One of the biggest takeaways from the Celtics splitting their back-to-back against the Magic and Rockets is what happened in the final frame when Jayson Tatum was off the floor.
In the first tilt, Paul George was a stabilizing force in those minutes. Tatum played the entire third quarter in Orlando. When he subbed out, Boston held a 77-74 edge. With his new teammate holding down the fort, the six-time All-Star spent most of the period spectating.
The former Duke Blue Devil re-entered the contest at the 4:22 mark. In the 7:38 without him, the visitors had grown their lead to six. Winning that stretch without Tatum by three, he played only 4:13 of the last 12 minutes of their 108-97 victory.
Paul George is solving the Celtics' non-Tatum minutes
The six-time All-NBA selection scored seven of Boston's 20 points, grabbed two rebounds, dished out an assist, and swiped a steal in that critical juncture of the matchup.
From cashing in a corner 3 to picking Anthony Black's pocket and finding Luka Garza for a bucket from beyond the arc, his two-way play helped pace Tatum on the first half of a back-to-back and the second of three games in four days.
The latter still logged over 34 minutes, making his light workload in the final frame that much more beneficial. George stuffed the stat sheet. He finished with 17 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.
"I do take those minutes very important," said the 16-year veteran after the win. "He's doing a lot. So, if I can make it easy for him, and he doesn't have to press when he comes back in, ultimately, I'm trying to win those minutes for him."
The Celtics sorely missed Paul George vs. the Rockets
A day after George helped Boston improve to 5-1, the minutes without Tatum on the floor were costly. It was most problematic in the second half.
The star forward played nearly the entire third quarter. When he subbed out for a breather, the visitors were only down by five with 1:39 left. When he returned at the 7:02 mark in the last period, they trailed by 16.
Houston is 7-1, tied with the Philadelphia 76ers. With long, athletic defenders like Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, and Jabari Smith Jr., the Rockets are yielding the fourth-fewest points per game.
Playing in the second half of a back-to-back and for the third time in four days, the Celtics were ice cold against a stingy defense. They shot under 40 percent from the field and sub-30 percent from the three-point line. Payton Pritchard went 0-for-7, Derrick White was 3-for-12, and Tatum was 5-for-16.
Facing a top team on tired legs tells much of the story. The visitors didn't convert on a considerable number of quality attempts. Having George -- at both ends of the floor -- would have made life easier, though. The Celtics have to pace him. They were wise not to play him in both halves of this back-to-back. However, it also highlighted that his ability to accentuate their best player and lead Boston when Tatum's off the floor is where he's needed most.
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