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JD Davison spoke about winning G League MVP, played late minutes in the Boston Celtics’ loss on Wednesday, then flew to Westchester for Maine’s playoff game.
BOSTON — JD Davison packed up a suitcase and handbag near his NBA locker and prepared to leave for the road. The Celtics two-way guard received G League MVP honors earlier in the week, arrived in Boston to speak about the award, played five minutes at the end of the Celtics’ loss to the Heat then drove to New York City for Maine’s playoff game alongside Jordan Walsh.
That’s the story of Davison’s season — really, his three years with the Celtics. This year, he’s separated himself from the field in the G League, joined the Celtics’ pro roster more than ever before, and been the picture of consistency for both squads. That impressed Joe Mazzulla more than Davison’s 25.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game that made his case for MVP. Davison often boarded early flights to join Boston across the map and returned to Maine at odd times to lead them to a third straight postseason appearance.
“It’s the two-way grind,” Davison told CelticsBlog after the game. “That’s what I signed up for, but you gotta stay locked in, trying to be where your feet are.”
Davison centered his mind on that day-to-day approach after signing a third straight two-way last offseason. He didn’t wonder why no NBA opportunities emerged, lament on remaining the organization’s guard depth chart or the fact that he rarely played rotation minutes with Boston across his first three seasons. Brad Stevens emphasized bringing him back and Davison, who also won a championship ring despite doing most of his work two states north, didn’t hesitate to sign up for another year.
While Jordan Walsh poured a beer on his head in the locker room after Game 5 of the Finals, Davison yelled, “come on, man. Back-to-back, we need this.”
Almost one year later, when Maine’s playoff run concludes and the regular season ends, Davison won’t be eligible for NBA playoff minutes if he remains on a two-way deal. Boston can affirm the work he’s put in and structure he’s provided Maine’s development program by converting him to the 15th roster spot. But either way, the question remains how the former No. 53 overall pick, still only 22-years-old, will make his long-awaited NBA entrance. He said in the past that he doesn’t know what it’ll take. Celtics teammates told our Noa Dalzell that they believe in his NBA abilities. Jaylen Brown, in particular, grew to mentor him.
“Knowing where I want to get to, if you want to be a point guard in this league, you gotta be able to talk and lead the guys,” Davison said on Wednesday. “So, knowing that I gotta do that, night in and night out, I gotta break that (shyness) and try to be the best I can be. Just knowing everybody’s journey is different, I take my days, day-by-day, step-by-step and try to stay in the moment, whether I’m playing in the G-League or whether I’m up with the big club. Trying to just stay in the moment and be me at all times... knowing the end goal.”
Davison’s spot NBA opportunities show the hurdle that remains in front of him. While sparse, limited and tough to draw from given that many came late in games, you can at least see the limitations that will challenge his transition, playing a mostly on-ball point guard role at 6-1 while peaking at 33.2% from three in the G-League. Few pass-first guards without a reliable shot exist in the NBA, and defenses attack scoring weaknesses so aggressively now that many teams won’t let him play through struggles for long.
There’s also an influx of guard talent across the league that grows deeper with each passing draft. Each team has a veteran lead guard or a young point man of the future while position-less basketball pulls in ball-handlers from positions outside of guard. The role Rajon Rondo once filled is becoming increasingly rare across the league.
Dallas could use some depth if Kyrie Irving misses time next year, Portland gave Dalano Banton a chance, Sacramento recently signed Markelle Fultz, Charlotte could use some help at point and Charles Lee’s presence there at least provides a Boston connection. Mike Conley turns 38 next season for Minnesota. The Heat have struggled to find consistent guard play alongside Tyler Herro post-Jimmy Butler. The Jazz love to sign former Celtics.
Then, there’s Boston, facing difficult decisions this offseason that could include moving on from Jrue Holiday, according to Jake Fischer. The Celtics have hyped their track record of funneling talent from the G League to NBA level, and there’s familiarity with Davison. Minutes wouldn’t be guaranteed with Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and perhaps a rookie or veteran addition in front of him, but it’s not unimaginable to think Davison could stay in the mix.
There’s also the reality that G League developments often lead to NBA opportunities elsewhere. The Celtics themselves signed Drew Peterson away from the Heat program. Miles Norris played with Atlanta and Memphis before joining Boston. There’s no clear destination for Davison even with an MVP in hand, but he’s focused on the next city on the map.
During those long waits and travel days, he stretches his legs, talks to his mom on the phone and remembers what he signed up for. Then, he breaks a sweat at the arena, shoots a few shots and he joins the team on the floor for tip-off. Last month, a trip west led to his first significant NBA run alongside Jayson Tatum in the first half at Portland.
