Witness the sheer willpower of the Boston Celtics as they clawed their way to a remarkable comeback victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, hot on the heels of their tumble against the LA Clippers. We're your hosts Jim and Mike Quigley, and we're bringing you an episode that's as much about basketball as it is about the tenacity of the human spirit. Derek White's transformation from a shooting slump to sinking his final five shots is the embodiment of the Celtics' resilience, and we unpack every critical moment that led to this thrilling win. With the same fervor, we examine the defensive prowess that clamped down on the Pelicans and delve into Zion Williamson's conditioning, as well as Brandon Ingram's performance that's just a breath away from elite.
Witness the sheer willpower of the Boston Celtics as they clawed their way to a remarkable comeback victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, hot on the heels of their tumble against the LA Clippers. We're your hosts Jim and Mike Quigley, and we're bringing you an episode that's as much about basketball as it is about the tenacity of the human spirit. Derek White's transformation from a shooting slump to sinking his final five shots is the embodiment of the Celtics' resilience, and we unpack every critical moment that led to this thrilling win. With the same fervor, we examine the defensive prowess that clamped down on the Pelicans and delve into Zion Williamson's conditioning, as well as Brandon Ingram's performance that's just a breath away from elite.
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Speaker 2:Offering in-depth analysis on all things Boston Celtics With your hosts Jim and Mike Quigley.
Speaker 1:Here we are hot follow episode following a real and come back by the Celtics against the New Orleans Pelicans last night at the Boston Garden. Mike, this is coming off the heels of really an embarrassing loss where they got trounced to the Clippers, which I think we need to spend some time on in a minute, but with a I don't know seven minutes to go, or so it was 94-89 and Derek White was 1-9 in the game, 1-17 over his last two. White, brown and Horford were 13 for 55. Horford misses a jump shot, about a 15 foot jump shot, and they were 13 for 56. I have from the corner and from that point forward the three of them didn't miss another shot. In particular, derek White just went off. He had a driving layup. They got them going last night to cut the lead to three and then he just kind of, he absolutely just went off from there. A couple of threes Actually finished the game, six for 14. So he made his last five shots after starting 1-9. He was 5-5 from 7-8 minute mark on and this was a one point, mike, a 10 point game in the fourth quarter and I texted you right before the Celtics went to the timeout. They came back and Horford missed that shot. But right before that shot, giving you those numbers and basically saying you can't beat these good teams if three of your five starters just are not showing up and can't put the ball in the basket, and lo and behold, they start making shots and they pull away and they win. I think it was like a 20-7 run or something along those lines towards the end of the game and they just completely took over. I thought you know I'm going to give it over to you.
Speaker 1:Last thing I'll say I thought the biggest difference between last night's game and the Clippers game outside of the Clippers being a level better than the Pelicans is. I don't think the Celtics really ever stopped playing. There were moments where they got away from what worked and I thought they rushed things against the Pelicans in that first half and at times in the third quarter, especially at the end of the third quarter. But for the most part they stayed within themselves, continued to play their offense even though their shots weren't falling, and eventually it started to click. The Clippers game. I thought they got away from things pretty early and things unraveled quickly. But you know, an important win. It showed some fight coming off what was just a terrible loss two nights before. So go ahead, mike, you take it from here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was a good win last night. Obviously exciting basketball. To see the way Derek White played. The third quarter was great too. Just both teams playing really hard. I think the Pelicans ran out of gas a little bit in last night's game and I also want to get credit to the Celtics defensively in the second half.
Speaker 1:They really dug in. They were playing hard.
Speaker 2:They didn't match up great the Orleans side twice, but they were able to stay in front of their guys. They weren't giving up a ton of wide open threes like they weren't in the first half. They weren't letting guys get to the hoop outside his eye on. Even Brandon Ingram's shots that he was making were contested, and so I thought that was a big difference too, because their defense was non-existent the night before and really almost non-existent for most of the game against Miami too, at least not playing to the level that we expect them to in the effort on the defensive end. So I thought that was a big difference last night in the second half, and when they went down 10 before Derek White went off, it was Tatum.
Speaker 1:Tatum hit some big shots to get him back in that game and got the crowd into it.
