Jordan Walsh is meeting the moment. The job he did slowing down Tyrese Maxey in the third quarter of Friday's 108-100 win epitomized Joe Mazzulla's post-game message.
"Everybody that played tonight made a big-time play," voiced Boston's bench boss after the Celtics gained a 2-1 series lead in their first-round rivalry clash against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Walsh held Maxey to 1/5 shooting when he got his opportunities against the two-time All-Star. That takes a team effort, but the job he did against an individual who was in the top five in scoring this season was at the heart of limiting him to four points when Walsh was on the floor to take on that task.
"It's a lot of effort. A lot of technical things you have to know. But most of all, just playing as hard as possible. Trying to disrupt offense, trying to leave my print on the game," said the third-year wing after Sunday's shootaround, hours before his next chance at a challenge he's relishing.
Sticking to that script helped swing the outcome of Game 3
Maxey started the second half on fire. He generated 10 points on 4/4 shooting to open the third frame. That prompted Mazzulla to bring Walsh off the bench.
The former defensive standout with the Arkansas Razorbacks utilized his length, quick feet, and precise angles, knowing how the Celtics wanted to defend the Sixers' pick-and-rolls for their star guard. He also operated with a relentless motor to make life as difficult as possible for the soon-to-be All-NBA selection.
In their first battle of the second half, he began cooling off a red-hot Maxey by fighting over an Andre Drummond screen and, with help from Neemias Queta's drop coverage, induced a missed mid-range jumper that clanged off the front rim.
He followed that up with a play worthy of a Tommy Point, tracking him down in transition, influencing a missed layup.
Just over two minutes later, Walsh again fought over a Drummond screen, had help from Queta, and could do nothing but tip his cap as Maxey made a baseline jumper that Boston will live with.
In another exemplary display of the high-revving motor that the Celtics' wing employs, when Maxey attacked Queta downhill, Walsh sprinted to stay in the play and swatted the star guard's layup attempt.
"It's kind of like a give-and-take," said Walsh about the approach that allowed him to slow down Maxey. "Some things we have to live with. Some things we must take away. Finding that balance is what makes the difference, and JB [Jaylen Brown] talked about that. Trying to make me a better defender for this series and against whoever I'm guarding. But everything is about balance. When to be aggressive, when to back off, when to pick up high, when to pick up low, stuff like that."
He entered the third quarter with his team trailing by three. When the six-foot-six wing subbed out at the start of the final frame, he had helped put Boston ahead by five. It was a crucial swing that helped them prevail in a slugfest to regain control of this series.
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