Brown, White, and Porzingas lead the Celtics to a blowout victory over the Kings. And looking ahead to Christmas in LA.
Brown, White, and Porzingas lead the Celtics to a blowout victory over the Kings. And looking ahead to Christmas in LA.
You're listening to. They're gonna call it a heartfelt.
Mike Quigley:They're gonna call it a heartfelt Offering in-depth analysis on all things Boston Celtics With your hosts Jim and Mike Wigley.
Jim Quigley:Hey, welcome to another episode of Hard Foul. I'm Jim Wigley with my brother, mike, as always. And hey, this is gonna be a short version of the podcast, a quick recap of last night's you know what ended up being a blowout but a pretty entertaining game against Sacramento Kings in Sacramento and, mike, we were on the pod yesterday and we kind of previewed this game a little bit and we kind of nailed it in a lot of different ways. You know we talked about, you know how they're gonna respond, that you know, particularly, this should be an upset team after the way they lost in Golden State and they should come out with some, you know, with higher energy and despite it being on the back to back and despite it being without Tate and there's still a more talented team and with the right approach, you know this is a game they should win.
Jim Quigley:We talked about the struggle with talented gods and you had mentioned how the performance against Halepardin and what Cary did to them and, sure enough, deandre Fox in the first half, you know he certainly slowed down the second half was, you know, kind of dictated the offense for Sacramento and did whatever he really wanted to do.
Jim Quigley:And then we talked about defending the three and shooting the three, and there was certainly still issues with defending the three against a Sacramento team that loves to shoot the three and can shoot it well In that first half. But the difference, I think, in this game is that the Celtics in the second half they were able to get it out and covered it a lot better. They kept their energy at a level and effort and attention to detail high at all times and they shot three well and, unlike Sacramento, when they needed to score inside they were able to get prosen and whatever Sacramento tried to go to the hoop it was, it was a good thing. And then they were able to get it out and cover it a lot better. They kept their energy at a level and effort and attention to detail high at all times and they shot three well and they shot three well and they shot three well and they shot three well and they shot three well.
Mike Quigley:Yeah, derek White in Jalen Brown really set the tone offensively right from the start. After Sacramento got off to a really hot start, I think they were up double digits really early on Azula called the time out. It wasn't looking great for like the first four minutes of the game as far as how this was going to go, especially with the way the Aaron Fox was hitting the three, which was this insane with guys in his face. The Celtics responded with three point shooting as well, and that came from White, and a lot of White's looks started off of Brown's thrust in the basket. And Brown, being a playmaker, is really impacting this team in a positive way where he's not turning the ball over, he's strong with his handle, he's making really good decisions and then, with Tatum out, white just has a score going to the basket, pulling up from three, whatever it might be. His three point shooting has been really remarkable on this road trip and really good all season. And as far as him being an all star, yeah, he's playing like an all star In the east. It'll be really hard to make the all star team with the guards we have out here. I mean even even what's his day in Atlanta. Why can't. I think of his day, trey Young in Atlanta. He's broke in the record for the most games in a row, with 30 points and 10 assists this season, but White's been arguably the second or third best player on the Celtics.
Mike Quigley:And we're talking about poor Zingas, tatum and Brown. They're just an offensive force and Sacramento just didn't have the size to even match up with poor Zingas, who's shooting over the top of everybody. And Sacramento played well. They played really well, especially offensively. They just didn't have enough talent. It's not enough talent to stay with Boston in it. And how are you going to beat Boston when you have Pate Pritchett coming off the bench hitting six threes, going six of 11 from the floor? What do you score overall for the game? 20 something 28?
Jim Quigley:20s. They had a few guys I know Holiday was in the 20s and White and Brown, I think each had like 28 or 25. And Przingas was right there as well. Yeah, no, it's just. And Przingas on both ends, like Sacramento, all they were really able to do was shoot threes. When they tried to go inside they had real issues. There were a couple of possessions in a row where, you know, sabonis just threw his shoulder into Przingas' chest and was able to get something going. The most part, sabonis was made a non-factor by Przingas, a complete non-factor, where you know, the Celtics have kind of struggled with him in the past, but they haven't struggled with the skin steam.
Jim Quigley:I think they're comfortable playing them. I think they know offensively they can get whatever they want. They're not a very good defensive team at all, obviously highly skilled. Sacramento's a tough place to play, but outside of a game in Sacramento a few years back when Fox went crazy against the Celtics, these games haven't really been close. And once again, you know, the Celtics were well.
