Back on Track: What the Boston Celtics’ win over Sacramento proves

The Boston Celtics dominated the Kings on the road on March 21 with a final score of 132-109. It was, without a doubt, the best and most complete game we’ve seen since the All-Star Break, and it helps that it was against one of the top teams in the league.

The Boston Celtics are back.

Here are the top things to note from last night.

Robert Williams III’s return and how it helped the Boston Celtics defense

Robert Williams returned to the Boston Celtics lineup after missing the last eight games due to a hamstring injury. He was on a minutes restriction and left out of the starting lineup, but was still able to grab seven boards and six points. He did get into foul trouble as well, but to be fair, he came off of all that rest to play against one of the best bigs in the league in Sabonis.

While Williams may not have lit up the stat sheet last night, his impact was clear. Williams is a player who makes an impact from the moment he checks in because of how radically the opposing side has to change their schemes.

Immediately, driving and penetrating in the paint becomes a much riskier activity. Williams’ ability to roam the floor, close out on the perimeter, and truly just be everywhere changes the entire dynamic of the Boston Celtics defense.

Jayson Tatum hears the noise

There has been a lot more Jayson Tatum slander in recent weeks than we’ve seen in a while. His MVP chances have dwindled to close to zero, as poor shooting performances have highlighted a miserable stretch.

Last night, he bounced back in a huge way, dropping 36 points alongside eight boards and four assists.

I mentioned yesterday that he needs to bring energy and “decide to win.” He did just that. He aggressively drove to the basket rather than jack up contested shots. While he missed a few free throws and only shot 2/7 from the 3-point line, he is progressing back to his typical form, and Boston Celtics fans will hope to see him to keep this going heading into the playoffs.

Derrick White gives a masterclass yet again

This guy is real deal good, and he has emerged as a top tier contributor for this Celtics team over the last couple months. Derrick White continued this last night with 20 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds, and two blocks. He had an overall plus/minus of +18.

Joe Mazzulla keeps the Boston Celtics on a tight rotation

We saw eight guys play throughout the game last night until garbage time. Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, White, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams III, Grant Williams, and Malcolm Brogdon. There was no Sam Hauser, no Blake Griffin, no Mike Muscala, etc.

Is this what we can expect to see in the playoffs? It will be interesting to see how Joe Mazzulla decides to manage his rotations over the next couple of weeks.