“The Utah game, not too long ago, we flew, got delayed, so we had to get a whole other flight, flight had to stop, so we got to the game around 6:30, 6:40, the game started at 7, so we had to throw the clothes on and get on the court,” he recalled. “We drove from Maine, flew from Boston, had a direct flight to Utah and it got cancelled, so we had to get another flight. So we went from Delta Airlines all the way to United Airlines, where the flight was at 12, went from there to Chicago, then Chicago to Utah.”
The Celtics’ guard is the first to have an endorsement deal with the Boston-based company since Larry Bird/
Payton Pritchard has signed a shoe deal with Converse, the brand announced Thursday.
“As a player, I’m always looking for ways to push the boundaries of what’s possible, and Converse shares that same mindset,” Pritchard said in a press release. “I’m excited to join the Converse Basketball family and help inspire the next generation of athletes to find their voice and express themselves on and off the court.”
Pritchard joins the Converse ranks with Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Philadelphia’s Kelly Oubre Jr.
Payton Pritchard has signed a shoe deal with Converse, sources told @TheAthletic. Pritchard joins Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Kelly Oubre Jr. as the Boston brand’s signature NBA players.
"As a player, I'm always looking for ways to push the boundaries of what's possible, and… pic.twitter.com/THWiUStim4
The shoe company is based out of Boston, making the partnership between Converse and the Celtics’ guard make all the more sense. The last Celtic with a Converse shoe deal was Larry Bird.
“With a shared commitment to the sport and our community, Payton and Converse are poised to make an impact in the world of basketball, both here in Boston and beyond,” Converse CEO Jared Carver said in a press release. “As Converse Hoops continues to gain momentum, we’re excited to partner with Payton, amplify his passion and commitment to the game, and inspire a new generation of creatives to follow in his footsteps.”
The deal comes at a great time for Pritchard, who is the frontrunner for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award and is averaging a career-high 14 points on 41% shooting from three.
Prtichard will be sporting the All Star BB Trilliant CX for the remainder of the season.
BREAKING: Boston guard Payton Pritchard has signed a shoe deal with Converse. ✍️@PaytonPritch3 will headline the @Converse All Star Trilliant model for the defending champion Celtics. pic.twitter.com/uvLWIaN41R
If I had to power rank the worst times of the season to be injured, “right before the playoffs start” would be second behind “during the playoffs.” Unfortunately, we have reached the former, and Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown is still battling the lingering knee injury that has plagued him for a large part of this season.
There’s no getting around it: JB hasn’t looked his sharpest over the last month or so. He’s averaging 18.6 points per game, about four less than his season average of 22.4, and has NOT shot the ball well. He’s converted on just 43.7% of his attempts from the field and 28.6% of his threes since March 1.
Brown’s ailment was a major theme throughout his postgame press conference Wednesday after returning from a one-game absence to take on the Miami Heat.
Why?
Well, many would say that one game may not have been a long enough break, considering that Boston is essentially locked into the two seed in the East and has next to nothing left to play for.
Ironically, Brown does have an incentive to continue playing. If he plays in five of the last six games for the Cs, he’ll secure eligibility for All-NBA and All-Defense selections.
When asked about the 65-game threshold influencing his decision to keep playing through pain, he responded with a simple “no.”
If award recognition isn’t a factor, then why continue battling through pain in matchups that won’t mean anything in two weeks?
I am not a doctor. I’m just a guy with a keyboard. However, I’m inclined to agree with my guy Cam Tabatabaie here.
I’ve never heard of anyone playing through knee pain until it’s suddenly feeling better….
Perhaps it’s an issue that needs fixing in the offseason, and rest can’t fully solve the issue, but surely avoiding any extra wear and tear isn’t a bad thing
The last thing anyone wants to see is Jaylen having to miss out on the team’s most important games of the season this spring.
Sitting out just seems like the safest play here.
Unfortunately, this just may be the new (temporary) normal for Brown. Whatever he is dealing with might not be able to heal in the short period between now and Game 1 of the playoffs.
The best way forward may actually be just getting used to battling through the ailment, which is what it sounds like the plan is.
“I was in some pain today, but just pushing through it,” he explained. “Trying to find ways to still be aggressive and add value to the team. But just something I’ve got to work through and manage.”
JB added that he’s been working with doctors and specialists to formulate the best plan for his knee.
The aforementioned stats from the month of March aren’t fun to think about. Jaylen hasn't been able to consistently play at the same level as he did last year, when he won Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals MVP en route to Banner 18.