Speaker 2:I thought the crowd was great last night. It was a great win. The third quarter was playoff basketball. You had teams, players on both sides of the ball diving on the ground for loose balls. The Pelicans were up in the Celtics defending hard, making it really difficult to score, and the Celtics were just executing at a higher level. I think the things that really hurt the Pelicans last night is that Zion Williamson isn't in good enough for them to win. They have to sit your star player because he's winded when he's dominating the way he was. That's a big part of the reason they lost last night is he couldn't be out on the floor when he came back in the last. That's the game. He was toast.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I couldn't believe it.
Speaker 2:I couldn't believe they had him coming.
Speaker 1:You could see it too like he. He had that really bad turnover late in the fourth quarter where he threw it to where no one existed. And you know the another time he just kind of belly flopped with the basketball. And then there was another time where he basically just didn't get back on defense. He's not in good shape, I. I mean you take one good look at him and you can see that and it's a. It's a shame because his athletic ability Is so elite.
Speaker 1:You saw what he was doing in that second and third quarter to the Celtics in terms of getting to the basket at will awesome, two or three guys kind of draped all over him and the shots. You know his touch is so soft from inside that restricted area that, no matter how well you can test it. And I gotta tell you something too, brandon Ingram, you mentioned the tough shots he was making. You know he he's elite at getting to the spot he wants to get to and then he has the ability you know, at his size, to kind of just shoot over. You know it's not like a Kevin Durant level.
Speaker 2:I Don't want to go like the next level down from him.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's just a level lower. Yeah, it's a good team. You know, cj McCollum, that's it. That's a really good basketball team. It's, it's kind of.
Speaker 2:I don't think they're well coached, though Jim they. I don't think they're well coached, like at the end of that game. I didn't see it, I don't know, because no, offense at all, really no.
Speaker 1:No, you can scale, hit on it. I've watched them a bunch of share, they. They have games where they look great. You know they, they, they will play really good teams hard and it'll be close and we'll get some wins. And then they'll have games where you just kind of look at them and say, is this the same team? And Some of that's maturity, some of that Zion honestly not being in the condition he should be in and um, but when they're lost.
Speaker 2:It's Jose Alvarado hurt. Is that why he didn't play last night?
Speaker 1:No, he's just not really good enough to be in the rotation. Yeah, I mean he's like they could use his energy sometimes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they didn't need a lot of money, maybe a little bit in the fourth. But the fourth, yeah, the energy wasn't a problem for the last night In it. Despite them being such a good team, they're not a really good defensive team and you kind of and that's what I Kind of got to. I feel like a lot of the Celtics problems at times is Stots of their offense and when they're missing and they're missing long it creates easy opportunities for got the teams on the other side. When they don't attack matchups the way they should With, you know, force it really causes them problems. Look, the Clippers are a really good team. It was kind of shocking last night to see them lose to the cabs and you know the way they did it would. You know the cabs kind of pulled away there in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 2:One what ten in a row.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I. Just the way you saw the Clippers play it showed that they really got up for that Celtics game because you know, talent-wise, their heads and shoulders even as well as the cabs are playing better than the cabs oh.
Speaker 1:They, you know they certainly cause problem. They're strong, they're big, you know, on the wings. It big that they're big at the God position. But there was still matchup opportunities that the Celtics could take advantage of and they just got sloppy and I thought they got lazy in that game. There was one sequence that just really stood out to me, where Haddon was basically became their rim protector at times in the second and third quarter and the Celtics failed to attack that, failed to find ways to beat guys off the dribble, including when they would have Daniel Tyson on the perimeter.
Speaker 1:There was a moment I think it was in the second quarter where Jayla Brown had the ball in the out in the corner and he drove on Tice and he just let Tice strip him clean. I Mean dinghy. Tyson is a good player. He's not that level of player where you, one of your superstars, are getting stripped clean from him. And the way the Celtics were driving it was almost like they had no idea where the center was and where the shop locker was coming from. I mean, they've been elite all season in terms of reading the shop locker and either scoring at the hoop or finding the open man, and I just felt like everything got rushed once they started missing and especially when the Clippers started making shots and it became an uncompetitive game very, very quickly, and a lot of it was. You know, four of your five starters failed to make a shot or failed to play very well at all. But I I look at that as you know, kind of a sense of you know we use fight as a term of like is a team playing hard. I kind of use it here as in terms of intent on offense and execution. You're so talented, you need to be smarter. You got to fight through things and do things the right way. You can't just go hard to the hoop Against good teams and thinking you're gonna get good results. It doesn't work that way. They're too good. You know, I think that's a good thing. It doesn't work that way. They're too good. You need to play within yourself, especially against good defensive teams and the Celtics. Let it get away from them as opposed to, I thought last night and not to say there weren't moments I thought Jalen Brown in the third quarter was forced in action unnecessarily, continued to drive like straight from the top of the key and he turned it over once and probably should have had three turnovers Got build up with a foul call that wasn't a foul call and um ball that went out of bounds off the pelicans.
