The Boston Celtics just finished their Western Conference road trip with a win over the Denver Nuggets. Nikola Jokic wasn’t active, but regardless, Boston finishing the four-game venture with a 3-1 record is a massive win. Now, they’ll head home for games against the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans.
Not long after their struggles against the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers, Boston is back in a solid place, though the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 10-game win streak means they haven’t gained any ground in the Eastern Conference standings. Regardless, there has been plenty of news to keep track of.
Here is some of the latest in the world of Celtics news.
Kristaps Porzingis discusses injury recovery
After the Celtics’ 118-106 win over the Nuggets, Kristaps Porzingis spoke about how he’s been feeling as he continues to get healthy.
“I know this is what everybody expects from me, this is what I showed last season, and now I’m just working my way back up,” Porzingis said via Jay King of The Athletic. “Honestly, tonight was in my opinion one of the first games that I felt like I’m getting close to feeling healthy, feeling good and getting back in good shape.”
The big man also noted that he’s feeling around 85% regarding his recovery, though his performance against Denver would say otherwise.
Porzingis dominated the Nuggets, ending the night with 25 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block while shooting 9-of-18 from the field.
A Joe Mazzulla mentor in Jim Crutchfield
CJ Moore of The Athletic penned an incredible piece about Jim Crutchfield, the head coach of DII basketball’s Nova Southeastern.
He noted that Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra consistently travels to see Crutchfield for perspective and advice, and another tidbit in the article noted that Joe Mazzulla and Brad Stevens have sought out his insight as well.
“Crutchfield doesn’t understand why big-name basketball folks — from Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla and GM Brad Stevens to recently-retired Miami coach Jim Larranaga and Michigan coach Dusty May — have met with him to hear about his methods,” Moore wrote. “Whenever Spoelstra visits, Crutchfield asks him, ‘Why don’t we just go golf or play pickleball? I can teach you how to play pickleball. Pick my brain about that.’”
Crutchfield’s squad plays at an extremely high pace, constantly presses, and has a very unique style of play. Go check Moore’s feature story for more information.
Celtics road trip was a success
Heading into Boston’s recent road trip, there were a ton of questions surrounding what their performance would mean. Well, they went 3-1, and though Mazzulla would have liked an undefeated run, he was pleased with the results.
“Everybody said this road trip was ‘brutal,’ I think is what a couple of people used,” Mazzulla said via Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. “It was great. I like the way our guys handled it. I like the way we approached it. It was four tough environments and I thought our defense kind of carried us and our offense is what helped us.”
Boston now sits at 27-10 on the year and in second place in the East.