Boston relied on the big outings that they got from No. 7. They were able to count on him every time they needed a big bucket, like in Game 1 of the Conference Finals when he forced overtime with a clutch three, or in Game 3 of the Finals when he sealed a win for the Cs.
Now, I don’t want to sound like I’m saying he won’t be able to be a factor this spring. I’m writing this after what might’ve been his best game over the past month. Brown was legitimately good against the Heat on Wednesday. He scored an efficient 20 points, grabbed nine boards, and even dished four assists. Plus, JB was the one on the floor leading Boston back from the dead in the second half.
He and the boys weren’t quite able to resurrect the evening, but they sure made it interesting.
Jaylen did his job, that’s for sure.
There also may be something to the “adjust to the pain” strategy we’ve been seeing. Brown has played in four of the Celtics’ last five games and has been better equipped to take care of business.
His overall scoring is still lower than his season average, at 17.8 points per game, but the efficiency is really encouraging. JB has made the most of his 13 shot attempts per outing with 51.9/36.4 shooting splits.
With the amount of talent on this roster, Joe Mazzulla and the Cs should be able to get away with asking less of their star wing in the playoffs, as long as he keeps being ready when his number is called.
Over these final six games, Brown’s continued efficiency is something to watch. Maybe he’s getting more comfortable with the pain, after all.
Miami found its rhythm through smart pick-and-roll play, relentless energy, and elite shot-making. Boston had bright spots, but couldn’t keep pace physically or defensively without its key veterans.
#1 - Boston drop coverage
The first eight points from the Miami Heat were generated from pick-and-roll actions involving Luke Kornet. His defensive assignment was to stay low after the screen, giving Tyler Herro space to either gain speed to drive or pull up for a mid-range shot.
While the analytical approach made sense—since long mid-range shots are the least efficient type—leaving one of the best shooters in the league free to get to his spot so easily can be problematic. Miami’s offense generated a lot of shots in the short mid-range and was highly accurate from this zone (56% field goal on 27 attempts).
From these actions, Herro also drew fouls as the defense collapsed on him when he entered the paint, giving the Heat easy points. Overall, the Heat drew 13 shooting fouls—far more than the Celtics’ four.
When the Heat ball-handlers weren’t shooting or drawing fouls to punish the drop coverage, they could also turn to Bam Adebayo’s mid-range game. The pick-and-pop is a great alternative to beat drop coverage.
Later in the game, the Celtics decided to change their pick-and-roll coverage to put more pressure on the ball handler, but Adebayo is such a good connector that the Heat offense still functioned well out of these actions.
Overall, without Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porzingis, the Celtics had a hard time containing Miami’s pick-and-roll actions involving Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo.
#2 - Luke Kornet early impact
With both Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis sitting out, Luke Kornet was the most impactful Celtic at the start of the game. With his strong screens creating a lot of space for the ball handler, Kornet was able to generate quality offense and finish at the rim.
His usual two-man game in the pick-and-roll with Jayson Tatum is known to be deadly, but recently there has also been more emphasis on his pick-and-roll synergy with Derrick White.
The Celtics’ depth at the ball-handler position is impressive, and it’s great to see them developing Kornet’s chemistry beyond just Tatum.
Alongside his 10 points in seven minutes, Kornet was again crucial in extending Celtics possessions with two offensive rebounds. Funny enough, he finished the game with only offensive rebounds—six in total. In this 21-point loss, Kornet had a +3 plus/minus, and the Celtics looked at their best when he was on the floor.
#3 - Boston small-ball struggle
Despite the strong performances with Kornet on the court, the Celtics ended the second quarter and began the third with a small-ball lineup. Joe Mazzulla opted to use Torrey Craig to space the floor on offense and switch everything on defense. However, without Kornet, the defense fell apart.
To start the third quarter, the Miami Heat piled up shots at the rim. Within three minutes, they scored four baskets at the rim and earned three free throws. By the time Kornet was reinserted, the score was 73–52.
The small-ball experiment against Miami’s twin towers was bold, but the lack of preparation was obvious—Heat players should not have had such easy access to the rim.
#4 - Jaylen Brown looking good in the post-up
Most of the Celtics struggled offensively last night. Jayson Tatum made only four of 17 shots, Sam Hauser struggled to get open and had just five attempts in 25 minutes, and Derrick White turned the ball over far more than usual. Still, there was a silver lining: Jaylen Brown’s post-up offense.
