The Way The Celtics Can Still Give You A Heart Attack In A Game That Means Nothing Is A True Gift

Brian Babineau. Getty Images.

Despite the best record in the NBA already being secured which effectively makes the final handful of games on the Celts schedule glorified preseason games, what I'm learning about my sickness is that the same way I live and die with every Summer League dribble, I somehow also live and die with meaningless regular season dribbles.

A normal, logical person should feel nothing in these games, regardless of the result. These are bonus games, times where Joe can try weird shit, some run for the end of bench guys that sat out all year, Jordan Walsh minutes, shit like that. 

And yet, you could have told me my blood pressure last night was that of a Game 7 of the NBA Finals. I know that's not normal. I know it's probably more sad than something to brag about, but I'm just being honest. My heart was racing the same way it was before Derrick White's Game 6 tip in. For a game that meant absolutely nothing.

I think part of it was a little PTSD from the Dejounte Murray game winner a few games ago, but also I think it's because I'm someone who does not care about the context when it comes to the Celts. If the Celtics, in any fashion, are playing a basketball game, I prefer that they win it. Summer League, preseason, the Maine Celtics, it's all the same to me. If we're keeping score in some sort of basketball contest, I would like the Celts to win.

This is also uncharted territory for us as fans. It's not all that often that you basically don't have a game that matters for the entire last month-plus of the regular season. We have entered the part of the season where the team can finally enjoy the fruits of their labor, which is a new dynamic for this era. 

With that is going to bring some hilarious basketball. That's the best way I could describe last night. The starters showed what they had to for the most part, the bench came in and had some moments, and then all hell broke loose. Personally, I had a blast, which is a testament to the beauty of this team. They can even make meaningless games fun, and by fun I mean make your heart feel like it's going to explode out of your chest because they stop scoring for half a quarter and cannot get a stop to save their lives.

And you know what? It was probably the best thing to ever happen 

The Good

- After two games where he was completely manhandled by Clint Capela, Kristaps Porzingis was pretty open about how he was mad at himself because he didn't feel like he played to his level. Since that moment?

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In the 4 games since the ATL losses, KP is back to playing at his level and then some

21.5/10.0/3.5/1.3/2.8 on 62/50% with 1.8 3PM a night

The group of teams this is coming against isn't too shabby either (NO/CHA/OKC/SAC), especially when it comes to physical bigs. KP's been at around 29 minutes a night which to me is a good number to help him continue to get into game shape, and just watching him you see a player that's much more aggressive and physical compared to what we saw against the Hawks.

When Porzingis is making this type of two way impact, it's insane how much it raises the Celtics ceiling. The good part about that is this is the version of KP we've been getting essentially all season. Not only has he embraced being a Celtic, he's delivering. In a weird way, this is sort of like when the Celts brought in Al. Instant connection. He was everything we hoped he would be and more, and in return he loved and embraced being a Celtic. That's what's happening as we speak with Porzingis.

Now, how Brad and Joe handle KP and these last 5 games is all that matters.

On one hand, you need guys to stay in rhythm, especially someone like Porzingis who looks to have found his outside shot again. You can only do that by playing. But on the other hand, you're so close to the playoffs and he's perfectly healthy. These games mean nothing and the games in two means mean everything. I think a fair compromise is 3 of the last 5? Sit NYK (Al plays) and then play the next night against CHA (Al sits)? That's one. Then sit the early game vs WSH in the finale and it's on to the playoffs.

- One of the best parts of this glorified preseason is the fact that we get to see Pro Am Pritchard do his thing. Remember a few years ago when Pritchard was putting up 30+ a night in the Summer League so the Celts sent him home, only for him to go to a Pro Am in Portland and drop 90? 

That's this guy

Why the Kings thought at any point it was a good idea to double off Payton Pritchard and give a 40% 3P shooter a wide open look is beyond me, but Pritchard's game has been so much more than just C&S open 3PA. Sure it doesn't hurt when he has 5-10 nights like he did last night, and his 21 points on 8-16 and just 1 TO in his 33 minutes was certainly great, but it's how he's doing it that shows you the difference.

Now when Pritchard touches the floor, you know immediately you're getting elite on ball pressure. I feel like this is something we've really seen Joe emphasize when it comes to all three of his point guards, whether that's via a press or just unleashing Pritchard letting him create chaos. He's that sneaky combo of small but strong as fuck, and he knows how to use his speed and quickness to really get under a guy. Yes, there will be possessions where the offensive player shoots over him, but his defensive ball pressure overall is a positive.