Speaker 1:That could have easily been called off Kader and I felt like he was forcing that action because things weren't going well for him offensively. As opposed to, I thought, derek White, who was missing a ton of shots, mike, but I never really felt like he was. There was maybe a drive or two that were goofy in the second quarter, but I never felt like he was forcing the action and a lot of his shots were good shots and, as a result, once he hit one he was in the flow because he was playing the right way and this team has to continue to play the right way. It doesn't mean you're going to win, doesn't mean you're going to hit every shot, but at least you're giving yourself a chance. I thought in the Clippers game the Clippers deserve a ton of credit. I don't want to take away anything. They outplayed the Celtics, they bullied them, like you said, but the Celtics also, once things started going bad, made it a lot easier for them, and that's kind of my observation from that game anyways.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it concerns me when the playoffs come, because the Clippers and Pelicans are two very different teams defensively. The Pelicans have size but they can't defend that the skill that the Clippers can with Paul George and what he brings and with Gwai Leonard and what he brings.
Speaker 1:And I thought I saw something, and it's like when he's playing, you know, as a force down the road.
Speaker 2:Well from Tice too. I thought both centers clogged that paint pretty well against the Celtics and made it hard when the Celtics were trying to drive, even when the Celtics had good drives and that first hat to the basket, I felt like everything was contested, every shot was contested and the Celtics offense was rushed. And what concerns me about Boston is in the playoffs teams good teams defend the three point line much better than they do in the regular season and the Celtics, when their three point shot hasn't fallen in the past, have against good defensive basketball teams have kind of resorted to that offense. We've seen that offense in the playoffs fight this team in big moments and big games quite a bit over the last couple of years and they have to get through this. They have to figure that out because that's going to be their Achilles heel to winning a championship being too reliant on three and not being able to figure out other ways to win.
Speaker 2:They were four for 23 in the first half against the Clippers, from three Last night. They were six for 25 in the first half against the Pelicans and even against the Pelicans there were opportunities to score inside and they were still launching with possessions of one pass and a three. One pass and a three. So not well, like good possessions where you get a good wide open three. There was some of that, but a lot of those rush possessions and that's what concerns me about this team long term is their offensive identity. I still think they're way too reliant on the three point shot. I think it's what can make them great, as we saw in the fourth quarter last night. It also can be the type of offense in a playoff series that is not sustainable. Yeah, you can see, unless you're the Golden State Warriors, but they're the only team to ever do it.
Speaker 1:And you can see kind of like feeding off that of how much they must present us in that respect. You know, in terms of finding matchups, and they were able to do it a lot. I thought against Miami. You know he was hitting his threes, but they were also I didn't feel like it was just a three point relay in offense. I felt like they were running their offense. They got a lot of points in the paint.
Speaker 1:They got whatever they wanted. Yeah, they were getting whatever they wanted. And Pusingas, you know, can break up a good defense. He put him on the foul line extended. Even if you put a Paul Georgia on him, for example, he can just turn around and shoot.
Speaker 1:But at times, even with him, they've gotten away from that and certainly against the Nuggets they got away from that when they were opportunity needs to find matchups or run a two man game. So to your point, even with him, there are times where they still become too reliant on the three point shot when they don't necessarily have to. I think without him it gets harder. Obviously, other things they can do absolutely you can find ways to get Tatum down on the block. Create action where you get a switch and you can put him on the block and let him go to work. His fade away game is excellent. Him going to the basket is excellent. I think there are times where he's getting going and the Celtics have gotten away from him over the last few games, which is a blighted mistake. Same with Jaylen Brown.
