#1 – Turnovers battle
Going into the game, there was one certainty: this game would be about turnovers and taking care of the ball. While the Boston Celtics are among the very best teams at protecting the basketball, the Portland Trail Blazers are the team with the highest turnover rate in the league.
Nonetheless, they are also very aggressive and have shown throughout the season that they can force teams to lose focus and turn the ball over more often than usual. And that is exactly what happened last night at the TD Garden. The Celtics posted their fourth-worst turnover rate of the season, at 17% – back in December in Portland, they had the same issue with a 19% turnover rate. But this time, they were able to get the W despite their turnover problems.
What helped is that the Celtics also did a very good job of punishing Portland’s inability to protect the ball, forcing 18 turnovers from the young team while allowing only 17 assists. The Celtics’ defense was on point last night, and it all started by daring the Blazers to make their jump shots.
#2 – Making the most of the lack of shooting
Very early in the game, the Celtics decided to live with shooting variance and dare the Blazers to make their shots – or to drive into a crowded paint.
That approach forced a different shot profile than usual for the visitors. Usually, they are among the teams with the highest volume of shots at the rim (34% rim frequency). Yet last night, Boston took the rim away from them, and the Blazers’ lack of shooting made that easier, as they are dead last in three-point percentage at 33.7% since the start of the season.
Overall, this worked out pretty well on the defensive end, with only 94 points allowed, as the Blazers made just 25% of their attempts from deep. On the other side of the court, the defensive coverage was quite different.
#3 – How to deal with aggressive coverage
Similarly to what the Brooklyn Nets tried a few nights ago, Portland chose to be aggressive on the ball-handler in pick-and-roll situations. Often, the goal was to force Jaylen Brown to give up the ball and slow down the offense.
Against such coverage, the Celtics decided to go with Sam Hauser as a screener. This created a trap for the Portland defense because, as they sent two players at the ball-handler, it freed Hauser just a few meters from the ball – and he loves to convert from these situations.
Because of those consequences, the Blazers adjusted. Instead of sending two players straight away, they waited a little before committing the second defender, making the pass to Hauser impossible. And this is where Boston’s team IQ comes in. Because Hauser knows he can reach the ball, he runs to the free-throw line to give Brown an easier pass against the trap.
From that situation, the Celtics create a four-against-three advantage, and that leads to another open shot for Mazzulla’s team.
#4 – Living with the mid-range against the drop
While the Celtics generated great shots against aggressive coverages, I had more mixed feelings about their approach against drop coverage. The Celtics took 26 mid-range shots in the second half of the game and made only eight of them.
Yes, the Celtics like these short and long mid-range zones, but it can be a trap. These shots are less efficient than drives to the rim and do not generate free throws. It also sometimes felt like Portland were dictating where the shots were taken, rather than the opposite.
This, combined with the high number of turnovers, helped the Trail Blazers stick around until the end.
#5 – Rookie push
Yet, despite some trouble on offense, the Celtics could always count on the push from their high-energy rookies. Hugo Gonzalez and Amari Williams brought the juice needed to impact the game on both ends. On this first play, they saved the possession after Jaylen Brown struggled to keep the ball alive.
On the very next possession, they forced a jump ball that was won by JB, allowing Boston to get the ball back quickly.
As usual, Hugo brought the energy on the offensive glass and forced offensive fouls, but Amari also made his mark. On this play, he protected the rim, triggered a transition, ran the floor to offer an option below the rim, and scored the and-one. A five-point swing within a few seconds – instant impact.
But Amari wasn’t the only one who created a five-point swing within a few seconds.
#6 – +5 in the last seconds of quarters
Against an aggressive opponent at the end of the first quarter, Anfernee Simons drove to his right and triggered Toumani Camara’s stunt, leaving Pritchard alone. The help from the corner was too far away to disrupt PP’s quick release, and that was the first buzzer-beater of the night.
Twelve minutes later, Payton hadn’t scored another bucket since his buzzer-beater in the first. With only a few seconds remaining before halftime, he quickly pushed the ball up the floor and didn’t hesitate to drive… almost lost the ball, but secured it just in time to fade away for another buzzer-beater.
A five-point addition in the final seconds of both quarters, in a game decided by fewer than 10 points – a game changer.
#7 – Fighting back in transition
Those buzzers weren’t the only illustration of the Celtics’ willingness to fight for that win last night. While their transition defense can sometimes be sloppy, that wasn’t the case against Portland. The Celtics were able to contain the young team’s desire to run and limited them to just 1.05 points per possession in transition, compared to 1.53 points per transition possession for Boston’s offense.
One of the leaders of that effort was Simons, despite being targeted every time he was on the court.
#8 – Portland attacking Simons
Maybe it was ego, maybe it was tactical, but Simons’ former teammates definitely went after him when he was on the court, especially in the second half with Jerami Grant.
Yet Simons made sure to show his former team that, despite his smaller frame, he is becoming a much better defensive player in Boston. He fought well through screens and did his best to stay in front of his matchup, even against bigger players. In the end, the Trail Blazers scored a few baskets and got to the free-throw line by targeting him, but Simons’ efforts were impressive.
#9 – White saving the day
Despite losing the ball on nine possessions throughout the game, it was Derrick White who saved the day against the Trail Blazers. First, with a three, then after another smart action from Hauser, who asked for the ball at the free-throw line to swing it to White for the dagger.
Then came the steal to seal the deal. Notice how the Celtics’ coaching staff matched him up with Williams, knowing he would be involved in the play, either as a passer or a screener.
#10 – Thank you Jrue
A very well-deserved standing ovation for Jrue Holiday was the least Boston could do to celebrate the man – and the player – that he is. On and off the court, Jrue had a huge impact on the Celtics and was one of the keys to banner 18.
