BOSTON — Nothing is perfect. That’s the beauty of basketball. Jaylen Brown just scored 50 points against the LA Clippers, and two nights later, back on his home turf, he put up 14 points on 6-of-24 shooting.
The entire Boston Celtics lineup struggled. The team that had an obscene 127.7 offensive rating in their last five games heading into Monday night shot just 20-of-56 (35.7%) in the first half.
But that’s why Joe Mazzulla employs a process-oriented approach.
Offensive rebounding saved the Celtics against the Bulls
When Sam Hauser missed a three toward the end of the first quarter, the Celtics could have put their heads down and run back on defense. But Hugo Gonzalez shot out of a cannon from the corner, tipped the ball away from the Chicago Bulls, and gift-wrapped Luka Garza a floater in the lane.
On every miss, Boston crashed. Garza ate up offensive rebounds (as per usual), Neemias Queta was a monster in the paint, and the Celtics’ perimeter players flew in from the perimeter. By the end of the first half, they had corralled 14 offensive boards.
That was the difference.
“We had 14 offensive rebounds and forced eight turnovers in the first half. I mean, I think that's the key,” Mazzulla said post-game. “Our defense kept us in it, our offensive rebounding kept us in it, and as long as we can continue those margins, those are the things that allow you to play the way that you need to play when you're not at your best from a shooting standpoint.”
Fresh off a five-game road trip, Boston knew some jet lag could be in store. They accounted for it.
“I think we kind of understood, coming into the game, how tough a game it was going to be, mentally and physically,” said Anfernee Simons. “Just coming off a long road trip, coming from the west coast, practically been on a plane all day. And we knew that there was a possibility that we might struggle a little bit offensively, but I think defensively, through most of the first half, I think we played great. We were getting stops and making it a game, and I think that's what helped us, for sure. Just the defensive end, until our offense came along.”
Celtics' boards were a product of their process
Nothing went the Celtics’ way in the first half. But nothing went Chicago’s way, either. Boston’s defensive intensity and relentless pursuit on the boards kept them ahead.
The Bulls matched Boston’s 35.7% shooting in the first half with 31.7% of their own. Neither team could have hit the ocean from a boat. Yet the Celtics were up by double digits for most of the first two quarters.
The biggest difference? Boston’s 14 second-chance points to Chicago’s two.
But that wouldn’t have been possible without a proper offensive process. The Celtics weren’t successful on the offensive glass by pure luck. They have a game plan.
“You gotta have good spacing, and you have to take good shots,” Mazzulla said. “I think that one thing about our team is we know when shots are going to be taken, because we try to find good ones. And then, you just have to be able to just go get the ball. I mean, there is a level of 'Just go get it' which I think some of our guys had tonight.
“Especially Baylor, Hugo, [and] Jordan. Those guys got some good offensive rebounds for us. Luka did as well. So, just gotta go get it. But you gotta take your good shots, gotta take care of the ball, gotta space well, and you gotta go get it.”
It’s always been part of the Celtics’ offensive philosophy.
“I don't think it's changed. I think it's always been a priority to crash,” said Payton Pritchard. “It just stops the other team from getting fast breaks, even though the Bulls, I feel like maybe in the second half, they still got some fast breaks. But getting those expositions stops them from running.”
For some players, offensive rebounding is innate. Garza has made a role out of it. Queta already patrols the paint, so he just stays put. It’s everyone else that needs to adjust.
Celtics' perimeter players know the drill
Boston’s floor spacers are in the corners, on the wings, and spaced up to the top of the key. But when a shot goes up, all eyes go toward the ball, and all angles get adjusted for crashing purposes.
It’s a strategy Mazzulla constantly emphasizes and one that Simons, whose 27-second-half points spearheaded Boston’s victory on Monday night, had to get used to.
“Oh yeah, he emphasizes that a lot,” Simons said of Mazzulla. “For me, that was another one of the things that I had to adjust to, just crashing the glass. I used to be always the first guy back. [I was] always above the break. So sometimes now, I'm in the corner a lot more, spacing the floor, I'm just naturally trying to just run through the nail, run through the free throw line. I found myself, a couple of times, the ball coming right to me.
“So, just those types of plays. Finding ways to give us another possession. I think it helped us out a lot today, got me a couple threes, got Payton a couple threes. Just those offensive rebounds helped us out a lot, just to give us extra possessions.”
Simons snagged two offensive rebounds. Gonzalez had four. Brown had three. Derrick White and Jordan Walsh grabbed one apiece.
Not only is it part of Mazzulla’s offensive playbook, but it’s one of the best ways for everyone to get involved.
“It's just getting extra possessions,” said Pritchard. “Especially if you're in a role [where] you don't get the ball as much to create. Getting an offensive rebound and getting yourself into the game, an extra possession, it's crucial. I remember being in that role, and I used to search for them all the time and find easy ways to score and get into the game. So, it's definitely needed.”
The Celtics can control everything on the court until the ball is in the air. From that point on, there’s nothing they can do. It will either go through the basket, or it won’t.
They can control what they do during that time.
In those fleeting moments, those few seconds of game time when the ball is floating through the sky, the Celtics choose to move. And on Monday night, it was that conscious decision that made the difference.
On a night where the ball didn’t do what they wanted it to, they found a different way to take control.