Celtics' offseason plan validated once again in blowout win vs. Warriors

The Celtics took care of business against the Golden State Warriors to make this week's homestand a clean sweep.

Jaylen Brown led the way for Boston with 32 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Jayson Tatum contributed a double-double with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and two assists of his own. The Jays are very much back, for those wondering.

Here's what stood out:

Welcome back, Kristaps Porzingis

Wednesday marked Kristaps Porzingis’ first game back at TD Garden since the Celtics traded him away last June. Porzingis missed his initial return date when he was still with the Atlanta Hawks due to injury.

There’s clearly still plenty of love for the 2024 NBA Champion in Boston for whom he appeared in 99 regular-season games in two seasons with the team. He was met with a swarm of cheers as he was introduced with the Warriors starters.

Of course, per Celtics tradition, he had the timeout between the first and second quarters dedicated to him with a tribute video.

Porzingis opened the game with a pair of blocks on Golden State’s first defensive possession.

He wound up with 11 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two blocks on 4-11 from the field and 2-4 from beyond the arc.

Luka Garza continues to give the team a boost in Vuc’s absence

Celtics center Luka Garza saw his regular rotation spot inherited by Nikola Vucevic, who joined the team last month before the trade deadline. He played sporadically for the following few weeks, but never had a guaranteed slate of minutes on a game-to-game basis.

Since Vucevic broke his right ring finger almost two weeks ago, Garza has seamlessly slipped back into his old role without any signs of rust.

Wednesday was a prime example. Garza checked in for Neemias Queta midway through the first quarter and got to work. By the end of the first half, he’d already tallied seven points and six rebounds thanks to a mix of hustle and three-point shooting.

Garza wound up with 15 points and seven rebounds by the end of the night. He continues to prove Brad Stevens and the Celtics right for bringing him in over the summer.

Closing quarters is important

There are so many little things that can turn the tide in an NBA game. Joe Mazzulla often refers to these as “the margins.” More or less, it’s the controllable things that happen on a night-to-night basis.

Controlling the end of quarters is certainly one of them. Boston held their ground in the final two minutes of each of the first two frames. They outscored the visitors by four in the first, then again by one in the second.

Those margins may seem slim, but that’s why they’re called margins. If nothing else, the Celtics maintained their stranglehold on the game with these stable stints.

The Charles Bassey debut finally happened

Celtics fans couldn't get enough of Charles Bassey last July when he represented the team at the Las Vegas Summer League. After an impressive three games there and 10-day stints with the Memphis Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers, Bassey debuted for Boston during his same-length deal there.

He played the final two minutes or so of regulation, scored two points, and grabbed a rebound.