Jayson Tatum Praises Kristaps Porzingis for Allowing Celtics to Spin the Dial Defensively

After struggling to slow down the Cavaliers, the Celtics held them to 21 points in the final frame. At the root of that was Kristaps Porzingis.

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There are plenty of examples in recent years of the Boston Celtics allowing a slow start, shots not falling, or the other team repeatedly knocking down well-contested attempts to take from their focus, physicality, and effort.

They had to combat all three in Tuesday's 120-113 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

One of the keys to the hosts getting rewarded for, as head coach Joe Mazzulla put it, "the emotion of what was happening didn't affect our effort," was spinning the dial defensively.

They could do so because of Kristaps Porzingis' willingness and ability to abandon drop coverage to play further up. 

The seven-foot-three center is a deterrent who can contest a potential three, then quickly flip his hips to stay within striking distance as opponents try to beat him off the dribble before utilizing his length to swat or alter shots around the basket.

Tuesday, his ability to play further from the rim mattered most in the final frame. Donovan Mitchell, who finished with 29 points, and Darius Garland, who registered 26, combined to put only five on the board, faring 1/4 from beyond the arc.

With Porzingis no longer in a deep drop, allowing Cleveland's shooters to step into clean looks from beyond the arc, the Cavaliers, who drilled 19/45 (42.2 percent) of their threes, went 3/10 from long range in the fourth quarter. The Celtics held them to 21 points in the last 12 minutes.

"I would even say maybe I'm a bit more uncomfortable being back because it feels like I'm a little bit too passive, and of course, (the) main goal for me is (to) protect the rim, and I'm on the backside," expressed Porzingis after the win.

"But whenever I'm asked, or whenever I see and make those reads, that I'm up and I'm more aggressive, I can also do that, especially late in (the) game, we just turn it on; we lock-in, and guard whoever. Mitchell and Garland, those are super quick guys, but me, and all of us, we try to keep up with them, and I think we're capable of doing so.

"It's almost more comfortable for me to be this, up, engaged, and back there, I'm kind of, sometimes, (I'm) a bit uncomfortable. But I understand that's what we want to do and how our defense is built. So, whatever I'm being asked, I just want to do that to the best level I can."

The former All-Star also produced 21 points and matched Jayson Tatum for a game-high ten rebounds in the victory.

Afterward, Tatum, who also generated 25 points, tying Jaylen Brown for a team-high, and dished out five assists, pacing all participants, voiced the following about the importance of Porzingis playing more than drop coverage.

"Each team presents different challenges, and when certain things aren't working, we gotta switch it up, and I think KP's willingness to go out there and defend on the perimeter, being as tall as he is, he can guard, and we're gonna help him. 

"But that trust that he has help behind him, and him going out there and showing that he's willing to guard the ball, guard on the perimeter, he doesn't realize how much that kind of impacts the rest of the guys, that everybody, whoever's on the floor, is gonna defend, gonna take pride in guarding their man, knowing that you have help behind you. So, when he does things like that, it fuels the rest of the team."

That was the case on Tuesday, with Porzingis helping his teammates elevate their play defensively and the Celtics figure out how to cut off Cleveland's water in the final frame.

Further Reading

Wins on the Margins Help Propel Celtics Past Cavaliers

Mike Gorman Delivers Bold Take About Celtics' Joe Mazzulla

White and Porzingis Shine as Celtics Pass Physical Challenge from Knicks

An Empowered Jaylen Brown Strives to Balance Scoring with Playmaking: 'I've Grown A Lot'

Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis Discuss Their Quickly Cultivated Chemistry: 'An Automatic Connection'

Joe Mazzulla Believes Celtics' Second Unit is 'Starting to Develop an Identity'

Under Joe Mazzulla, Celtics Rebuilding Brotherhood Between Past and Present