His gravity on these actions provides a lot of value. When he posts up on an empty side, the defense is forced to adjust. In the example below, Miami’s defensive shell collapses with four players dragged into the paint, leaving Jayson Tatum open from three.
The Celtics’ coaching staff also designed great plays to give Brown advantageous positions against weaker defenders. In the play below, a screen from Hauser allows Brown to switch from Bam Adebayo to Tyler Herro—a profitable trade for JB.
Once he got position to dominate Herro, Tatum just had to pass him the rock and watch JB do the rest.
Among the 27 players with more than two post-up actions per game, Jaylen Brown ranks 10th in efficiency. He is among the elite this season on these plays.
#5 - Best offensive rebound performance of the season
Another positive takeaway from this game was the Celtics’ ability to dominate the offensive glass. Per Cleaning the Glass, they extended possessions on 43% of their missed shots. Even better: in half-court possessions only, the Celtics grabbed an offensive rebound on 51% of their misses. No other NBA team has done better on the offensive boards this season.
From these putback opportunities, the Celtics averaged 1.36 points per possession—well above their 0.94 points per possession in half-court sets. However, this aggressiveness came with a defensive cost: Miami had more open looks in transition—but we’ll get back to that.
#6 - Boston usual turnover rate
The Celtics struggled to take care of the ball—credit to Miami’s defense for that. Led by Bam Adebayo, the Heat applied pressure on Celtics ball-handlers and off-ball players as soon as the ball was live.
The Heat featured many strong defenders—Davion Mitchell, Kyle Anderson, Kel’el Ware, and the surprising Pelle Larsson. Combined with Erik Spoelstra’s defensive scheme, which mixed zone with aggressive man-to-man coverage, Miami forced many turnovers… and those transitions crushed the Celtics.
#7 - Miami transition offense
The last two takeaways lead directly to this one. Transition defense has been an ongoing theme for Boston this season. While they started slowly in that area—despite being one of the best transition defenses last year—the Celtics ramped up over the course of the season and returned to the top of the rankings, allowing just 1.16 points per transition shot attempt. But last night was different.
On transition shot attempts, the Miami Heat scored an absurd 2 points per possession (!!). While shooting luck played a part, this also showed how much Miami was willing to run and pressure a Celtics defense that looked more fragile than usual. In the play below, for example, you can see the Celtics weren’t ready to match the pace as the Heat looked for a two-for-one opportunity to close the quarter.
Miami is far less talented than Boston, but they brought more energy and executed their game plan perfectly. They came ready to outrun the Celtics because they knew they couldn’t out-talent them.
#8 - Miami was too hot from three
Miami did a great job rotating and pressuring the Celtics’ ball-handlers, which may have contributed to Boston’s poor shooting from three. Meanwhile, Miami was on fire.
While Boston made only 12 of 43 threes, it took just 30 attempts for the Heat to convert 14 triples. Some of those shots were ones the Celtics were willing to give up to protect the paint—but sometimes teams shoot better than expected.
On that topic, I came across an interesting stat from Owen Phillips: the Celtics have had a top-five three-point defense in 16 of the last 18 NBA seasons. No other team has more than six such finishes during that time.
Feeling lucky?
#9 - Kyle Anderson punishing Joe mind trick
A few weeks ago, OKC coach Mark Daigneault said Joe Mazzulla was great at playing mind tricks with defensive matchup alignments. Last night, Mazzulla went back to it—putting Neemias Queta on Kyle Anderson in the fourth quarter. The idea was to ignore Anderson off-ball, punishing his lack of shooting and slow movement. But the Heat flipped that against Boston by giving Anderson the ball and letting him attack Queta one-on-one.
There’s no doubt Mazzulla will continue to experiment with these kinds of matchups. That’s fine—even when it doesn’t work. These “mind tricks” often disrupt the opposing offense, but sometimes, teams still manage to take advantage.
#10 - One quote to sum it up
Sometimes, a game can be summed up in one sentence — and Joe Mazzulla nailed it last night:
Joe Mazzulla: "I think they just played better than us tonight."
Plus, JD Davison takes the podium after winning G League MVP.
BOSTON — The Celtics returned from a six-game road trip to face the streaking Miami Heat, who won five straight by an average of nearly 22 points heading into Wednesday’s match-up. And, as has been customary for the Celtics after long road trips, they came out flat in this one, falling to the Heat 124-103.
The Celtics trailed by as many as 22 in the second half but responded with a barrage of three-pointers to get back into the game. But, they ran out of gas in the fourth quarter and were never able to cut the deficit to less than 4 points in the final period before Joe Mazzulla waved the white flag with 5 minutes to go.