Jim Quigley:For the first time this year they were without tandem and they responded really well and they just have a bunch of good players and even coming off the bench you saw how's it kind of get going with the three ball again. Obviously, pritchard and you had positive contributions from Steve and and brisette. They've shown the depth and they're they're showing, you know, just the high level of talent to even want a guy or two down. And they had two guys down tonight, a last night with our corporate and Tatum it was a big one, you know. I think they needed to show something on the road.
Jim Quigley:Skelk kind of mentioned the bus ride he talked a bit about, you know, the bus ride after the Golden State game to Sacramento and how you couldn't hear a word. I really take that as a good thing that this team was pissed off. They should have been with the way that game ended at that on the pod and talked about it on the pod from yesterday. That these guys should be ready to go based off of what happened in Golden State and you know, to be able to, you know, have a win like this going into LA with, against you know, the Clippers out of Red Hot and the Lakers who were kind of struggling since they won that tournament.
Mike Quigley:Yeah, the Clippers of 1-8 in the road, jim, you were wrong.
Jim Quigley:I was wrong. Yeah, that was the sons that. Uh, what's his name? Uh, brunson went off against I was wrong.
Mike Quigley:Yeah, and if I can make a comment just about um, I think another big factor that has been helping the Celtics with this I think they're like nine and two in their last 11 with these wins is when they're struggling offensively or they're slow offensively. Peyton Pritchard's early offense, especially hitting threes off the bench, has been really sparking a lot. Now they were already, you know, they were already in rhythm when Pritchard came in against Sacramento. But um, he's coming in his first shot to deep three and he's drilling it. This is becoming kind of common for him. Yeah, and he shot him out of slumps in the first quarter against Cleveland during the home stretch.
Jim Quigley:Um actually did that twice against Cleveland and he did it against Orlando too, where?
Mike Quigley:the. The Celtics were like one for nine from three and he came in and he hit two and then the Celtics ended the game 19 for 43. Um, it's. It's really encouraging to see the offense he's bringing, especially with the struggles he had at the start of the season and when Hauser hit his slump, which it looks like he'd ended against Sacramento, uh, pritchard was picking it up with his shooting. So that's a ton of shooting the Celtics have off the bench and we'll get into that time of year, jim, we're in the trade deadline time and I don't know you know specifically how the Celtics do anything.
Mike Quigley:Uh, because I wouldn't want to move any of these core players off the bench. I wouldn't want to match your salaries for anybody with the way they fit. They only move I'd be willing to make is maybe using the TPE from Grant in the second round pick or something to bring another, maybe big, in. Be nice to have another big body, uh, but it'd have to be a guy who's willing to know they're not going to play in the playoffs. Um, they're in a really good position, like you're going to see other teams really moving stuff around to try to compete with the Celtics and I think the Celtics roster is healthy. We're just seeing a really, really hard team to stay with offensively. Um, and they're their challenge for the Celtics, and their defense was good in the second half against Sacramento. But the challenge for the Celtics is their defensive intensity being consistent on the road. Yeah, um, yeah, that's their area to improve right now, I think it was better in the second half.
Jim Quigley:Sacramento still needs some reason. That third quarter, especially down the stretch of that, they're, uh, you know, keeping within 20. You know, I think it might have got up to almost 30 at one point in that third quarter. That's how dominant the Celtics were, um to kind of happen when, um, you know, when the reserves came in for Sacramento and just provided some energy, I guess off the bench really weren't going well. I mean Mike Brown, not Mike Brown, what's the name of the Sacramento coach? But he, he used Mike Brown. Mike Brown, that's right, mike Brown, he used all his timeouts by the nine minute mark in the fourth quarter, so you could get a sense of how that game went for them and what they just had.
Jim Quigley:All answers and the prosingious X factor is just a huge difference on how this team operates and it really kind of changes the approach of the trade deadline, as you mentioned. I feel like the Celtics have all their main pieces. I you know they used, you know they try to grab another main piece a couple of deadlines ago with Derek White and this offseason bringing Brazilian Hall Day. So whatever they bring in now is a luxury, whether it's a scoring, got off the bench or if it's a big like you said. I saw Isaiah Stewart's name kind of thrown around, but he makes 15 million. I'm not sure how you make that work, you'd have to give up a.
Mike Quigley:You'd have to give up a core player. I'm not replacing that guy at any of our core players.