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Offensively, we're seeing a player that's probably as comfortable with the ball in his hands and running an offense as we've ever seen in his career. Pritchard has fully embraced the Nash dribble, you'll see him dribble through the paint a handful of times a game, and that's helped make him such an improved passing threat. Early Pritchard would simply make a straight line drive, get cut off, pick up his dribble and then pivot a shit ton until someone took a low shot clock contested jumper. Now, Pritchard keeps his dribble, forces the defense to continue to pay attention to him as a scoring threat even while the offense resets.

You combine that with his improved rim finishing, and that's how you get the best season of Payton Pritchard's career.

- It should be noted that once the lead got down to 4 in the 3rd quarter with about 5 minutes left, Joe did not call timeout. It was another opportunity to let his players figure it out and play their way out of it.

The Celts ended the 3rd quarter up 12.

What this tells us isn't that Joe should never call timeouts. The same way when he called one earlier in the game and it didn't stop the run doesn't mean that was a bad decision. The point is it all depends on the flow of the game. Letting the players have situations where they need to figure shit out is good. Having situations where you call a timeout early in an effort to stop a run is good. 

Why some still can't see that when it comes to Joe is a little confusing. It's pretty obvious he has a fairly good grasp on the pulse of his team, and the way he is putting them all in different situations to end the season and prepare for the playoffs is exactly what everyone should want from the head coach.

- Did you know the Celts are 34-2 this season when Al Horford scores at least 8 points? I didn't until I looked it up but that seems like a pretty good record. 

- I'll say this, after some pretty dogshit defense in those ATL losses, the Celts have really locked in on the defensive end over this 4 game winning streak. This time without arguably two All NBA defenders in Derrick White and Jaylen Brown, the Celts only gave up 100 points on 38/33% splits against one of the better offenses in the league. That's big time stuff.

Over this stretch, the Celts are posting a 104.5 DRTG, which is good for 3rd in the league. Opponents are scoring just 109.2 points a night which is 5th, and their 45.2% opponent FG% is 2nd in the league. When it comes to defending the three, opponents are shooting just 34.9% from deep, which is 2nd in the NBA as well over the last 4 games.

I still believe what makes the Celtics devastating isn't their historic offense, it's when they are truly locked in defensively. It's sort of like how the Dynasty Warriors weren't the Dynasty Warriors because they only hit 3s. They became a dynasty because they locked the fuck in defensively and made it impossible for their opponents to score. The defense was their backbone, and the same needs to be true of the Celts moving forward if they want to win the title. 

- Congratulations to Xavier Tillman on his first career Celtics game winner

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It was at this moment that I'm pretty sure my soul left my body. Did I ever think I'd be having an out of body experience in early April in a game that didn't matter? Nope. But that's the beauty of this Celtics season. They are making the impossible seem possible.

The best part of that clip might be the fact that if you look closely, you can see Joe desperately trying to call a timeout once Tillman got the ball. Of course that's the one he doesn't get, and it results in a game winner. 

In terms of the shot, I'd say once Hauser missed/got fouled, I sort of blacked out and stopped breathing. I didn't really understand how the ball came loose in real time because I was too busy going between the plays and the clock every 0.5 seconds. The next thing I knew I saw Tillman rise up and from there the only thing left to do was pray. 

Once I saw the ball leave his hands my brain IMMEDIATELY started doing all of this weird geometry and math trying to determine if it was going in. This was me

I was making launch angle (?) calculations at a speed I didn't know was possible. A play that only took 1 second felt like it took 10 years, and once it dropped it took my body a few moments to even process what we just witnessed. The whole sequence was pure chaos.

The beauty in this game was the following possession was even more chaotic

Only the Celtics could actually get the stop but also kill their entire fanbase all at the same time. Given how many games the Celtics have lost because of end of game defensive rebounding, to see the Kings get that OREB in that spot, I was certain the putback was going in. Once that missed and they still didn't grab the ball I felt my soul once again leave my body. The Celts inability to just be normal, force a miss, and easily grab the rebound is one of the best and worst things about them. At least they remain true to who they are, but christ is that taking years off my life.

