Postseason

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Taylor Snow

BOSTON – Kristaps Porzingis went through a full, moderate practice with the Celtics Saturday morning and he appears to be getting back into the swing of things according to his peers.

Joe Mazzulla, Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, and Jrue Holiday all reported on the progress they’ve seen out of their 7-foot-3 center, who has been sidelined since the middle of Round 1 with a calf strain. And they expressed nothing but optimism regarding him being ready for their NBA Finals matchup against the Dallas Mavericks.

“He’s been working extremely hard just to get back and to help us in any way he can,” White said of Porzingis’ impending return. “So obviously these practices and these reps are going to be good. It’s a little bit different than what Al [Horford] and obviously what Luke [Kornet] and [Xavier Tillman] do, so some aspects might be a little bit different. But any chance you can add a guy like KP, and he’s just willing to do whatever we need, he’ll make it easy.”

The Celtics are a totally different team with a healthy KP, and that’s part of the reason why they’ve been so deliberate in ramping him back up so that he’s at 100 percent health at the opportune time.

“When KP’s at his best, he’s been tremendous for us,” said Mazzulla. “We expect that from him and we know he’ll give that to us.”

What he gives them is another 20-point scorer whose length and versatility change the dynamic of the offense.

Then on defense, he provides elite rim protection, which could be critical against Dallas’ prolific scoring.

“He’s shown the ability to be flexible, to be in touch, to switch, to rotate, so he’s just got to be willing to do whatever it takes, which he has done and our defense has done,” said Mazzulla. “And to have an understanding that this is a high-powered offensive team and they test you. Same with Indiana – the way they test you emotionally, they test you discipline-wise, they test what you’re willing to give up. And so you’ve got to stay firm in that and you’ve got stay simple, yet flexible.”

Porzingis’ flexibility is part of what made him so valuable this season, according to Tatum.

“KP essentially did exactly what we needed him to do the entire season,” said JT, “whether it was punishing switches or space the 5-man, being in the corner. Sometimes that might be going possessions without touching the ball, or it may be when they're switching, we give him the ball five times in a row. Joe talks about everybody's just open-mindedness to whatever we're trying to do. We switch things up a lot and we have so many talented, gifted players on the offensive and defensive end. Everybody's just got to be open to trying different things. And I give KP a lot of credit, especially for somebody as talented as he is and obviously as tall as he is. A lot of the big guys may be stuck in their ways doing what makes them comfortable. He got outside his comfort zone a little bit and it made us a better team.”

It's easy to see why the Celtics are so thrilled to get Porzingis back after everything he’s provided them with this season. And Holiday thinks his transition back into the flow of things will be seamless.

“KP is one of the best scorers, he’s one of our best rim protectors, and I feel like we're all mature enough to get back in the groove or have him fit right back in whenever he comes back,” Holiday said. “We want KP back. Like, we can't wait for him to be back and be a part of this on the court.”

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Celtics Excited to See Porzingis Getting Back into Swing of Things

BOSTON – There was a significant discrepancy in experience when the Boston Celtics faced off against the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals two seasons ago. Most of Golden State’s core had been to multiple championship rounds, while zero members of Boston’s core had previously made it that far.

In the end, the more experienced team prevailed.

In this year’s Finals, Boston finds itself in a different situation. Most of that 2022 core remains intact and has the experience of its prior trip to lean on. Meanwhile, its opponent, the Dallas Mavericks, has very little Finals experience on its roster that it can tap into leading up to Game 1 on June 6.

While experience isn’t everything, it plays a more significant role as the playoffs go deeper. And Al Horford is certain that it will be beneficial for this Celtics group in the weeks ahead.

“I think it is gonna help tremendously,” Horford said Friday afternoon. “Because the first time, it felt like a roller coaster. Just a lot going on: the increased coverage of media, all the responsibilities that we had, and just everything that came with it. So I just think that this time around, we all have an understanding. We know what things are like, and I feel like we'll be able to manage everything better.”

Boston’s preparation for the Finals began long before this week; it started last summer.

There’s a certain mindset that a contender has to adopt all the way from the beginning if it hopes to reach its ultimate goal. Horford believes his team has the right framework in place, which it began building before the season started.

