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“When he makes his mind up and is doing that, not taking any plays off, I think that takes our team to a whole other level.”
Every game left on the Celtics’ schedule represents an opportunity to mine information and store it for the postseason.
The lesson from Wednesday’s 135-100 victory over the Thunder was how to take advantage of opponents when they switch smaller players onto Kristaps Porzingis, coach Joe Mazzulla said.
Early in the game, Oklahoma City center Chet Holmgren got caught up chasing slashers into the paint. Porzingis drifted beyond the arc, ready to shoot open threes when the Thunder were late with closeouts. He made all three of his 3-point attempts in the first half, including two within the first five minutes.
“It puts the defense in a very tough situation,” Celtics center Al Horford said. “That’s the versatility of our group and the things that Kristaps brings and what he can do. Teams have to make decisions, because at times, especially with our starting group, everybody can shoot and put it on the floor and create. So that’s just the way we play.”
Porzingis became more aggressive inside as the game went on. Eight of his final 10 shots came in the paint. The 7-foot-2-inch center finished with a game-high 27 points on 11-for-14 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds as he exploited mismatches throughout the night.
“I think it’s a credit to him because of his physicality and his dominance,” Mazzulla said. “But it’s also a major teaching point for our team because we had the discipline to attack the switch the proper way the entire game.
“If teams are going to switch us that way and we have a physical presence right there, like, we didn’t have any turnovers on post passes. We had very few turnovers in the paint if they collapsed, our spacing was rather good if it was a post mismatch, or if it was in the middle of the floor, so they tested our ability to attack the switch with size and physicality.
“I thought our guys did a great job of trusting that, which allowed us to open up some things throughout the game.”
Porzingis punished the shorthanded Thunder, who were missing All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, in a variety of ways on the offensive end. He scored the first basket of the game on a turnaround jumper, backing down Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins from the free throw line. He threw down a ferocious putback dunk over Holmgren off a missed 3-point attempt by Horford. He also showed his ability to pass out of double-teams, tapping a one-handed touch pass to Derrick White for an open three in the fourth quarter.
Whether it was catching the ball in the middle for face-ups or backing down defenders in the paint, Porzingis made the Thunder pay once he became comfortable with his positioning inside.
“I don’t think I started the game off perfect,” Porzingis said. “I think I was allowing them to go underneath a little bit, those switches, and then I have to fight a little bit more to get better position for the post-ups. Talking to DJ [MacLeay, assistant coach] at the timeouts, he told me to set it at a better angle to make my life easier.
“As I started doing that, it created more advantages for us. Either I was getting it in a lower position or holding the guy on my back, or as I was rolling and holding the guy on my back somebody else pulled in and we had somebody open on the other side.
“Those are small details that matter, and I think Joe and the coaching staff and DJ have been doing a great job and deserve some credit, as I said before.”
Porzingis’s ability to score in the post adds a dimension to the offense that the Celtics didn’t have last year, and his ability as a rim protector is yet another reason why they are excited to have him for this year’s playoff run.
Porzingis blocked five shots Wednesday night, and the way he uses his frame to challenge shots doesn’t show up on the stat sheet. Horford said he feels protected with Porzingis’s ability to slide over and play help defense.
Jaylen Brown said Porzingis is capable of lifting the team to new heights when he plays the way he did against Oklahoma City.
“He’s a huge impact,” Brown said. “Just him being on the floor, his ability to shoot the ball, but then his ability to post up mismatches and be efficient in those regards.
“But then, what’s most important to me is the defensive side, his ability to just be solid, put his hands up, and contest shots at the rim. When he makes his mind up and is doing that, not taking any plays off, I think that takes our team to a whole other level.
“We encourage that more and more because in the playoffs it could be one possession or two possessions that determines the game. We need that KP to show up, to be strong, and to be that impactful player that we’ve seen all year.”
