Inside The Celtics

Celtics' Stars Shine, Bench Helps Boost Boston to Win in First In-Season Tournament Tilt

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 51 points as Celtics top Nets in Boston's first game of the NBA's inaugural in-season tournament.

Bobby Krivitsky

Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
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Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 51 points as the Boston Celtics got back in the win column after two straight losses.

And while Boston's bench got outscored 60-37 against a shorthanded Nets team playing without Ben Simmons, Nic Claxton, and Cam Thomas, the hosts' second unit was at the heart of their victory in their first game of the NBA's inaugural in-season tournament.

Sam Hauser drilled 5/10 threes, accounting for his 15 points. Payton Pritchard snapped his 0/11 shooting funk that spanned three games, registering 13 points and grabbing four offensive rebounds, matching his career high. Luke Kornet was also outstanding in the win, chipping in seven points, nine rebounds, six extending possessions, and a block.

Plus, Boston's backcourt stuffed the stat sheet, with Jrue Holiday coming an assist shy of a triple-double, finishing with 13 points, 12 boards, nine assists, and two steals. Derrick White was also steady throughout the matchup, registering 11 points, five assists, four rebounds, and a block.

Now, for a deep dive into what stood out in the Celtics' 121-107 victory vs. the Nets.

1. Jaylen Brown got the hosts off to a fast start, generating 11 of the Celtics' first 20 points, including the six he scored from the sequence below.

The two-time All-Star finished the first frame with 12 points, helping his team take a 38-33 edge into the second quarter. No one else on either side reached double-figures.

2. Kristaps Porzingis' post-ups don't consistently lead to points at the rim for him, but he typically gets to the free-throw line or is able to showcase his soft touch while shooting over his defender.

On a night where Boston knew it would ask a lot of its seven-foot-three center defensively against a Nets opponent that often plays small in Nic Claxton and Ben Simmons' absences, it was even more important than usual to get Porzingis opportunities to go to work offensively.

His first three post-ups, including an opportunity on the hosts' second possession, produced a trip to the free-throw line, where he made both attempts and two turnaround jump shots, including one he banked in from 13 feet.

3. Here's a prime example of the confidence Sam Hauser is shooting with, despite long-range struggles he's recently putting in the rearview mirror and the green light he has, taking -- and making -- this three from 27 feet off the catch in transition without hesitation.

4. After going scoreless in the first period, Jayson Tatum caught fire in the second, erupting for 13 points, including ten straight for the Celtics, on 4/6 shooting.

It started with him knocking down a shot off a kickout from Porzingis. Shortly after, the two-time All-NBA First Team selection buried a three in Mikal Bridges' mug, freezing the latter, an elite defender, to create the separation needed to get his shot off against the long-armed wing.

The former Duke Blue Devil drilled one off the catch after a Jrue Holiday offensive rebound. He also capitalized on an excellent screen-and-roll by Porzingis, creating a two-on-one and causing confusion for Brooklyn, freeing Tatum for an open three from the left wing.

The four-time All-Star finding his rhythm as a scorer in the second frame helped the hosts take a 66-54 advantage into the locker room.

5. After getting beat in points in the paint and on second-chance opportunities in Wednesday's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston outpaced the Nets 16-8 in the former and 12-1 in the latter in the first 24 minutes on Friday.

6. While the third quarter was fairly even in most statistical categories, including the Celtics only making one fewer three than the visitors despite shooting 2/10 from beyond the arc, Brooklyn's second unit outscoring the hosts' 17-8 had much to do with the Nets putting 30 points on the board to Boston's 27.

Trendon Watford and Dennis Smith Jr. each chipped in six points off the bench, and Lonnie Walker IV, who finished with 20 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and a block, came off the pine to contribute five in the third period.

That kept the visitors, playing shorthanded, within single digits entering the last 12 minutes, trailing 93-84.

7. Luke Kornet's off to a terrific start this season and built on that momentum Friday at TD Garden. The seven-foot-two center made an impact as a screener, helping create quality shots for teammates, and had four points on put-backs and was on the receiving end of this pinpoint pass from Derrick White for an alley-oop.

Kornet ended the night with seven points, nine rebounds, six at the offensive end, an assist, and a block.

8. Speaking of the Celtics' second unit, after a third quarter where one would've liked to have seen them make more of an imprint on the game, that group stepped up in the final frame.

Exemplifying that was when Payton Pritchard, who also snapped his 0/11 drought, including seven misses from behind the arc, a cold stretch spanning Boston's last three matchups, crashed the offensive glass, coming away with the rebound off a Tatum missed three, then got the ball out to Sam Hauser, who buried a three.

9. Between Tatum going supernova in the second quarter, Brown getting Boston off to a fast start, then providing steady contributions, finishing with a game-high 28 points, plus five assists, a solid two-way performance from Porzingis, and White and Holiday stuffing the stat sheet, including the latter registering 13 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, and two steals, and the overall impact from the hosts' bench -- despite a scoreless second quarter for the second unit and what happened in the third -- against a Nets team that fought valiantly, the C's cruised to a win in their first in-season tournament tilt.

10. Up next, the Celtics host the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night at TD Garden; tip-off is at 7:00 EST.

Further Reading

Kristaps Porzingis Assesses Celtics Last Attempt in Loss to 76ers

Celtics Enamored with Threes That Don't Love Them Back in Loss vs. 76ers

Examining What Went Wrong for Celtics' Offense in Loss vs. Timberwolves

Jayson Tatum Discusses the Bond Between Him and the City He Stars In

From Self Doubt to Celtics History, Jayson Tatum Discusses Journey to 10,000 Points: 'I Didn't Think I Was Good Enough'

Jrue Holiday Discusses Celtics' Offense and Their Mindset: 'That's How Most People Like to Play Basketball'

Here's Where Jaylen Brown Impressed Joe Mazzulla the Most in Celtics' Win vs. Heat

Kristaps Porzingis Gives Glimpse of How He'll Boost Celtics Late-Game Offense

Under Joe Mazzulla, Celtics Rebuilding Brotherhood Between Past and Present

Candace Parker on Celtics Trading Marcus Smart, Maximizing Tatum-Brown Tandem, Pat Summitt, and the Sports Matter Initiative

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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