The Celtics leaned on their defense, rebounding, and transition play to secure a win against Washington. Jayson Tatum showcased his dominance, while the bench continued to shine with smart, efficient basketball.
#1 – Jayson Tatum schooling Bilal Coulibaly
Washington has some rising stars among its core, and one of them is Bilal Coulibaly. The French player is gaining recognition as a great defensive wing, making his matchup with Jayson Tatum an excellent opportunity to evaluate him.
One major difference between the two players is their physical build. Jayson Tatum has continued to bulk up, while the young sophomore remains on the leaner side. As a result, it’s no surprise that Tatum exploited this by using post-ups to score against him.
But focusing solely on Jayson Tatum’s physicality would overlook his exceptional ability to manipulate defenses. I wrote about his passing last week, but his improvements extend beyond that. His use of screens has significantly improved, as shown in this play:
Young players like Coulibaly often struggle to navigate screens, and Tatum capitalized on his inexperience. Nonetheless, it will be fascinating to see how a promising defensive wing like Coulibaly develops over the season. Few players possess the mobility, size, and length to match up with Tatum, but perhaps the French prince will one day become one of them.
#2 – But he made the Celtics pay for leaving him alone
Speaking of Bilal Coulibaly, the Celtics decided to leave him open at the start of the game. As usual, they aimed to identify a weaker shooter among the opponents, using this strategy to keep Kristaps Porzingis close to the rim.
However, the Wizards countered by feeding Coulibaly, the player the Celtics had chosen to ignore on the perimeter. Typically, the Celtics target non-ball-handlers to avoid situations where Porzingis is forced to guard the ball.
To continue exploiting this matchup, the Wizards used Coulibaly as a screener, aiming to pull Porzingis away from the rim and put him in motion.
After a few minutes, the Celtics reassigned Porzingis to guard Alexandre Sarr (another French player!). The rookie is a less dangerous shooter than Coulibaly and less mobile, making it easier for KP (or Luke Kornet) to stay with him.
#3 – Luke Kornet’s passing
Luke Kornet’s passing has been one of the season’s pleasant surprises. Beyond the highlight reels, he’s shown functional playmaking ability in the short roll and high-post actions. For example, last night in the fourth quarter, Joe Mazzulla’s coaching staff ran the same play twice with Kornet as the quater-back.
The play began with Derrick White passing to Kornet in the high post. Simultaneously, Sam Hauser set a screen for Jayson Tatum, allowing him to cut to the rim. On the first attempt, the Wizards were caught off guard by Tatum’s cut, and Kornet delivered an alley-oop.
On the second attempt, the Wizards adjusted to protect the rim against Tatum, but this left Hauser open beyond the arc. Kornet made the correct read again, delivering a perfect pass and showcasing the staff’s smart play-calling.
#4 – Celtics dominating the offensive glass
The Celtics shot poorly at the rim (58%), and their offensive rating for the game was below their usual standard (109 points per 100 possessions). However, an abundance of misses created plenty of second-chance opportunities thanks to aggressive rebounding.
As usual, Luke Kornet and Payton Pritchard led the charge. Together, they grabbed nine offensive rebounds. Overall, the Celtics collected an offensive rebound on 41% of their half-court misses, compensating for their lack of scoring efficiency.
#5 – Celtics running fast off live defensive rebounds
Speaking of rebounds and scoring efficiency, the Celtics used their pace to outrun the Wizards after defensive stops. One-third of their defensive rebounds led to transition opportunities, where they scored 1.66 points per possession.
This is another example of how a team can offset poor shooting by playing the numbers game. By dominating both sides of the glass and creating transition chances, the Celtics generated easy scoring opportunities, even when their usual game plan faltered.
#6 – Bench crew making the difference
As the season progresses, the Celtics’ bench continues to make a significant impact. Lineups featuring Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, and Luke Kornet are consistently positive on both ends of the floor. Last night, Pritchard posted a +17 net rating, while Hauser and Kornet registered +27 and +20, respectively. Their high basketball IQ and versatility make them easy to integrate alongside the Jays and the starters.
Since last season, we’ve seen more Spain pick-and-roll actions for these bench players. Both Hauser and Pritchard can screen and shoot, with Pritchard also improving as a passer in motion. This combination of two elite shooters and a skilled big man makes this unit one of the league’s most underrated.
#7 – KP’s good stretch before exiting
Kristaps Porzingis played exceptionally well in his 11 minutes against his former team, scoring 11 points and dishing out 2 assists. During this stretch, the Celtics showcased a variety of actions designed for him:
- Pick-and-rolls to create post-up mismatches,
- Pick-and-pops to punish drop coverage,
- Pindowns to utilize his verticality.
However, Porzingis left the game after 11 minutes and didn’t return. While it didn’t seem serious, protecting the big man is a priority, as the Celtics will need him healthy for the long haul.
#8 – No free throws for the Wizards
A key strength of the Celtics’ defense last season was limiting opponents’ free-throw attempts. Last night, even though the Wizards aren’t an elite offense, Boston excelled at protecting the paint and avoiding fouls.
Per Cleaning the Glass, the Wizards posted their lowest free-throw rate of the season against the Celtics, a testament to Boston’s disciplined defense. The Wizards’ offensive rating of 96 points per 100 possessions further illustrates the Celtics’ defensive dominance.
#9 – 18 turnovers for 26 assists
Despite committing 18 turnovers, including 13 in the second half, the Celtics managed to hold up defensively. They recorded 26 assists but often struggled with sloppy execution.
Even so, Boston’s effort in transition defense minimized the Wizards’ points off turnovers, highlighting Washington’s lack of offensive talent.
#10 – Only 2 minutes of garbage time
Although this game felt like an easy win, Joe Mazzulla and his staff stuck with the regular rotation until late in the fourth quarter. With a lighter schedule during the final week of the In-Season Tournament, it’s clear they wanted to keep everyone sharp.