Finding themselves again: 10 Takeaways from Celtics-Pacers

1. This was one other full victory for the Boston Celtics. In their very own phrases, they performed the suitable manner and did it all through the tip of the sport. Very similar to earlier this season, when the staff went by way of a tough patch and bounced again with some actually good basketball, it appears we’re seeing a redux now.

For a change, these Takeaways aren’t going to give attention to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. That will appear an odd choice in a sport there the 2 stars mixed for 61 factors, however that’s sort of what they do. And to be totally clear, the Celtics stars primarily ran a layup line to the rim. Whereas that’s superior to see, and their particular person shot profiles from this sport are fairly good, a bunch of layups don’t make for overly attention-grabbing clips.

As an alternative, we’re going to offer shine to among the “different” Celtics. Tatum and Brown will present up, as a result of quite a lot of stuff they did was created by others for them, or vice versa. However let’s present some love elsewhere for a change.

2. Derrick White has been indispensable this season. He’s arguably Boston’s most persistently efficient two-way participant. As Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown’s roles have grown on offense, they don’t all the time deliver it 100% on protection. That’s not likely a criticism, however a merely truthful remark, and one which’s true about each foremost offensive engine.

So, that leaves White because the man who most frequently brings it on each ends, even when his offensive peaks aren’t as excessive as Tatum or Brown’s. Right here’s an instance proper from the beginning of this sport. This sequence helped set a tone for the Celtics. This clip begins with the aftermath of White getting considered one of his now-patented strip blocks. It then ends with White making a steal that led to a Tatum bucket:

Good issues occur when White will get the ball in transition, as a result of he understands tempo higher than anybody on the staff:

White additionally has an awesome sense of the place his defender is leaning. If the defender is simply too far someway, White is placing him within the spin cycle:

It is a affected person and terrific discover by White to Brown, who delivers the actually robust end:

3. We stated it after the final sport, however Rob Williams raises the Celtics ceiling. A number of gamers and Joe Mazzulla shouted out Williams being again as giving the staff that further juice they should make their run. These are performs Williams makes for Boston that nobody else does.

Want to scrub up some messiness? Right here’s Williams to dam the shot together with his forearm:

Derrick White is aware of what he needs right here the entire manner, as did Jaylen Brown on the preliminary drive. Finally that endurance pays off with everybody’s favourite lob to Rob:

Creating further pictures is considered one of Williams’ specialties. It is a good offensive rebound and an awesome go to Grant Williams for the second-chance dunk:

Eight rebounds and three blocks are nice from Williams. However what’s actually eye-catching is that he had three steals. Meaning he’s energetic and fast and making issues messy for the opponent. That’s the sort of game-wrecking power the Celtics want him to be to get again to the Finals.

4. Means again when, your intrepid writer wrote about how the Celtics had cracked the code on three-point protection. For years, Boston ranked within the top-10 in three-point protection, which is often a stat largely attributed to luck. However the Celtics had been doing it in another way from different groups.

Properly, they’re again to it once more this yr too. After weeks of sitting in the course of the pack, Boston has amped up their efforts on the arc. They held the Pacers, one of many league’s prolific three-point-bombing groups, to simply 4-of-26 from deep. That effort moved Boston as much as seventh within the NBA in opponent three-point share. That’s a part of a gentle climb and an indication that the Celtics are rounding into defensive type once more.

5. Marcus Sensible’s stat-line from this one is fairly understated. He had 5 assists and three steals, however solely took three pictures. However that’s in some methods, the proper Sensible sport. He was energetic on protection, and did a pleasant job taking Tyrese Haliburton out of his sport earlier than Haliburton sat for the evening.

And Sensible made some stat performs too. That is good basketball. Jaylen Brown hits the paint, then Sensible makes the additional go to get Derrick White an awesome look:

This steal is usually being in the suitable place on the proper time, however Sensible is all the time in the suitable place on the proper time when he’s on his sport. What’s actually enjoyable is the go he loops to Jayson Tatum for the layup:

Sensible and White are beginning to develop some nice chemistry now. Sufficient so, that you just need to see them keep the beginning backcourt for so long as issues preserve rolling alongside:

6. Al Horford is a treasure. He does so many issues to assist the Celtics win. A type of issues is setting screens to get his teammates going.

It is a huge pin-down display that frees Jaylen Brown up simply sufficient for the triple:

Jayson Tatum has gotten actually good at working behind a transition display from Horford:

This late in a blowout, Horford doesn’t care about his personal numbers. He might have popped out when the protection made no effort to path him off a display from Tatum. However as a substitute, Horford flows direct into one other display, which permits Derrick White to dribble right into a pullup three:

7. After all, Al Horford makes many extra direct performs as nicely. It is a good effort to get for the rebound, then it’s an ideal TD go dropped on Jaylen Brown:

That is simply Horford being smarter than the protection. He units an unused display in transition and when the defender stays with the cutter, Horford merely pops again for his personal shot:

And, like the great Crew Dad that he’s, Horford is all the time there to scrub up a multitude:

8. Okay…so we lied…we’re going to focus a Takeaway on Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Nevertheless it’s not about them scoring. It’s about them making issues occur for others.

Brown might have shot this, however outdated pal Aaron Nesmith did a pleasant job chasing over the staggered screens. Brown as a substitute drops it again to Al Horford for the higher look:

Brown’s playmaking has hit a brand new degree. That enables Boston to make use of actions the place quite a bit is going on. Watch this set a few occasions to see all of the participant motion because the Celtics learn and react to the protection:

Extra actions the place Tatum and Brown display for one another are creeping into the Celtics offense. This one is off-ball, which makes it much more enjoyable. Have a look at how a lot Indiana overreacts to this, which leaves Tatum huge open:

When your stars are keen to set off-ball screens, everyone seems to be keen to set off-ball screens:

9. That is only a fast, however delicate factor right here. Grant Williams has been experimenting with a no-dip shot an increasing number of lately. It’s one thing among the finest spot-up shooters use quite a bit, as a result of it permits for getting a shot off towards tighter contests. It takes time to good, however Williams appears to be getting it down:

10. The Celtics are discovering themselves once more. Even when late-February and early-March had been irritating, because it felt like Milwaukee and Philadelphia had been going to roll into the playoffs, Boston is getting there now too. One might even make a case that the others might need peaked too early. We gained’t, as a result of the Bucks and 76ers are good groups and can be a handful within the playoffs.

However the primary factor is the Celtics are trying quite a bit just like the Celtics once more. And the staff appears to have adopted a really Patriots-like one-game-at-a-time method. By focusing solely on the following sport, Boston can get locked in general. That’s a playoff mindset at work.

The Celtics are again at it with an early 6:00 PM ET tip on Sunday towards the San Antonio Spurs. We’ll see if the constructive momentum can proceed by way of the tip of the weekend.