Kristaps Porzingis (return from illness reconditioning), Jrue Holiday (right shoulder impingement), and Al Horford (right toe sprain) all rested on Wednesday night as the Celtics continue to gear up for what they hope will be a long playoff run.
And, while the loss to Miami won’t have any impact on the standings, Joe Mazzulla made clear that the Celtics didn’t care about the final outcome.
“We’re all pissed,” he said. “I mean, we all hate losing, and that was my message. It was it’s good reminder that losing still sucks. So, I love the fact that the staff’s miserable, guys are pissed.”
The Celtics keep struggling after long roadtrips
The Celtics are drop to 4-7 at home immediately after a 2+ game-long road trip — and remain much better on the road (32-7) than at home (24-13 this season..
Jaylen Brown reflected on what makes that initial game back home after a road trip challenging.
“First game back, it’s always a tough one,” he said. “Just from a calibration standpoint, you’ve been in three different time zones, been away from home. You just get home and kind of get settled, and then you got to come play a basketball game. It be like that sometimes.”
Luke Kornet shared a similar sentiment about the challenges of returning home after being away for a few weeks.
“But quite frankly, it’s not really an excuse for night like tonight,” Kornet said. “We need to do a better job figuring that out and try to win those games.
Brown also emphasized that they wouldn’t simply dismiss those struggles.
“It’s not an excuse; of course, we don’t make excuses,” he said. “But, the first game back off a long road trip is always tough.”
Jaylen Brown continues to play through knee pain, shares update
Jaylen Brown returned from a one-game absence as he continues to manage his knee injury, finishing with 24 points (10-20 FG), 8 rebounds, and 4 assists in 28 minutes.
Brown missed 3 of the 6 games on the Western Conference road trip, but shared Wednesday that the 65-game minimum for award eligibility would not play a role in whether or not he would play down the stretch.
“I was in some pain today, but just pushing through it, trying to find ways to still be aggressive and add value to the team,” Brown said. “But, it’s just something I got to work through and manage.”
Jaylen Brown said the 65-game award minimum was not a factor when asked about it by @John_Karalis.
On his knee:
“I was in some pain today, but just pushing through it and trying to find ways to still be aggressive and add value to the team and stuff like that.” pic.twitter.com/0VOq9tx818
Mazzulla was encouraged by what he saw out of Brown.
“I liked the way he got to his spots,” he said. “I liked the way he competed defensively. To me, he just continued to look a little better and better each night. Much more comfortable out there. So, that was a positive for us and good to see.”
Brown said that part of this process has ben accepting that he won’t feel 100%, but still finding ways to be impactful.
“I’ve had to come to grips that every night, I’m not gonna feel my normal self,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean I still can’t make plays and things like that. It’s just something that we are working through. Today was a good step forward.”
Brown also shared that he’s met with several specialists and has a treatment plan ahead of the playoffs.
“I’ve got some stuff lined up with the medical staff in order to be and feel better come playoffs,” he said. “But, as for now, just mentally working through not feeling great, but still able to find ways to be effective.”
Mazzulla said he trusts his star about how to manage his minutes and availability down the stretch of the regular season.
“Whatever he thinks is best, we’ll do,” Mazzulla said.
Brown said he remains optimistic about feeling better in a couple of week.
“We’ve got a great medical staff, we’ve got good people around,” he said. “Come playoffs, my goal is to be feeling my best.”
Luke Kornet serves as bright spot in the loss
Luke Kornet, who started in this one, was the only player on the roster to finish with a positive +/-. Kornet scored 14 points on 7-9 shooting and grabbed 6 rebounds in 21 minutes.
Brown has been impressed with Kornet’s performance this season.
“Luke has been great,” he said. “He’s a great screen setter. And then also, if you hit him in the seam, he’s able to make those reads to the opposite corner, kick outs and then finish at the rim. He’s been a great lob threat for us all year. Luke has been playing – he has stepped up his game. He’s having a great season. But even as of late, he’s been playing spectacular. So we’re looking to just keep building that momentum going into the playoffs.”
Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images
JD Davison wins MVP award and reflects on journey to become more vocal
Two-way player JD Davison found out he won G League MVP on Tuesday night after the Maine Celtics won their first playoff game, but the NBA officially announced the award on Wednesday morning.
Before Wednesday’s game against the Heat, Davison took the podium to discuss winning the award and his growth over the years.
This past season, he averaged 25.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 48.2% from the field and a career-best 33.3% from three.
