Inside The Celtics

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Hornets: Boston's Ready for Regular Season

The Celtics set a franchise record with 22 steals in their 127-99 win over the Hornets.

Bobby Krivitsky

Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
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The Celtics used their final dress rehearsal to prepare their starters for the regular season, including playing them in the second half. Boston's first five each logged 23 minutes in the visitors' 127-99 win over the Hornets.

The Celtics were sharp defensively in the victory, including limiting Charlotte to 19 points in the first quarter and 40 in the opening 24 minutes.

And while they only made 7/25 threes in the first half (28 percent), they had 15 second-chance points, repeatedly crashing the glass with success, 14 off turnovers, and effective ball movement translated to 16 assists on 26 field goals.

And while Boston's tended to come out sluggish in the second half in recent years, doing so again against the New York Knicks on Tuesday, that was far from the case on Thursday.

More on that later in this deep dive into what stood out in the Celtics' win in their preseason finale.

1. Joe Mazzulla stuck with the same starting lineup as Tuesday's 123-110 win over the Knicks in Boston's preseason finale.

Jrue Holiday and Derrick White comprised the backcourt, with Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Kristaps Porzingis in the frontcourt. Al Horford had the night off, but he will typically occupy the sixth-man role.

Expect that to be the Celtics' primary starting unit this season. As for playing the top six twice in three days, that resembles the pattern of the regular season schedule, so utilizing this opportunity to ramp up is a wise move. Plus, there's nearly a week between this game and opening night on Wednesday, Oct. 25, at Madison Square Garden.

2. The visitors were sharp defensively from the opening tip. They mostly played man, utilizing a switch-heavy scheme, while Porzingis went into drop coverage when put in the pick-and-roll. But Boston also mixed in zone defense and threw out a 2-2-1 press.

The Celtics' execution at that end, including excellent on-ball pressure and the likes of Holiday and White stunting to help stifle drives, then recovering to their primary assignment, fueled a 14-5 run that helped build a sizable lead.

The visitors held the hosts to 19 points on an abysmal 33.3 percent shooting from the field, including 0/9 from beyond the arc in the first frame.

3. Conversely, Boston put 34 points on the board, led by Brown generating 13 on 5/7 shooting, including 3/4 from three-point range. 

The two-time All-Star's put in a lot of work after practice on attacking with his left hand, so it was nice to see him apply that in game action in the play below.

Tatum produced eight. And while assists aren't always a completely accurate measure of effective ball movement, the Celtics' nine assists on 13 field goals paints an accurate picture.

Brown had 18 at the half, pacing all scorers. Tatum and Porzingis each had 11.

3. Derrick White starred in his role, which is par for the course. That included him coming up with a steal that resulted in a Tatum three and obliterating a P.J. Washington layup attempt.

The former Colorado Buffalo entered halftime with 12 points, four rebounds, and three steals. The latter led all participants after 24 minutes.

4. Dalano Banton made the most of his first-half opportunity, making multiple hustle plays, including a theft he took in for a breakaway dunk and crashing the glass for a put-back layup.

The former Toronto Raptor also picked off LaMelo Ball to get Tatum an open three in transition, which his teammate and the coaching staff surely appreciate.

5. Sam Hauser's made a noteworthy play off the dribble in each of the last two games, including getting into a gap in New York's defense and finding Horford for a three from the far-side corner on Tuesday.

But Thursday night, after passing up a three to put the ball on the deck, he got stood up and then blocked by Gordon Hayward. While an unfortunate outcome for the sharpshooter, teams will run him off the line, so it's important he continues working to become a more dynamic player.

6. With 4:22 left in the first half, Holiday delivered a dime on a perfectly on-target lob from the left wing for Porzingis. That's an option that will consistently be available this season and a way to end dry spells quickly. It also seems like Holiday should be in charge of throwing that pass most of the time.

7. Mazzulla went back to the starters to begin the second half, taking advantage of the last opportunity to have a dress rehearsal where they could go through their regular-season routine.

They subbed out midway through the third quarter, each logging 23 minutes for the night.

8. Payton Pritchard's had a stellar preseason, and that continued on Thursday. The former Oregon Duck impressed most as a facilitator, delivering multiple dimes on hook passes off the dribble.

He finished with eight assists and one of the hockey variety in a terrific display of ball movement, leading to a Hauser three.

9. Neemias Queta continues maximizing his minutes. The native of Portugal has impressed throughout the preseason. Thursday, in a 12-point performance, he showcased being an above-the-rim threat, an ability that can suck in the defense, creating open threes for his teammates.

He also demonstrated a soft touch on multiple baskets from in close, including elevating above the rim and then gently dropping the ball through the net while getting fouled.

Queta was also a beast on the boards, grabbing seven, five on the offensive end, in the win.

10. The Celtics are on to the regular season. Their first official game is Wednesday night, Oct. 25, against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Further Reading

Here's What Jayson Tatum Praises Celtics Head Coach Joe Mazzulla For

Jayson Tatum on Working with Sam Cassell: ‘It’s Been Great'

Celtics Praise Al Horford, Who May Have to Sacrifice Most: 'Critical Piece to Our Team and Our Locker Room'

Celtics Embracing Sacrifice in Championship Pursuit: 'Have to Buy into That'

The Latest on Celtics' Extension Talks with Derrick White

Al Horford Shares Where Kristaps Porzingis Has Impressed Him Most

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

Here's What to Know About Celtics' 2023-24 Schedule

Dwyane Wade Discusses Jayson Tatum's Next Step, Him and Jaylen Brown's Challenge, Heat Culture, Pat Riley, Damian Lillard, and Life After Basketball

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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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