“We've established consistency and hard work, and we've tried to embody what being a Celtic is about,” said the 17-year vet. “From the beginning of camp and from before camp, even in September when we were doing voluntary workouts here, we were just consistent. Everybody's coming in here, everybody's working, we're all getting together. What do we want our legacy to be? I think it has to be the consistent, hardworking team. We're playing for each other, we have really enjoyed being in this space, and I feel like that's&nbsp;what we're about.”

Consistency and hard work are the keys to getting over the hump and winning the Finals. One player in the locker room can attest to that: Jrue Holiday, who is only three years removed from capturing a championship with the Milwaukee Bucks.

“It takes everything,” said the veteran point guard. “I think it's one of the hardest things I've ever done. Mentally, physically, you're exhausted. Teams know each other so well, at this point, it's kind of about making plays. It's about executing.”

And it’s about not giving up no matter how tired you become.

“The biggest thing is just how exhausted you were, or how exhausted I was because I left everything on the floor,” Holiday said. “We were down 0-2. I think even having the feeling of encouragement like, 'It's not over.' But I think it's because my team had the mentality of it's not over until we say it's over. I think being able to go out there and fight and leave everything out on the court, you have the best chance of getting that win.”

Holiday’s experience alone is invaluable for this group, because he can provide the right leadership to get them through any hard times that may lie ahead. Combining his knowledge with that of players who went through the 2022 Finals should give Boston the confidence to navigate through this final round.

“We have a bunch of different guys, different players and coaches that have been in different atmospheres,” said coach Joe Mazzulla. “So just relying on each guy’s experience and each guy’s expertise and what each guy has been through, and try to use it for us to execute together.”

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Boston Leaning on Past Experience to Navigate the 2024 NBA Finals

BOSTON – After making quick work of the Indiana Pacers in a four-game sweep of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics are in the midst of an unprecedented nine-day game-less stretch leading up to the NBA Finals.

Having ample rest can lead to two different results: a team could either be disadvantaged by growing rusty during such a stretch, or they could use the time to their advantage to keep their minds and bodies sharp so that they are raring to go by the June 6 start date.

Coach Joe Mazzulla is doing his best to make sure his team uses its time properly so that it can fall into the latter category.

“Anything can be good or bad for you, depending on how you use it,” Mazzulla told reporters Thursday morning. “Time could be good, it could be bad – everything goes into how you use it, how you weaponize it. So we’re weaponizing our time right now.”

Part of the weaponizing process is for the team to assess all recent experiences and to figure out what, if any, adjustments need to be made. This is why it’s been so important for the Celtics to win in so many different ways throughout their playoff run; they’ve won blowouts, they’ve won close games, they’ve won comebacks, they’ve won in the comfort of their home, and they’ve won in hostile environments (in fact, they haven’t lost on the road yet.)

“The ability to win different ways is very important,” said Mazzulla. “Executing, playing from behind, protecting leads – any time you can find different ways to win, I think it’s important. And in the late games, I just saw our attention to detail defensively, I saw a level of poise, and I saw a heightened awareness to execution, which is the most important thing. And at the end of the day, you’ve gotta make plays, so our guys made the necessary plays to win on both ends of the floor.”

All of those experiences come into play as they prepare for the final stage. But only if they utilize them properly.

“[Those experiences] are only valuable if you use them to your advantage in the next opportunity that you have,” Mazzulla said. “Nothing is really valuable if you let it go to waste. So between now and June 6, we have to take every experience that we've been through, and we're going to make sure we take advantage of it and that we utilize it to put ourselves in the best position to win.”

Friday will mark the team’s first official organized practice leading into the Finals. It’s possible that by then they’ll know who they’ll be playing in the next round if Dallas can finish off Minnesota on Thursday night. If not, the focal point doesn’t change much, because the most important emphasis for the C’s is focusing on themselves.

“Practice is all about the details and the margins, so making sure we get better as a team, making sure we get better offensively and defensively, making sure we understand our situational philosophies and situational execution, things that go into winning,” Mazzulla said. “The same things we’ve been doing all year. Those would be the points of emphasis. And so I think, regardless of who wins (the Dallas-Minnesota series), we’ve gotta get better.”

