All year, head coach Joe Mazzulla has preached that success would look different every night. It could be a dominating game from either of the franchise’s cornerstones or both the Jays scoring 30-plus points. It could be one of the summer’s big acquisitions, Jrue Holiday or Kristaps Porzingis, controlling the game on defense. It could be Derrick White coming up clutch in the final minutes.
On the backend of a back-to-back against a team that had beat Boston four straight times and without three rotational centers, the Celtics used their speed and skill to run the Magic off the floor in a 128-111 track meet Friday night to extend their undefeated record at TD Garden to 13-0.
“The advantage tonight for us was speed,” Mazzulla said after the Celtics outscored the Magic 18-8 in fast break points. “I think we used it on both ends of the floor. That’s just what we kept saying. ‘We have the speed advantage. We have the speed advantage. We have the speed advantage.’ We have to find a way to keep it.”
With Kristaps Porzingis (left calf tightness), Luke Kornet (left adductor tightness), and Al Horford (rest) out for various reasons, Boston saw it less as a challenge and more of an opportunity to not only play a different style, but utilize different players that don’t normally see the floor to do so.
Lamar Stevens got meaningful minutes in his second straight game — last night as a starter to combat Orlando’s bigger frontcourt. Neemias Queta and Oshae Brissett played over 18 and 15 minutes respectively and found ways to affect the game as role players; Queta grabbed two offensive rebounds and blocked three shots; Brissett was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field with eleven points.
“I have no hesitation going with any of those guys on any day because I see what they do daily,” Mazzulla said. “You almost want opportunities like this to affirm their work ethic and professionalism.”
In the offseason, President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens built a young bench chockful of athletic wings and energy shifters. That versatility hasn’t always been featured. The Celtics rank in the middle of the pack in fastbreak points (13.7) and points off turnovers (16.5). But on a night when they needed it, Boston found that other gear and pushed the pedal to the metal.
“We just played with a better tempo tonight. We just played up and down faster, used our speed, especially having KP out, Al out, and Luke,” Payton Pritchard said. “We had to play fast and use our advantage. It lead to easy baskets and guys getting wide open looks.”
The Celtics hit 18-of-42 from behind the arc and assisted on 31 of their 48 made field goals. That’s their second highest assist total of the year with just ten turnovers (fourth lowest this season).
“We have a lot of talent with our speed and our ability to play in space. That is our advantage against most teams. We gotta use that sometimes.”
Horford should be back tomorrow for the conclusion of the two-game mini-series against Orlando. Porzingis will most likely be questionable with the Celtics on the verge of a four-game California road trip heading into the holidays. Don’t be surprised if the team leans on that advantage again on Sunday.
