Celtics hold off James Harden, Clippers late to claim rare clutch win

Jaylen Brown was glorious

On a day when the Celtics actually wanted somebody to don a cape and pull them out of their clutch-time woes, Brown was up for the problem. 

Brown scored 13 of his 33 factors within the fourth quarter, and whereas his general totals weren’t notably environment friendly (33 factors on 33 pictures, 1-for-7 from three, 4-for-7 from the free-throw line), he continued to utterly demolish groups from the mid-range. Brown is carving himself out a spot amongst former Celtics like Isaiah Thomas and Paul Pierce as elite at discovering the spot he needs to get to through the use of his physique and a bag of tips, after which scoring from it though the protection is aware of the place he needs to be. 

Crucially, Brown additionally performed spectacular protection and pulled down 13 rebounds. 

“The one factor he cares about is profitable,” Joe Mazzulla stated afterward. “He’s discovering an awesome stability of placing us in place to win, empowering his teammates, and doing what he must do in video games for us to provide us a shot. So 13 within the fourth quarter and on the identical time, taking part in protection, getting steals — all he cares about is profitable and going about it the best manner, and that’s a credit score to him.”

Brown — who was a spot-up shooter his rookie yr and got here off the bench in his second season earlier than rising into his present famous person standing — fairly accurately identified that he has performed various roles all through his profession. 

“I’ve been a lockdown defender and scorer and catch-and-shoot man, come off the bench,” he stated. “I really feel like I’m an all-around participant. This yr is extra of a problem of your endurance. That’s it.”

Derrick White was, too

The primary 13 video games of the season haven’t been the smoothest transition for White into an even bigger function, however Sunday’s recreation was an encouraging glimpse into what the Celtics hope to get from White. He completed with 22 factors on 7-for-17 taking pictures whereas flirting with a triple-double (seven rebounds and 9 assists), and he blocked a pair of pictures. Importantly, he was additionally 4-for-8 from behind the arc.

White was notably good within the pick-and-roll, which is large for a Celtics staff that leans closely on Brown’s means to create offense for himself. Probably the greatest issues about Jayson Tatum as a famous person is his means to be each a shot creator and a facilitator, and White choosing up the slack is an enormous contribution. White discovered Neemias Queta 3 times and Luka Garza as soon as rolling to the basket, and he assisted on three of Pritchard’s threes in addition to one by Baylor Scheierman – all of which had been high-value, high-impact assists. 

It may be straightforward to overlook that the season continues to be extraordinarily younger. If White can absolutely acclimate himself to every thing the Celtics want from him over the following few weeks, brighter occasions could lie forward.

Payton Pritchard acquired sizzling (once more)

The identical may be stated of Pritchard, whose numbers are inching tantalizingly upward over the past week.

The flammable guard had his finest recreation of the season on Sunday, scoring 30 factors on 10-for-16 taking pictures, which included eight 3-pointers on 13 makes an attempt. Within the third quarter, Pritchard acquired notably sizzling with 14 factors and 4 triples within the first 4 minutes of the quarter because the Celtics swelled their lead as excessive as 24 earlier than the Clippers started to slowly, inexorably stroll it again down. 

When Pritchard makes 3-pointers, the Celtics’ offense — naturally — turns into much more harmful, and the Clippers started overreacting to Pritchard’s gravity. White sprang free for a layup when the Clippers overpursued Pritchard round a display, and his 3-pointers allowed the Celtics to briefly put some actual distance behind themselves. 

Pritchard is now taking pictures 47.6 % from three in his final 5 video games, even with 1-for-6 and 1-for-5 performances sandwiched within the center. 

“It’s inevitable,” Mazzulla stated of Pritchard and White’s latest surge. “They work too arduous and so they’re too good of gamers. They’ll go up, they’ll go down, however on the finish of day, they’ll make performs, and we’ve simply acquired to execute as a staff.”

Jordan Walsh defended James Harden effectively

Whereas Harden went off within the fourth quarter, solely one in all his 9 subject targets within the recreation got here when Walsh defended him from the beginning of the possession (a late layup when he scooted by the 21-year-old and completed on the rim). Harden additionally made a 3-pointer early in opposition to a contest by Walsh, however Walsh needed to vary over from his personal defensive project after getting switched off Harden to make that occur. 

Harden, like various different stars within the final couple of weeks, struggled in opposition to Walsh size, athleticism, exercise and defensive IQ. Whereas the Clippers star did draw a number of journeys to the free-throw line in opposition to Walsh (together with three essential free throws late that officers reviewed and cleared for a flagrant foul in a dicey second), Walsh drew reward, albeit of a considerably measured kind, from Mazzulla.

“It’s simply Jordan’s means to remain disciplined all through your complete factor – he’s simply displaying a real mindset into taking that on and having the professionalism and the toughness to try this each night time,” Mazzulla stated. “So we don’t inform him something due to all the opposite stuff he’s completed. He had six defensive rebounds, two offensive, and he’s doing extra than simply guarding the staff’s finest participant. …

“So that you pat him on the again and inform him to get higher.”

Derrick Jones Jr. acquired damage, and it didn’t look good.

The Clippers have had greater than their justifiable share of accidents through the years, and this season isn’t any exception. Kawhi Leonard sat out his seventh straight recreation as he offers with an ankle harm, and Bradley Beal was not too long ago dominated out for the season after fracturing his left hip. 

Then, within the second quarter of Sunday’s recreation, the Clippers may need picked up a brand new one: Derrick Jones Jr., who appeared to get badly damage in a freak accident. As Brown pursued a unfastened ball, he fell to the bottom and reached out to attempt to seize it. As he stretched, nevertheless, he landed awkwardly on Jones’ leg, and the ahead twisted away. Instantly, Jones crumpled to the ground in apparent ache, and after a timeout, he was helped to the locker room apparently unable to place any weight on his leg. 

The Clippers didn’t instantly announce something, however the sequence was regarding. Right here’s hoping Jones is okay. 

A really Joe Mazzulla tackle “enjoyable“

After the sport, a younger reporter from Sports activities Illustrated Children requested Mazzulla how he balances pushing gamers to enhance whereas protecting issues enjoyable.

Mazzulla admitted he struggles with that.

“I believe enjoyable is a cop out generally,” he stated. “When issues aren’t going effectively, all people likes to say, ‘Effectively, let’s simply have enjoyable.’ And it’s like, ‘Effectively, what does that imply?’  I believe you must outline what enjoyable appears like as a staff, and then you definitely sort of must go after that. 

“However that phrase could be a cop out generally, in order you become old, child, don’t use it. Say ‘I simply wish to have enjoyable,’ it’s like, effectively, what does that imply? So, you’ve simply acquired to outline that. It’s an excellent query. I battle with that.”

In case you predicted that Mazzulla would inform a baby reporter that “enjoyable” is a cop-out idea, congratulations: You had been completely appropriate. 

What’s subsequent

The Celtics face the Nets on Tuesday in Brooklyn earlier than returning to TD Backyard to face the Nets once more as a part of the NBA Cup group play. They’ll get a go to from the Magic subsequent Sunday.