After one of the ugliest losses in recent memory, the Boston Celtics got a much needed get-right win vs the Washington Wizards 136-107 in TD Garden.
Here are 10 takeaways from the win:
#1 – Jaylen Brown’s Historic Night
Call him The Grave
Digger, The Energy Shifter, or just JB, no matter the name; he was unstoppable tonight. Jaylen Brown scorched the Wizards totaling 35 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists on 13/21 shooting and making only two threes. This is a great night for a full night’s work, but doing this in just 26 minutes made Brown the first Celtic in History to put up 35, 5, and 5 numbers in under 30 minutes of play.
In a disappointing first period for the Celtics, he kept them within striking distance, scoring 16 of the team’s 27 points. What has stood out to me is his scoring prowess inside the arc.
He finished the first half with 25 points and zero threes made and was really imposing his will on weaker defenders getting directly to his spots as deliberately as we know he can.
The clip above also highlights something I’m thrilled to see from Brown: the return of his mid-range touch. Last season, Brown struggled in that area, connecting on just 43% of his mid-range attempts. This year, through nine games, he’s rediscovered his rhythm, hitting 49% from that range while taking two more attempts a game. He kept that momentum going tonight, going an impressive 8-for-13 from mid-range.
Despite a turbulent start to the season and a 4–5 record to show for it, Brown’s scoring consistency has been one of the team’s few reliable strengths.
#2 – Pritchard’s 2nd Quarter Dominance
After picking up two quick fouls and logging just 2:27 in the first quarter, Payton Pritchard erupted when he returned to the parquet. He poured in 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting, igniting a surge that powered the Celtics to a commanding 44–23 advantage in the second quarter.
He was a huge part of the Celtics’ most effective lineup tonight per +/- of him White, Walsh, Minott, and Queta going +12 in the first five minutes of the second when Brown needed a rest.
#3 – Josh Minott’s Career Night
Following the third game of the season, Joe Mazzulla added someone to the starting lineup, and that guy hasn’t looked back since. In six games as a starter, Josh Minott has averaged 10 points, 8 rebounds (3 offensive), 1.5 assists, and 1.5 steals. Tonight, he exceeded those averages putting in a career-high 21 points and adding 5 rebounds and 3 steals to go with it.
His energy was legit infectious in this one catching alley oops left and right.
What really was an indicator of a possible big night from him was the early shooting. Minott has shot just 32% from 3 this season, and most of his makes have been from the corner. Tonight, he played some small ball five at the end of the first quarter and made two above the break threes which got the Celtics going from beyond the arc.
Another area where Minott excelled tonight was playing out of the corners, something he’s consistently done every game. Whether he’s hitting corner threes, cutting at the right time, or corner crashing the offensive glass, he has been very opportunistic from this area of the court and has added value to this offense most nights.
#4 – Jordan Walsh Sighting
Heading into the season, many expected Jordan Walsh to be the odd man out in the wing rotation, and through the first eight games, that prediction was accurate. He suffered an injury during the preseason, missing the chance to make a strong case for himself while shiny new toys like Minott and rookie Hugo González took the spotlight. But seemingly out of nowhere, he was called to the scorer’s table with just under three minutes remaining in the first quarter and quickly reminded everyone why he deserves another look.
Walsh played 23 minutes tonight and was second on the team in plus minus with a +23. He put up 7 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals and gave the game exactly what it needed when he stepped in: energy. He even looked very comfortable knocking down a three from the wing.
It probably flew under the radar given how badly the team was beaten, but Walsh quietly put up 10 points and knocked down two threes in garbage time against the Rockets. That performance might not have stood out to fans, but up to that point, he hadn’t logged more than two and a half minutes in any game. Those 18 minutes, when he finally got to play freely and find his rhythm, may have been a key factor in his strong showing last night.
#5 – Queta continues solid play
Neemias Queta worked really hard tonight and that showed in his halftime interview.
All jokes aside Queta had another good game scoring 15 points on 7/7 shooting, grabbing 12 rebounds, and dishing out career high tying 5 assists. He did everything well tonight, and his teammates seemed to find him more in the paint which I noticed was lacking in the last couple of games.
He was hit on a roll their first offensive possession of the game and that seemed to set the tone for him. Him and Pritchard showed some good chemistry on a freelance play that resulted in a dunk for him.
He was also very effective as a handoff passer, getting three of his five assists from this play type.
#6 – Points off turnovers
During Media Day and training camp, there was a strong emphasis on the Celtics adopting a faster pace of play. The recent NBA Finals inspired many teams to speed up their game, and with Boston’s roster seeing significant turnover, Coach Mazzulla noted that the approach simply aligns with the strengths of the new squad but it’s safe to say fans are still waiting on that to change… at least on offense.
Boston ranked 30th in pace last season and remains at the bottom of the league this year. However, their new, more frantic and aggressive defensive approach has already shown results. The team is forcing more turnovers than in previous years, though it has also led to an increase in fouls. Last night, the Celtics scored 30 points off turnovers, recording 12 steals and 3 blocks. After finishing 26th in steals last season, they have soared 20 spots to 6th this year.
This style of play defensively certainly has its pros and cons, but nights like this are great examples of how it can work.
#7 – Protecting the rock
One thing that hasn’t changed is how much this team values each possession. The Celtics rank first in fewest turnovers per game, averaging just 10.9, and they committed only seven in last night’s matchup. Playing at the league’s slowest pace and near the bottom in passes per game likely contributes to this number, but protecting the ball remains important no matter how you slice it.
They won’t get 30 points off the opponents mistakes every night but if they can couple disruption on defense with league-best ball security on offense, we could see more win stack.
#8 – Threes connected more
Following an atrocious 11/51 shooting performance from behind the arc vs Utah, the Cs took less and made more in this game. In fact, they took their lowest numbers of threes of any game this season with just 41. They were still able to win the math game, outscoring Washington by 21 points from three-point land.
As usual, watching the game live, it seemed like most of the shots were good looks but this one by Brown was a straight heat check.
Eight guys found the bottom of the net from three tonight at least once, but Anfernee Simons led the team shooting 4/10.
#9 – Rebounding was scary (for a second)
As stated earlier, the first quarter of this game wasn’t the greatest for the Celtics. Washington blitzed them gaining a 37-26 advantage in large part due to their work on the glass.
The Wizards finished that quarter with 13 second chance points on 4 offensive rebounds and it was a here we go again moment. Thankfully, the Celtics were able to lock in and only allowed seven second chance points for the rest of the game. There was a point in the third quarter where they started to dwindle on the offensive glass again, but it seemed like a concerted effort to not give up the second chance points even when a ball is recovered.
The crashes of Minott, Brown, and Walsh in this game were pivotal to the team securing more rebounds.
#10 – Can we get more from Derrick White?
Derrick White has had a disappointing season so far, especially when you factor in the high hopes and scoring expectations many put on him in a year without Jayson Tatum. It is early, but White has posted absurdly uncharacteristic shooting splits of 32/27/83.
He didn’t struggle to shoot the ball in this one going 4/8, but the 12 points is where I ask for slightly more. He only played 28 minutes in this game and did have eight assists, but Josh Minott isn’t going to have 20+ many times to pick up the slack. If this team wants to win games, White has to be the guy we all know he can be.
