Inside The Celtics

Celtics Discuss Blake Griffin's Impact in Their Win vs. the Jazz

Blake Griffin scored six points, grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds, including five of the Celtics' ten offensive boards, and dished out five assists in their win over the Jazz.

Bobby Krivitsky

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
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In the Celtics' 122-114 win over the Jazz, Blake Griffin's infectious energy in the final frame was essential to Boston's closing effort.

Tempers flared as the game became increasingly chippy, resulting in four technicals in the fourth quarter, including a Kris Dunn ejection.

The hosts also felt like the officials were giving Utah more leniency in a physical final 12 minutes. But even when Griffin attempted to take a charge but didn't get the whistle, it fired up his teammates and the TD Garden faithful, who weren't shy about making sure the referees knew how they felt.

The Celtics needed the infusion of energy the six-time All-Star provided. They were flat for much of the period. Between that and Griffin and Jayson Tatum earning a technical -- the latter has the eighth-most in the NBA this season -- the visitors pulled within 11 with 4:32 left.

Griffin's effort helped Boston regain its focus. He also grabbed three offensive rebounds in a quarter no one else on either team secured more than one. That includes a board that led to a Tatum three that helped the hosts put the finishing touches on Friday's win.

Griffin registered six points and a game-high 12 rebounds, including five of the Celtics' ten offensive boards, helping them generate 21 second-chance points, and dished out five assists in the victory.

After the win, Boston's fifth in its last six contests, Tatum conveyed, "it’s just great to see somebody that was essentially at the top of this league and now in a different role and he doesn’t have an ego at all. And (he) essentially does whatever he needs to do to help us be a better team each and every night."

Head coach Joe Mazzulla expressed the following about Griffin's impact.

"We needed something to enhance our focus and our energy for the last five minutes, and I thought Blake provided that...Blake's in that category where any time we call his name, he brings a physicality, and a joy and an energy that feeds off our team, and our team feeds off it."

Always the team player, Griffin was quick to deflect when asked about taking charges and the infusion of energy he provides.

"Taking a charge, to me, it's a huge momentum shifter. Derrick (White) and (Marcus) Smarty do that incredibly well, and you can feel it. When I'm on the bench, and those guys take charges, it's a big play for us, so trying to do that...But yeah, that's kind of my role is to do that type of stuff."

Further Reading

Jayson Tatum Wasn't Supposed to Play vs. the Jazz, But Celtics' Travel Delay Added to His Motivation to 'Go Through it with the Guys'

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Jazz: On a Chippy Night in Boston, Counterpunches Propel the Hosts to Victory

The Celtics are Proud of Their Growth, Including Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown's Maturation: 'I think We're a Better Team'

Celtics Discuss Dominating Performance in 140-99 Win Over Bucks

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Bucks: Boston Sends a Message in Blowout Victory

Al Horford Shares His First Impressions of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum

Former Warriors' Director of Performance Keke Lyles Shares His Perspective on Load Management, Changing Stephen Curry's Movement Patterns, And What's Helped Jayson Tatum's Durability

Jaylen Brown Addresses Non-Committal Comments About Celtics' Future: 'I'm Focused on Helping Lead My Team for Another Playoff Run'

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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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