They’ve got to get better and be at their best by June 6.

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Celtics ‘Weaponizing’ Their Time in Preparation for Finals

BOSTON – Amid the celebration of Boston’s Eastern Conference Championship win Monday night, Cedric Maxwell was handed a microphone to announce the series MVP. When the Celtics Legend revealed the Larry Bird Trophy winner to be Jaylen Brown, the television cameras panned to Boston’s star wing, frozen in shock before the joy kicked in as his teammates swarmed him.

“I wasn’t expecting it at all,” Brown said after the Celtics completed their sweep of the Indiana Pacers with a 105-102 Game 4 win to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals. “I don’t ever win [any individual awards]. I’m just happy we won.”

Modest as his response was, Brown deserved such recognition and deserved to bask in the spotlight after the series he had.

He was the hero of Game 1 when he forced a turnover late in regulation to set up his miraculous game-tying 3-pointer to send the match into overtime.

He was the star of Game 2 when he erupted for a playoff career-high-tying 40 points in a blowout win.

He had his most efficient performance of the series in Game 3 when he scored 24 points on 55.6 percent shooting from the field.

And he had his fingerprints all over the title-clinching crunch-time victory, delivering the game-tying step-through floater, a steal, a block, and the assist on Derrick White’s game-winning bucket all within the final three minutes.

Throughout those four games, Brown averaged 29.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 51.7 percent from the field and 37.0 percent from 3-point range.

“Jaylen deserved it,” Al Horford said. “He’s really been playing so well this year. You can see the improvement in his game, his growth. This is something that we're all celebrating with him and it's very well-deserved.”

Much of Brown's improvement has come on the defensive end, which was visible throughout the series and especially toward the end of Game 4. Indiana was held scoreless during the final 3:32 of action as the C’s went on a 7-0 run, and JB's defensive effort was a driving force for the duration of that stretch.

"I think I'm one of the best two-way wings in this game,” Brown said. “I thought this year, I've taken it to a level and I've increased it. I took the matchup. I picked up guys full-court. I chased guys off screens. I've battled with bigs … I like to set my hat on just being a versatile two-way wing who can do both at any point in time. The last four minutes of this game, you saw that."

Part of Brown’s two-way impact comes with his increased vocal leadership. He noted how he wanted to step up in that department after their main voice, Marcus Smart, was traded. We saw Brown's voice emerge throughout the regular season and even more in the Playoffs.

“I wanted to make sure that everybody felt me, and everybody knew what the standard was,” Brown said. “We didn’t skip no steps all season. I think we played the right way every single game. I thought everybody was accountable. And this is the byproduct.”

It’s a byproduct of winning the ECF MVP, as well. Brown was so locked into every action on both ends of the floor, he was so focused on winning each possession, that it took a moment for it all to catch up in the end when his name was announced over the Gainsbridge Fieldhouse public address system.

“I think it's even better because he didn't expect it,” said Jrue Holiday. “That really means that that didn't matter to him. It was about winning and whatever it took, however long it took, that's what was important. So I think when you have that mentality and that mindset and you see great people get rewarded for the things that they do, it just brings joy. I'm super excited for him. He's been a First Team All-NBA for the whole season and wish he would've got that, but to see him get this award is big-time.”

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Brown Earns ECF MVP as Celtics Punch Ticket to NBA Finals

Marc D'Amico

Say what you want about the Boston Celtics, but one thing you can’t deny is their ability to win in the clutch.

Boston did it again Monday night, for the third time in four games of the Eastern Conference Finals. And yet again, Jaylen Brown was at the center of it all.

Brown, you might recall, was the player who sent Game 1 to overtime with a miraculous 3-pointer to tie the game just ahead of the final buzzer. Saturday night, he scored the game-tying points, he preserved the tie with a blocked shot, and then he assisted on the game-winning points.

It all began with 2:40 left when Brown executed a beautiful step-through and floater to tie the game up at 102-102. Each team struggled to score for the next two minutes and the game remained tied as the clock approached the 1-minute mark. That’s when Brown tracked Andrew Nembhard from behind and blocked Nembhard’s layup attempt away at the 1:05 mark for what is unquestionably the biggest defensive play of Brown’s career. Then came the biggest assist of his career, exactly 20 seconds later.

