After get-right game against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night, the Boston Celtics traveled down south for a game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram were both out, but the Celtics were fully healthy. That said, it was still a close game for the entire night.
Trey Murphy III caught fire early, and he stayed hot for the entire game. Some of the shots he was hitting were absolutely ridiculous. But Boston kept fighting. Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis made some big plays in the fourth, but so did CJ McCollum and company. However, some big shots from Tatum and Jaylen Brown secured a 118-116 win for the Celtics.
Here are three studs and three duds from the game.
Stud - Kristaps Porzingis
After a hot stretch of incredible offensive performances, Kristaps Porzingis finally came back down to earth. He didn’t shoot the ball particularly well against the Pelicans, but he made up for that on the defensive end.
Porzingis was a monster on defense against New Orleans. His presence around the rim was a massive deterrent, and the Pelicans didn’t have the talent to deal with it.
Whether he was picking up blocks or disrupting passing lanes, Porzingis’ reach was a constant problem for the Pelicans (and a huge boost to Boston’s defense). He looked like one of the best defenders in the NBA in this one.
Once the fourth quarter rolled around, some of his shots started to drop, too. And Boston really needed the offensive boost at that point.
New Orleans got a taste of peak Porzingis on Friday night.
Dud - Guarding Trey Murphy III
For the first few minutes of the game, the Celtics’ defense looked locked in. They were moving well and weren’t letting the Pelicans get quality looks.
Then, Murphy came into the picture.
Boston failed to put pressure on him a couple of times, and it was an avalanche from there. Murphy was pulling up from all over the floor, draining threes from right behind the line all the way out to the logo.
It didn’t matter where he shot the ball. He even made some tough looks inside with Porzingis in his face.
Stud - Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum was on fire in the first half. He was draining his threes and driving to the rack well. Everything that came from him was positive.
The third quarter was a bit of a step back, as his shot selection and turnovers got in the way a bit.
But that one period shouldn’t take away from the immense impact he had on this game.
Once the scoring dried up a bit, Tatum dialed into his playmaking even more. His connection with Luke Kornet spearheaded a solid start to the fourth, and his work as an offensive hub spiraled from there (in a good way).
Dud - Consistency
There were some times in this game when the Celtics looked completely locked in. But other times, the Pelicans got an amazing shot and made them pay. Or they settled for a bad offensive possession.
Whether it was Tatum taking an ill-advised three, nobody moving off the ball, or Boston reacting a bit too slowly to an open shooter, the downs were just as loud as the ups.
When the Celtics were cruising, they cruised hard. But whenever they get tripped up, it costs them in a big way. That’s what it felt like was happening a lot on Friday night.
Stud - Jaylen Brown
Another game, another huge scoring night for Jaylen Brown.
Every time Brown touched the ball with the goal of scoring, the Pelicans were deer in headlights. He picked his spots perfectly and dissected whoever was in front of him.
Whether it was a mid-range shot, a catch-and-shoot three off the ball, or a drive to the rim, Brown was everywhere.
He added some rebounds and assists to his tally as well, but it was his impressive scoring display that made him so impactful on Friday night.
Dud - Free throws
There isn't much to say about this. The Celtics just missed their free throws. They shot terribly from the charity stripe, especially in the fourth quarter.
The referees missed a huge goaltending call late in the fourth. Boston should have gotten two points and a trip to the line for a chance at an and-one. Instead, Porzingis had to shoot two free throws. He missed them both.
Tatum, Brown, and Porzingis all need to be better from the free-throw line. Point-blank period.