Riley and the Lakers, it didn’t happen. The Lakers shot 37% from mid-range. And, because the Celtics were protecting the paint at all costs, the rim efficiency from the Lakers was very poor compared to their standards.
Indeed, the Lakers are the most efficient team at the rim this season, with 74% on shots within four feet of the basket. Last night, the Celtics limited them to only 55%, and all that without fouling, as the Lakers only took 18 free throws.
#8 – Gonzalez vs. Doncic
It’s hard not to be romantic about basketball. Hugo Gonzalez was a child when Luka Doncic was still playing at Real Madrid, and last night, they faced each other on the biggest stage, in the NBA’s most historical matchup.
The Lakers superstar tried to go after the Spaniard, but most of the time, the young wing was able to hold his ground and not fall into the guard’s fakes.
Even better, he tricked him later in the game with a nice baseline cut while the defense’s attention was on Payton Pritchard and Jaylen Brown.
Safe to say I’m looking forward to their next matchup. In the meantime, Luka Doncic wished him the best of luck.
#9 – Spacing duel
One image means a thousand words, and this one speaks loudly. These possessions came one after another, and it is obvious how much better the Celtics’ spacing is compared to the Lakers’.
With this great defensive presence, thanks to the Lakers’ lack of spacing, the Celtics can concede a mismatch because they can protect it, shrink the space, and cut the passing lanes.
#10 – Mazzulla remaining quiet about JT
CelticsBlog’s Bobby Manning tried to get some input from Joe Mazzulla about Jayson Tatum’s participation in practice, but all he got was a long silence and Joe Mazzulla staring at him.
Even if we don’t have strong insights, it feels like Jayson Tatum’s return could be in the coming weeks.