Brown came off a screen by Jrue Holiday near center court and dribbled to the left wing, where he was defended by Myles Turner. Brown then hit the breaks, dribbled through his legs from left to right, and split two defenders to get into the paint with his right hand. At that moment, he had options – three of them. Derrick White was open in the right corner, Jayson Tatum was open on the right wing, and Holiday was open at the top of the arc. Brown rose up and kicked a pass out to White, who promptly drilled a 3-pointer from directly in front of Indiana’s bench to push Boston ahead by three.

Neither team scored from that moment on, and a critical offensive rebound by Holiday sealed the win and the sweep for the Celtics. Without Brown’s heroics, this series very well may have been heading back to Boston for a Game 5.

Q4 :45.0 - [BOS 105-102] White 3pt Shot: Made (16 PTS) Assist: Brown (2 AST)

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Keys to the Game: Celtics 105, Pacers 102

The Boston Celtics are in the driver's seat but Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle says his club will be controlling the throttle in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals.

There's no reason for Indiana to do anything other than push the pedal to the medal on Monday night in Indianapolis since no team has recovered from a 3-0 deficit in NBA playoff history.

"We're not going to be deterred," Carlisle said of the mountain to navigate. "We're going to be back here Monday night looking to extend the series and we're going to come at it even harder. We have to. We don't have a choice. ... Believe me, we are going after them."

While the Pacers will stay off the brakes, the Celtics will be trying to close the door on the series.

Top-seeded Boston moved within one victory of advancing to the East finals for the second time in three seasons by rallying from an 18-point, third-quarter deficit to post a 114-111 road victory in Game 3 on Saturday.

"We've met every challenge," Celtics star Jayson Tatum said. "We're in great position right now, one win away from the finals. But we can't look past Monday or anything like that, and we have a special opportunity to go back to the finals."

Indiana played without All-NBA third-team selection Tyrese Haliburton in Game 3 and also could be without the star point guard's services on Monday. Carlisle said he had no injury update to provide during his Sunday media availability.

Haliburton injured his left hamstring in the first half of Game 2 and exited for good in the third quarter. In Game 1, he had 25 points and 10 assists when the Pacers fell 133-128 in overtime.

Haliburton was missed down the stretch in Game 3. Indiana led by eight with 2:38 to play before Boston closed the game with a decisive 13-2 burst.

Celtics point guard Jrue Holiday, who was ill most of the day, was fully revved up for the finish line.

Holiday converted a go-ahead three-point play with 38 seconds left and added a key steal with 3.3 seconds to play when he forced the ball away from Indiana's Andrew Nembhard. Holiday added two free throws with 1.7 seconds remaining for the final margin.

Celtics veteran Al Horford, who also starred with 23 points and a career-best seven 3-pointers, was amazed with Holiday's stellar steal.

"That was unbelievable. That was an unbelievable play," Horford said. "A guy coming full speed and him having the instincts to do that. He's just a winner. Ultimately, that's what it comes down to. He stepped up in a big way for us."

Holiday, who wasn't cleared to play until approximately 45 minutes before tipoff, finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and three steals.

Tatum also stood out for Boston with 36 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.

Despite the late turnover, Nembhard excelled with the best performance of his two-year NBA career with a career-high 32 points to go with nine assists in 39 minutes. He made four 3-pointers and was a prime reason why Indiana built the 18-point bulge.

"It's just one of those things where it was next guy up and I think Andrew Nembhard took his game to another level tonight," said Pacers reserve T.J. McConnell, who had 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists. "But he's been playing at a high level all year and has really, really stepped his game up in the postseason. We aren't in that position without him."

Indiana promises to put up another fight while Tatum repeatedly professes the following: "Closeout games are the hardest. ... Never relax. It's never over until it's over."

At the same time, Carlisle continues to insist there is plenty of life left in the Pacers.

"We came up a little short but we will be back on Monday and we will be punching even harder," he said.

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5/27 Game 4 Preview: Celtics at Pacers

The Boston Celtics experienced their own version of the Jordan "Flu Game" Saturday night: Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals will forever be known as the “Jrue Game.”

