Sad news: The Boston Celtics have just dismissed one of their best talents, who…
Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic were at their best when they played for the Boston Celtics. They both read plays quickly, scored at a high rate, and exploited weaknesses in Boston’s defense. Star players occasionally get hot, and you can’t make them stop. All you can do in such a situation is attempt to make life as difficult as you can and accept the outcome.
Of Murray’s 21 shots, 15 were made. Jokic made 14 of his 22 shots. It’s not as though they were encountering a weak defense and easy lanes. It’s not meant to sound dismissive, but at that point, that’s just how it is. In an attempt to outperform two star players, you shift your focus to the supporting cast and try to minimize their influence.
Denver’s remaining lineup was rendered useless by the Celtics. Aaron Gordon had a 0 for 6 game. Two out of six was Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Reggie Jackson had two of four. Peyton Watson scored 4 out of 11. Michael Porter Jr. managed to obtain his pails.
Regretfully…
#2 Jaylen Brown encountered difficulties.
He wasn’t too bad. He was just not the Jaylen Brown of the past few months that we had grown accustomed to. The Nuggets defense deserves praise for their ability to limit his athleticism and pressure his shot attempts. Still, Brown will be assessed on these kinds of games. Playing on your home court against top competition, you have to figure out how to make an impact.
This can involve playing more defensively, being more active off the ball, cutting, or being on the glass. Brown was occasionally a bystander to the game. But that’s not entirely his fault. Throughout the game, Joe Mazzulla made a number of adjustments, but none of them directly involved Brown. His teammates also didn’t try to move him to better positions.
Still, this was one of his worst performances of the year. He is very good, as we know. We are aware of his abilities. He must now compete against the greatest of the best. Still, there will be plenty of time in the postseason for that.
#3 Tatum’s scoring disappeared, but he still made a contribution.
It wasn’t just Brown who was having a poor game. Additionally, Jayson Tatum had trouble scoring. His attempt at the perimeter was failing. Additionally, he struggled to finish around the rim consistently and to fight through contact. Tatum, though, discovered other means of having an influence. In terms of deflections, he led the game. He got back up. He played defense with hustle. And he made things for other people.
Here’s a good illustration of how Tatum was improving defense. Jokic has discovered a means to break through defenses and move into the paint. In order to force an inbounds play and deflect the ball, Tatum patiently waits for the pass to be made before scurrying over from the weak. This gives the Celtics time to reposition their defense and try to get a stop.
When a star player is involved, we frequently miss the small moments like these. In Tatum’s case, the main talking point will probably be his breakaway dunk that resulted in a technical foul. Still, Tatum filled in for Brown on a night when both of them were having trouble shooting the ball.
Naturally, it would have been ideal if Murray and Jokic’s production had been equaled by Boston’s two best players. However, there will be more chances to recover.
#4 A pair of superior defenses
The Celtics have scored 50, 60, and 70 points by halftime. Denver shut them out for four complete quarters at 100. Right now, the Nuggets’ defense is ranked 12th in the league. Boston’s defense is ranked second. Both are anticipated to put up a strong fight in the NBA Finals. It therefore made sense that we witnessed both sides step up their game and try to send a message.
Today’s takeaways are mostly written because I wanted to share some specific clips about the defensive execution, but the NBA site hasn’t released the video yet.
I did, however, enjoy the battles we saw. Mazzulla and Mike Malone experimented with things. A few adjustments were made. They set up counters. The fact that so many players had difficult shooting nights is explained. Because you would expect Murray and Jokic to miss when they were making shots, that’s what makes their scoring so frustrating.
#5 Kristaps Porzingis was radiant.
As Brown was having trouble, Porzingis assumed the role of Boston’s primary first-quarter scorer. He made all of his free throws and finished with 15 points on 4-of-5 shooting. The big man struggled more to navigate multiple coverages during the remainder of the game. But he finished the game as one of Boston’s stronger players and mostly held his own against Nikola Jokic, who was difficult to contain for whoever was assigned to guard him.
All the same, the Celtics passed this test well. It was a match between two elite big men. Both teams like to establish advantages on the perimeter before attacking the openings in the lanes, and they both try to use their spacing to stretch the defense.
Porzingis handled the floor expertly. A willing screener, that is. shielded the edge. and took full advantage of his offensive openings.
#6 Getting Nerdy About It: Acts on the Wedge
Tatum or Porzingis entering the post is one of Boston’s greatest weapons. It makes sense that they started the game with one of them as they’ve been excellent from that area of the court this season.