But, one of the biggest areas of growth so far has been his ability to be vocal and feel comfortable in the Celtics locker room.
“My first year, I just came in the locker room, just did my work, and I just left,” Davison said. “Now, last year and this year, I think I talk to the guys more and more about anything honestly, but especially about college basketball.”
Davison said his mom always listens to his interviews and encourages to come out of his shell: “She wanted me to talk more, because my first year, I would answer a question in a couple words. Now, [I] try to be more out there, try to express myself a lot.”
“Where I want to get to — being a point guard in this league — you’ve gotta be able to talk and lead the guys,” Davison said.
The ultimate goal for Davison remains getting an NBA opportunity. But, he’s focused on the current moment as he works toward that.
“Everybody’s journey is different,” Davison said. “I take it day by day, step by step.”
The Heat snap the Celtics' nine-game winning steak in blowout fashion.
Coming off an undefeated 6-0 west coast road trip, the Celtics returned home to face off against the Miami Heat who are in the midst of a five-game winning streak. With two hot teams, it was Miami that snapped Boston’s winning streak as the Celtics lost 124-103.
Jaylen Brown led the way for the Celtics with 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists on 10-20 shooting, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Heat as Tyler Herro led the Heat with 25 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds on 7-18 shooting. Herro wasn’t the only Miami player to go off as they had seven players finish with double digit points as Boston couldn’t slow them down with Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porzingis out.
This is the sixth time this season the Celtics have lost their first home game coming back from a road trip with the intensity level lacking. Boston did a great job of rebounding the ball and getting second chance points, but just couldn’t find their three ball as they shot 28% from three as a team.
The Celtics scoring started with one of the best two man pick and roll duos in the NBA as Jayson Tatum found Luke Kornet for an easy layup. Kornet continued to score for the Celtics as Boston scored their first 10 points in the paint while Tyler Herro was the main catalyst for the Heat’s offense as both teams traded baskets.
Boston’s three point shooting started really slow however and Miami went on a 9-2 run to open up a small lead as the Celtics trailed 29-22 after the first quarter. The Celtics shot 2-12 from three in the quarter and it really slowed their offense down. Kornet led Boston with 10 points and 3 rebounds while Herro led Miami with 8 points. The Celtics did have 11 second chance points which was a byproduct of their tenacious efforts on the offensive glass.
The Celtics offense continued to be ice cold to start the second quarter with Tatum on the bench as the Heat opened up a double digit lead. Frustration started to boil over on the Celtics sideline as after a missed foul call on Luke Kornet and an 8-2 run by Miami, Joe Mazzulla received a technical foul for arguing with the ref.
That seemed to light a little bit of a spark for the team as Derrick White made a couple of fantastic plays in a row. After hitting a fadeaway jumper, White blocked Bam Adebayo on a 2 on 1 fast break and found Payton Pritchard for a corner three after some elite ball movement.
After a Miami timeout the Celtics started to hit a couple shots but couldn’t cut into the Heat’s double digit lead. Luke Kornet received his third foul of the game early in the quarter and the Celtics decided to run a small ball lineup that the Heat were just picking apart.
Boston went on a 15-6 run to cut the Heat’s lead to 9 points towards the end of the quarter but a Haywood Highsmith buzzer beater three gave Miami a 59-45 lead going into halftime. The Celtics shooting woes continued as they finished the half shooting 37% from the field and 17% from three. Jayson Tatum especially struggled as he only scored 8 points on 1-8 shooting.
The third quarter started with much of the same in both sides as the Heat started the quarter on a 14-7 run and opened up a 20+ point lead as the Celtics continued to miss shots. Pele Larrsson started to dominate for Miami as he hit three shots in a row as the Celtics small lineup could not stop the Heat from getting whatever they wanted.
However, Jaylen Brown started to heat up as he scored 10 points as a part of a 20-6 run got the Celtics back in the game and cut Miami’s lead to single digits and forced the Heat to call a timeout.
A Jaylen Brown three caps off a Celtics 14-1 run, and JB tells Spoelstra he needs to call a time out. pic.twitter.com/GD4hWohsT9
The run continued as Tatum started to find his shot with a layup and found Baylor Scheierman for a no-dip corner three to make it a 3 point game with 4:28 left. Miami responded 5 straight points but Brown continued his hot quarter with an and-1 midrange jumper.
Davion Mitchell started to swing momentum for Miami as he not only scored to make it a double digit game again, he also forced Tatum into an offensive foul. Tatum was naturally upset with the bad call and called for another technical foul for clapping, his 14th tech this season.