Jim Quigley:That's right, and and I've seen champs say that the Celtics are going to be aggressive I just don't know who. You know Brad has been aggressive. Obviously the offseason and trade deadlines I just don't know who's going to be available and what salaries, how you make that work. If there's a will, there's a way. I guess, and I guess you know, depends on the level of player that you bring in. I think it's probably more likely that we see the Celtics make a move on the buyout market, if and when that happens, to bring on a big. Usually those are guys that understand the role they're coming into and maybe you find an extra big body there.
Mike Quigley:Well, honestly, that's what I think.
Jim Quigley:I'm thinking maybe a guy like Andre Drummond or something is available at that point.
Mike Quigley:That's what I was just going to say. It's like a second round pick for Drummond, and Drummond is filling a void in the regular season when guys are hurt. The other. The other thing that the Celtics could do and this guy may be earning this right now is the backup center on our team, and I can't pronounce his name.
Jim Quigley:Nimas Queda, nimas Queda, the pride of Portugal. Everyone in South Coast Massachusetts love him. New Bedford, the huge fans of the pride of Portugal.
Mike Quigley:So Nimas Queda, I think, is playing himself into the argument that I deserve a stand in contract on a two way and that may be where the Celtics. That might be the big move for the Celtics. They really haven't missed a beat without Cornette because his kids play it.
Jim Quigley:And that's not a decision they have to make till January, so there's no rush. Maybe they can make them a two way at any point. I think some of their non-guaranteed Well, he is a two way.
Jim Quigley:I mean they can make a guaranteed contract and sign them into next year at any point this year. I think some of the non-guaranteed guys become guaranteed after starting like January 15th or something. So if you want to create a roster spot, that's probably how you do it. But yeah, no, he's arning it. He was great against Golden State. He was okay last night. He had some moments where you could see that young player kind of shine through. As we go against better teams and deeper into the season you'll see some exposure. But he looks like an NBA player. There's no doubt about that. Travel Service K.
Mike Quigley:Well, okay, jim, we get two games coming up that are really big Saturday night in LA against the Clippers. It'll be a big test for the Celtics, especially if Tatum's out again. I expect to see the Clippers continuing to play a high level of basketball, so we'll see if the Celtics are able to respond to that on the road. That's going to be a really tough game. I think that's probably the toughest game on this road trip. There are really great matchups, thinking about Kauai Leonard covering Jason Tatum and Paul George covering Tatum and Brown. I don't think the Clippers match up size-wise with Porzingis right now. I think they got guys down, so we're looking at probably Daniel Tice. I think he's playing a lot there now, isn't he?
Jim Quigley:Yeah, this is why you brought in Porzingis. For matchups like this, you know, to deter guys from going to the basket on one end and make them a jump shooting team. And then the ability to, you know, get them the ball in the high post, just turn around and shoot with no one there that really can defend them, and if you can get them on switches, on any of those guys, even as good a defender as Kauai Porzingis, can just shoot over them and it'll be a real good test for you. But this is why you brought Porzingis in.
Mike Quigley:Yeah, it'll be a real good test for the Celtics. The Clippers play a really physical brand of basketball, with a slow pace on offense and defense, so it's going to challenge the Celtics' mental toughness. Where they're not probably going to get calls on the road, clippers are probably going to get away with playing physical against Tatum and Brown and I, outside of expecting Porzingis to have a big game, I do see this as another opportunity for Derek White in holiday to have big games and I think that's ultimately what would make the Celtics a favorite. And again, it'll be a big test. And then obviously Christmas Day That'll be fun right.
Mike Quigley:Yeah yeah, yeah, let's go.
Jim Quigley:And that's a team that's not playing well right now. They've really struggled since the World Series tournament and I think they're the only team that hasn't even covered the spread since the NCS tournament.
Mike Quigley:The NCS, yeah, they've given up the most threes and they've missed the most. They've made the least threes and given up the most threes. Since the NCS tournament, the Lakers three point defense has been atrocious and their offense they're just ice cold.
Jim Quigley:Yeah, and it's not that surprising. You know, in some sense, where LeBron's, an older player, went all out. You got to figure some fatigues. And Anthony Davis, what's the difference is there's a carrot out there in front of him and even when there's a carrot, sometimes you don't know when or if he's going to show up. You know any little injury. He's not playing great player, but you know soft, just incredibly soft.
Mike Quigley:Well, all right, let's, as we'll catch up after Christmas, have a happy holiday season with Christmas and Ponica and all the other holidays we celebrate here, and happy new year. Happy new year.
Jim Quigley:Yep, take care everybody.