Boston rallied back from an 18-point deficit, and Jrue Holiday rallied from an illness to deliver the go-ahead bucket and the game-sealing steal. Together, they overcame the Indiana Pacers for a 114-111 win at Gainsbridge Fieldhouse to take a 3-0 series lead.

Holiday was so sick earlier in the day that he couldn’t attend the team’s shootaround, causing the team to list his status as “questionable” until around tip-off time. However, nothing was going to hold him back from suiting up and stepping on the court.

“I didn't feel too well, but, I guess I just figured if I got a good day's rest or tried to sleep through it, that would help me for tonight,” Holiday said. “It’s Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, so I wasn't going to miss this game.”

He didn’t miss the game, and he didn’t miss in the clutch.

With 38.9 seconds remaining, Holiday drove to the basket and tossed in a game-tying left-handed layup through contact from Pascal Siakam. Boston's veteran point guard then stepped up to the free-throw line and put his team ahead, 112-111, for its first lead since the beginning of the second quarter.

“I think I just saw a chance and took an opportunity,” Holiday said of the bucket. “I felt like [Siakam] was on his heels. He wasn't really expecting me to attack downhill. So I attacked him and just tried to be aggressive and got the and-one.”

And he had one more big play left in his bag on the other end. As Andrew Nembhard drove in for the potential winning bucket, Holiday got in front and stripped the ball loose with 3.8 seconds remaining. He grabbed the rock and sprinted up-court before getting fouled and then proceeded to finish off the Pacers with two more clutch free throws.

“That was an unbelievable play,” Al Horford said of the steal. “A guy like that coming full speed and having the instincts to do that, he's just a winner. Ultimately, that's what it comes down to. He's a winner. And he stepped up in such a big way for us tonight in that moment, also when he got the and-one, then knocking down those free throws at the end. He's a winner, man. I'm so fortunate to be playing next to him. I don't take it for granted.”

Holiday impacted the win in several ways, finishing with 14 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three steals, and one block in 38 minutes of action.

The other four starters stepped up in their own ways as well. Jayson Tatum logged 36 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, two blocks, and one steal in 44 minutes of turnover-free action. Jaylen Brown poured in 24 points on 10-of-18 shooting. Al Horford scored 23 points while becoming the oldest player in playoff history to make seven 3-pointers in a game. And Derrick White added an all-around effort of 13 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and four blocks.

However, it was Holiday who deserved the game ball for powering through adversity and delivering the biggest plays of the night.

“I can't speak highly enough about Jrue,” said Tatum. “The ultimate teammate competitor, obviously a champion, wasn't at shootaround today, he was sick, dealing with chills and stuff like that. We've all been there, how tough that is, to fight through it, and for him to come out there and lay it all on the line for us, make the game-winning play essentially, especially on the defensive end. Jrue is just a big-time player, and he made a tremendous play.”

As Brown put it simply, “Jrue is different. Nothing really else to say. Jrue is just different."

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The Jrue Game: Holiday Rallies Through Illness, Seals Game 3 Comeback Win

Leave it to Jrue Holiday to make the biggest defensive play of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Holiday, a Second Team All-Defensive performer this season who certainly could have been chosen to the First Team, came up clutch with his defense on the most important possession of the game. It arrived with less than 10 seconds remaining and with the Celtics leading by just one point.

Jayson Tatum had just missed a driving layup with 10.1 seconds left on the clock to give Indiana a chance to take the lead. Andrew Nembhard took the ball in transition and attempted to drive past Holiday, but Holiday jumped Nembhard’s driving lane and poked the ball away with his left hand. This occurred right after Holiday somehow avoided tumbling to the ground as he lost his balance backpedaling to the defensive end of the court.

Holiday not only poked the ball away from Nembhard, but he also corralled the loose ball with 3.3 seconds left. He took the ball in the opposite direction and was intentionally fouled by Pascal Siakam with 1.7 seconds left on the clock. The 15-year vet went to the line and canned both freebies to push Boston ahead by three.

Indiana failed to score out of a timeout, leaving the Celtics with a commanding 3-0 series lead that was sparked by their defense and Holiday’s clutch steal.