After Kyle Anderson went on another small run for Miami, the Celtics trailed the Heat 91-81 going into the fourth quarter. Boston shot the ball a lot better in the third quarter, shooting 58% from the field and 54% from three. Brown finished the quarter with 13 points and 5 rebounds on 5-7 shooting as his contributions kept Boston in the game.
The fourth quarter began with Sam Hauser walking into a pull up three and Neemias Queta forcing an and-1 layup as Boston tried to mount a comeback. Kyle Anderson continued to torment Boston however as he scored 6 points to begin the quarter to match every Celtics basket.
Midway through the quarter the Celtics offense went cold once again at the worst time as another Davion Mitchell three put the Heat up 15 with five minutes left in the game. That was when the Celtics waived the white flag and put in the stay ready and ending their 9 game winning streak.
The Celtics next game is on Friday April 4th where they face off against the Phoenix Suns.
The Celtics look to win their 10th straight game as they return home to host the Miami Heat, who are looking to win their 6th straight game.
After a historic 6-0 road trip, the Celtics return home to take on the Miami Heat. This is the 4th, and final, game between these two teams this season. The Celtics won all 3 of the games between them so far this season. The Celtics are 86-53 overall, all time against the Heat and they are 44-23 in games played in Boston.
The Celtics remain 2nd in the East. They are 4 games behind 1st place Cleveland, who are have lost their last 5 games. They are 8.5 games ahead of 3rd place New York and 12 games ahead of 4th place Milwaukee. They are 24-12 at home and 9-1 in their last 10 games. They are 35-11 against Eastern Conference teams. They have won their last 9 games.
The Heat are 9th in the East, 26 games behind first place Cleveland. They are 1.5 games behind 8th place Orlando and 6.5 games behind 6th place Milwaukee. They are 1 game ahead of 10th place Chicago and 6 games ahead of 11th place Toronto. They are 15-22 on the road and 5-5 in their last 10 games. They are 22-26 against Eastern Conference opponents and have won their last 5 games.
The Celtics just completed the first 6-0 road trip in Celtics history. After this game against the Heat, the Celtics will play Phoenix at home on Friday. Then it’s back on the road for back to back games at New York and at Orlando. They will finish the season with 2 games against the Charlotte Hornets at home.
The Heat are playing in the 3rd game of a 3 game road trip. They beat Philadelphia and Washington in the first two games on the trip. They then play 3 games at home, hosting Memphis, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia. They will then play at Chicago and at New Orleans before finishing the season at home against Washington.
The Celtics have 3 players questionable and 1 player doubtful for this game. After leading the Celtics to the win over Memphis, Al Horford is doubtful for this game with the ever bothersome sprained toe. Jrue Holiday is questionable with a right shoulder injury. Kristaps Porzingis is questionable due to return-from-illness reconditioning. Jaylen Brown is questionable due to right knee posterior impingement. All are listed as a game time decision.
I’ve included the questionable players in the starting lineup. I don’t have a clue who would start if any, or all of them, are unable to play. Jaylen Brown needs to play in 6 of the last 7 games or he will not be eligible for any post season awards so he may opt to play in limited minutes rather than sit the game out.
The Heat have 5 players listed as out on their injury report. Nikola Jovic hasn’t played since Feb. 23 due to a fractured metacarpal on his right hand and is out for this game. Duncan Robinson will miss a fifth straight game with a back issue. Andrew Wiggins will miss his 3rd game due to right hamstring tendinopathy. Kevin Love will miss his 4th game for personal reasons. Dru Smith is out due to torn Achilles.
Probable Celtics Starters
Celtics Reserves Payton Pritchard Luke Kornet Neemias Queta Xavier Tillman, Sr Jordan Walsh Baylor Scheierman Sam Hauser Torrey Craig
2 Way Players JD Davison Drew Peterson Miles Norris
Injuries/Out Jaylen Brown (knee) questionable Kristaps Porzingis (rest) questionable Jrue Holiday (shoulder) questionable Al Horford (toe) doubtful
Head Coach Joe Mazzulla
Probable Heat Starters
Heat Reserves Kyle Anderson Haywood Highsmith Jaime Jaquez, Jr Keshad Johnson Davion Mitchell Terry Rozier III
Two Way Players Josh Christopher Isaiah Stevens Dru Smith
Injuries/Out Nikola Jovic (hand) out Kevin Love (personal) out Andrew Wiggins (hamstring) out Dru Smith (Achilles) out Duncan Robinson (back) out
Head Coach Erik Spoelstra
Key Matchups
Jrue Holiday vs Tyler Herro Herro is the Heat’s leading scorer this season. He is averaging 23.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. He is shooting 46.9% from the field and 37.2% from beyond the arc. In 2 games against the Celtics this season, he averaged 19 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists while shooting just 38.2% from the field and 27.8% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to defend him both on the perimeter and in the paint. Jrue may or may not play in this one.