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- I've liked what I've seen from Jrue these last few games, especially offensively. Another 5-8 shooting night paired with 7 AST and only 1 TO in his 30 minutes. That's all I'm going to need from Jrue for the next two months. Give me an efficient 10 points and do your think defensively and that should be more than enough.

Any Celts fan who suggests they aren't nervous about his sub 50% TS% over the last 3 playoffs is lying. It's been Holiday's only question to answer since he got to Boston. Everything about his season has been near perfect so far, and I think it's fair to say he's been better than advertised. But he's not here for the regular season. He's here to help them win a title, and his offensive struggles in the playoffs are a question. The hope is this role combined with the spacing he's operating with will make all the difference, and so far this season it has. How it looks in 2 weeks is still TBD.

The Bad

- You'll never believe this but the Celts gave up another 15 OREB and 20 2nd chance points and in turn choked away a big lead and almost lost another game in which they had a 99.9% win probability.

Yes, I know they closed with the bench, but this didn't all happen in the 4th quarter. In quarters 1-3, the Kings had 8 OREB and 16 2nd chance points, and that's when the starters were all active.

It more speaks to the larger trend of what we know gets this team into trouble. Opponent OREB/2nd chance points. Forcing misses, but not getting stops. It's what did them in against the Hawks and it nearly did them in again last night. If it happens in a playoff game, there's a good chance the Celts lose that one as well.

If you were to ask me my biggest concern heading into the playoffs, it's easily opponents living on the glass, especially late in the 4th quarter. I don't know how it couldn't be for anyone who watches this team. It's essentially the one constant in a majority of their losses.

- We as fans deserve answers. What the hell is going on with Jordan Walsh not being passed the ball whenever he's on the court? Why is he getting iced out? The whole game plan should be to play through him whenever he's on the floor. That's how you develop. Having him get some cardio and then just run to the corner only to never be thrown the ball is some bullshit. Let the kid loose!

Summer League and preseason are the times for prospects. That is what we are playing right now, so I need Walsh to actually be allowed to touch the ball.

- This was probably the most obvious "Jayson Tatum is coasting" performance we've ever seen, and frankly I don't give a single shit. Good. Coast away as far as I'm concerned. It feels like we're at the perfect time for another rest day for Tatum now that I think of it. Only 3-15 (1-6) and not all that engaged on either end, this was clearly a "just get through the game" situation for Tatum.

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He was still a +14 in his minutes so it's not like he wasn't impactful, but it also wasn't the best we've ever seen him play, which is why he's in this section. I'm at the point where all I care about is Tatum getting through these last 5 games healthy, if that means he has to coast here and there then so be it.

The Ugly

- I mean, where else would you put a 1-18 (1-13) performance? Hey, if you're going to be bad, at least be historically bad so you'll be remembered forever

Honestly, I didn't have a problem with a single Hauser shot. He could go 0-100 and I still want him taking every open look he gets without hesitation. The man is a lifetime 40% shooter, sometimes the rim has a lid on nit. 1-18 is hilariously bad, but it also puts you on a list with some Celtics greats so that's also pretty cool. 

Yes, deep down that's the type of cold streak we all fear shows up in a playoff game, but I feel pretty confident in saying it most likely won't happen again for Hauser. 1-18? No way. 

- While it's explainable given we were watching the end of the bench against the Kings starters, we also can't pretend like their 4th quarter collapse was good. It was in fact not good. Hilarious sure, but awful basketball. It was tough to see Tillman try and stay in front of Fox who might be the fastest basketball player alive, offensively was some of the worst execution you'll ever see, nobody could make a bucket, everything was contested, there was no ball movement, it's exactly what you see when the Celts blow a 19+ point lead.

I'm pretty sure they didn't score for half a quarter. As a team, they shot 26/10% while also missing 2 FTs. Sure it's great to have exposure to those moments and get reps in it, but let's not pretend like those minutes were good. They were a disaster. The good news is they made enough plays to win, but that entire back half of the 4th quarter was gross. Again, it's mostly what you would expect given who was on the floor for both sides, but bad basketball is still bad basketball.

And just like that, the Celts once again have the longest active winning streak in the NBA. Should they win tomorrow vs POR, it will be their 7th separate 5 game winning streak of the season. That seems pretty good. 

Just 5 more games to go. We're so close.