Boston Celtics: Second Half Comeback Falls Short in 100-94 loss to Blazers
By Thomas King
Pick-and-Roll Defense
After being unable to contain Rudy Gobert in a loss to the Jazz, the Celtics once again struggled in their pick-and-roll defense for large portions of the game Sunday night.
Both Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum are lethal as pick-and-roll ball-handlers, commanding the attention of two defenders well beyond the arc. It’s very difficult to defend those guys out in space, and not give up something in return.
When Al Horford is playing center, his one weakness defensively is a susceptibility to the lob against rim-running bigs. With everybody seemingly a step slow in the first half, the Celtics weakside defense didn’t help enough on the roll man, leaving Horford alone to recover back.
In the first half alone, Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, feasting on the interior as Boston keyed on Lillard and McCollum. Nurkic ended the game with 18 points and 17 rebounds in 27 minutes.
After missing the last two weeks with an injured foot, backup center Daniel Theis returned Sunday, playing key minutes in the second half, Theis is especially value because he combines some of the mobility, versatility, and switchability defensively of Horford, with some of the paint protection of Aron Baynes.
In the final minute, Aminu showed how help defense can be a double-edged sword, drilling a deep three to seal the game when Hayward helped on the Nurkic roll and couldn’t get back out in time to contest the shot.