Speaker 2:Especially the first half against the Clippers.
Speaker 1:Yeah, especially the first half. Holiday on the block is really really good. I don't think to the level that Smart was, but he's still really good. But then beyond that you do start to run some issues. I mean, al is essentially a top of the key player now or out on the wing. He doesn't play down there. It's just not who he is. He can't survive. You don't really have a ton of backup bigs and even the guys coming off your branch are really primitive players in how they're impretured. First, I can do some things, but he's pretty inconsistent, so they. But they need to be contingency plan on how they're going to get buckets if the three isn't going when Pizzingas is out, because I think, if history tells us anything, with him there's no guarantee. You certainly hope he's there when it matters, but there's no guarantee that he will be. So how do they adjust?
Speaker 1:If he's not, you know and I agree.
Speaker 2:I agree with you, but I just don't think it's a philosophy to the franchise to adjust. I think this is. I think this is who they are and what they bought into. It's why they've been successful. So there's a lot of credit to the way they play because they win a ton of games in the regular season. Offensive efficiency. They also win a lot of games in the postseason, but it's just, it's what's cost them as well and it's it's what concerns me. You know, even last night I know it's funny I sent you a video at half time like I couldn't believe holiday passed up that line up to end the first half Like there wasn't anybody near him. I think he's right next to who?
Speaker 1:Yeah, is that what happened?
Speaker 2:I think he panicked because I didn't realize how open he was.
Speaker 1:I watched a couple of times Because he's pretty smart and I don't think he'd pass up a layup like that for three. I think he panicked. I certainly hope not.
Speaker 2:Yeah. That's, that's what I think happened.
Speaker 1:Now, panic is probably not the right word, but you know you're six foot bore down there with the trees, you just I think there was kind of oh my God moment there. Am I really this open?
Speaker 2:And it was an interesting stat I saw about the Denver Nuggets last year and the last in actually the last two NBA finals. It was like three point attempts and three point makes in the NBA finals the last two years like dropped like 40%, oh wow. So, it's like the game changes in the finals. Yeah. And you know teams have to score inside and I was like, wow, the Celtics Warriors. It was that dramatic because I remember the Warriors like Jordan pool and those guys were just killing the Celtics maybe it's because the Celtics were shooting so poorly.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that could have been, yeah, but you, you brought up a point where you know they have this philosophy. Well, obviously they wanted to alter that philosophy in the off season. You know they made dramatic changes to bring Pozinger's in here for holiday, to kind of man the pick and roll and how he's going to handle things. I mean all the way. A lot of ways fell into that lap, but they made significant changes and I think, with the understanding of you know, they needed to find other ways to score when the shot isn't going or when teams take away your primary options. I think it's now on the coaching staff to kind of really, you know, go into the film room and look at what you look like when Pozinger's is an out of the and find different ways to, you know, get buckets when the three isn't going, when it's not your night.
Speaker 1:You know there's two options. One is you can continue to play through it and say, well, we're going to get open shots and this is who we are Like. You talked about their philosophy. And then there's the other option of saying let's not take chance as our only option and let's, let's try to do something different. And I think what they have to do is run their offense through Tatum and Brown on the block in those situations. I think they have to. I think they need to get switches and put them in spots where they can be successful down there. That's good offense. It is good offense.
Speaker 1:And look they, without Pozinger's it's much, much harder. The personnel they have isn't. They're not, they're not, they're not. The personnel isn't built to have a ton of success down there without Przingis, right, and then that's not unusual just to them. I mean, if you took away Yoke at your Embiid, those teams are dealing with the same kind of issues.
Speaker 1:But you gotta figure it out, because there's still enough talent for you to survive in the playoffs without Przingis. I don't think by any means you would be the favorite anymore. I don't even think you'd be the favorite to get out of the East. It'd be tough to get out of the second round with the talent in the East now. But you have enough where you could potentially pull it off. So you gotta figure out other ways and have to live in the reality that you know, naka Mwood, he may not be healthy, you know. So meet him, przingis, yeah. And then to your point too if he is healthy, you know, when things aren't going well, run your offense through. That's why you made the moves and don't have what happened in Denver happen to you again.
Speaker 2:Uh-huh, absolutely.