Jayson Tatum vs Bam Adebayo Adebayo is averaging 17.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He is shooting 48.5% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. In the first 3 games against the Celtics, he averaged 15.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 35.7% from the field and 20% from beyond the arc. He is a threat to score in the paint and grab rebounds and so the Celtics need to box him out and defend him well around the basket.
Honorable Mention Kristaps Porzingis vs Kel’el Ware Ware is averaging 9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game. He is shooting 56.2% from the field and 31.7% from beyond the arc. In 2 games against Boston this season, he averaged 7.5 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block per game while shooting 43.8% from the field and no threes. Porzingis is questionable for this game and with Horford doubtful, we may see Queta or Kornet to start.
Keys to the Game Defense - Defense will always be the biggest key to winning every single game. The Celtics are 5th with a defensive rating of 110.2. The Heat are 9th with a defensive rating of 112.0. The Celtics need to defend the perimeter especially since the Heat attempt 37.4 threes a game and shoot threes just slightly worse than the Celtics at 36.5%. The Celtics need to work hard on defense and make that their priority.
Rebound - Along with defense, rebounding is always a key to winning. As Pat Riley once said “No rebounds, no rings.” The Celtics average 45.1 rebounds per game (10th) while the Heat average 43.1 rebounds per game (22nd). The Celtics are 32-6 when they out-rebound opponents. It takes effort and hustle to get rebounds and the Celtics need to give more effort and hustle than the Heat to grab rebounds if they want to win this game.
Move the Ball - The Celtics are tough to beat when they keep the ball moving and find the open man but when one player over dribbles and lapses into hero ball, they falter. The Celtics are 41-2 when they have more assists than their opponent. Keep the ball moving and don’t lapse into iso ball, whether in the first quarter or the 4th quarter. Hero ball rarely ends well.
Next Man Up - With 4 players questionable for this game and one player doubtful, the Celtics will need every player to step up their game and contribute on both ends of the court. They need the starters to come out strong and get off to a good start. The reserves need to come in and keep up the energy and hit their shots and most importantly, every player must play lock down defense and also crash the boards.
X-Factors Home Game and Fatigue - The Celtics are just coming off a 6 game road trip and the first game at home is always a tough one. The Heat will be playing in front of a hostile crowd and in an unfamiliar arena while the Celtics will have the crowd behind them to give them motivation. The Heat have 5 players out and so fatigue may come into play down the stretch for both teams.
Officiating - Officiating is always an x-factor in every game. Every crew officiates differently. Some call it tight, others let them play. The Celtics need to adjust to how the refs are calling the game and not allow bad calls or no calls to take away their focus from playing the game. The more aggressive team will usually get the benefit of the calls and so the Celtics need to be the more aggressive team.
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Online sites for Boston Celtics basketball NBA live stream
Fans of the Boston Celtics can watch their team on various streaming services. Here's a guide to help you find the best options, prioritizing free services and those with free trials:
Free Streaming Options:
1. NBA.com: The NBA and its broadcast partner TNT occasionally offer free streamed presentations of particular games. To check availability, visit NBA.com and look for the "Watch" link next to the scheduled game. If available, you'll see "Watch TNT" as an option.
2. TNT Overtime: Sometimes available within the NBA League Pass selection box on NBA.com, offering free streaming for select games.
Paid Streaming Services with Free Trials:
1. YouTube TV: Offers a free trial period. Sign up here.
2. Hulu + Live TV: Provides a free trial. Sign up here.
3. fuboTV: Includes a free trial period. Sign up here.
Regional sports networks (RSNs) often air local NBA games. Ensure your streaming service package includes the relevant RSN.
Some streaming providers allow sign-in using credentials from your existing cable, satellite, or telco TV provider without additional cost.
By exploring these options, you can find the best way to watch Boston Celtics games, whether through free streams or by taking advantage of free trials from paid services.
TD Garden Arena location and map
TD Stadium Arena 100 Legends Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02114 Phone: 617-624-1331 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. https://www.tdgarden.com/
Contact the Boston Celtics NBA Basketball organization Boston Celtics Arena and Headquarters 226 Causeway Street, Fourth Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02114 Phone: 866-4CELTIX Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. http://www.nba.com/celtics
