The Boston Celtics defeated the Utah Jazz Friday night, marking a critical victory for a club still fighting for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Boston now sits 1.5 games behind the Milwaukee Bucks for the No.1 seed in the East with four regular season games remaining on the schedule.
Jayson Tatum may have led the way with 39 points and 11 rebounds, but it was the Celtics’ impressive depth that sealed the win for the home team. In total, six different Celtics players scored in double-figures. Malcolm Brogdon and Grant Williams deserve special kudos, as they helped bolster a strong bench performance that in part fueled Boston’s victory.
Boston now moves to 54-24 on the season. Let’s take a closer look at Friday’s action to see what helped the Celtics grab a victory over the Jazz.
Malcolm Brodgon has won this year’s Tommy Award, an annual honor and nod to the late Tommy Heinsohn https://t.co/E66vH8o0dc
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) March 31, 2023
Boston's offense
Per usual, 3-point shooting played a massive role in Boston’s fate. The Celtics shot 17-for-51 from deep, a good enough clip to secure a win, but not good enough to fully put the Jazz to bed.
Instead, the Celtics really got things going with impeccable ball movement. The team logged 27 assists on 42 made field goals. Eight Celtics players had at least 2 assists, a metric of how unselfish a performance Boston put together.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown may be the head of the snake for the Celtics, but this style of offense is critical to perfect ahead of the postseason. Look for head coach Joe Mazzulla to continue to try and maximize his club’s depth and share responsibility on offense.
The ‘ubuntu’ origin story was revealed on the inaugural episode of the new Celtics-produced podcast ‘The View From the Rafters’. https://t.co/4ntPpRIuCC
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) March 31, 2023
Boston's defense
Things on the defensive end were a little clunky for the Celtics. Yes, the team did have travel issues coming back from Milwaukee, but coach Mazzulla made it clear he didn’t want anyone making excuses for his club.
The Jazz appeared to try and push the tempo on the Celts from the jump. What resulted was a frenetic affair. Utah consistently upped the pace on offense, and Boston’s defense was sometimes too slow to react. Being without Robert Williams III and Al Horford certainly didn’t help, and the Jazz grabbed 10 more rebounds than the Celtics.
Still, the Celtics defense held, importantly forcing 18 Utah turnovers, among other things. Marcus Smart and Derrick White were particularly good on the defensive end, and increasingly common theme for Boston.
How dangerous are the 76ers in the playoffs for Boston? Are they trending towards full health for a change at the end of the season? What else should Celtics fans want to know about this iteration … https://t.co/dhv8UWTbWV
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) March 31, 2023
Looking ahead
With this result, the Celtics are still firmly in the race to recapture the top seed in the East. Currently held by Milwaukee, Boston was the best team in the conference for much of the year, and the seeding could play a role in future postseason tilts.
Boston’s next game is Tuesday night in Philadelphia. The Celtics could very well grab the top spot in the East, but the Sixers are right there vying for the No. 2 position. Tuesday’s action will be extra revealing, as Philly and Milwaukee play Sunday evening.
That said, Boston’s top priorities in the next few games will be to limit injury risk and gear up for the playoffs. As such, expect the Celtics to dial in on a few key groups while simultaneously prioritizing rest. A handful of token wins at the close of the regular season won’t be as valuable as a clean bill of health.
Can you name the players — and better yet, the seasons — Boston had a player named Finals MVP? https://t.co/O05HDe4ZMt
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) March 31, 2023
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