Speaker 1:So tonight Indiana.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was just gonna say I think tonight they could be out with, could be without some big tonight, right, jim?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't think you'll have Horford. You know you won't have Horford, right? Cornette was dealt with yesterday, so probably not tonight. By the way, he's been playing really well. Yeah, I know what happened to him. He's a lot better than Kader. I know a lot of people like Kader right now. He's a lot better than him. And then, I don't know, with Przingis he was questionable yesterday. I assume he will probably play today. Has he played against the Pacers all year? Did he maybe the first game? I don't know.
Speaker 2:I think the first game we scored 150, but I mean I'm not playing him unless he's like a thousand percent.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's no reason to. You know, you go into tonight with Kader and you let Lamar Stevens play against the Biggs, and which, for the best, I think, is what you gotta do until these guys are healthy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's similar to what they had to do against Orlando right or the Caster.
Speaker 2:I think so somebody yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I, yeah, so I don't know. I don't know who you'll have. It'll be tough without, you know, without your Biggs. For sure, you know Miles Turner is playing well and Jabari Smith is a good big off the bench and you know, obviously having Siakam there and they're playing better with Siakam. How much has Siakam and Haliburton played together, do you know? Is it like a game, two games?
Speaker 2:I don't think much at all. Haliburton returns tonight.
Speaker 1:Yep.
Speaker 2:So I think it's his first game in like 11 games.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so that's gonna be interesting to watch. Usually, you know, and maybe Haliburton's unique in this regard. It wouldn't surprise me if he is, but usually when teams are playing pretty well and there's stop play, it comes back. There's usually an adjustment where there's some play that slides back a little bit. Yeah, so it would be interesting to see if that happens. I, you know, haliburton's such a unselfish player, though, that maybe he could very well be unique where that doesn't happen.
Speaker 2:He's excellent. Yeah, I mean he is excellent. I don't think it's going to take a lot of time for them to figure it out.
Speaker 2:I think it's going to work. Siakam's going to change the way he plays, is he? Is he going to do it? I don't know, but if he's willing to, he's got the athletic ability to really fit in to what they do. But he's going to change his game. He can't just run ISO, iso Siakam like he did in Toronto. It's not how it's all makes Indiana successful, but they're still winning with him. I haven't watched him, so maybe he has adjusted to how they play. I'm not sure what we'll see tonight.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they played really well. They've played really well without Halliburton. They're a good team. They're rested. They played not last night but the night before, hanging on to Beaton Memphis, who's been playing a lot better over the last week or so. Memphis Although that looks like an easy game on paper, memphis has probably planned as well as they have had all year. They're going to be rested, they're going to be ready to go and they get up for the Celtics.
Speaker 2:They get up for these. Philadelphia, boston and Milwaukee they show up for. It will be interesting Some of the other games they've played at home and Benedict Matherin is the guy to keep an eye on. What's that? Benedict Matherin and Aaron Neesmith, the two guys who just and TJ McConnell those three just killed the Celtics. Yeah, this season, like McConnell, has killed them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he has, and Neesmith has obviously had some really good games. Matherin got going in the last one against them. Yeah, it should be pretty good. You'll see what the Celtics have for legs. But this is again another game with. The Celtics Should be able to find matchups wherever they want against this, this Pacers team, and they should be able to get a look. Especially, a prosignus is playing, you know, run a ton through him. If he's on the floor you should be able to be okay. And then at once you get beyond this point, mike. The rest of the homestands I know you have the Lakers, but it's, you know, the Hawks, the Wizards and there's some other crappy team. Then you go on the road to Miami and the rest of February until you play the Knicks and the Sixes. The last two games of February is really you know which. You know I heard, I know Tatum said earlier this month one is easy schedule start. Well, it's pretty much yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I mean, they could go undefeated in February If they show up every night and play the way they can play.
Speaker 1:It's going to be a real opportunity to rest guys. If they want to, you're going to have the all-stop break in there. So they this is the real chance to get you know guys healthy and also figure out some kinks right, you can start trying different things. You know we talked about Tatum and Brown on the block more. You can start kind of throwing things up and seeing how things can look and putting things on film for teams to kind of be ready for two and games like this.
Speaker 2:All right, jim, we'll enjoy the game tonight. We'll check in again later this week. Thanks,