Everything you need to know about the Celtics’ 97-94 win over the Jazz in quickie form.
Box Score
HEADLINES
Jaylen Brown hits game-winner to cap stunning comeback: With Al Horford and Marcus Morris both sidelined with ankle injuries, the Celtics had no business being in this game from the start. Vegas pegged the Jazz as double-digit favorites as the visitors fielded a rotation without two All-Stars and six key rotation players.
Still, the Celtics used strong defense and timely shooting to fight back from an 11-point second halftime deficit and closed the game out with a 9-0 run over the final two minutes, an outburst capped by Jaylen Brown's game-winning 3-pointer with 0.3 seconds remaining off a dish from Semi Ojeleye. Brown had a team-high 21 points in the win, to lead five players in double figures. Donovan Mitchell had a game-high 22 points for the hosts.
Best road trip in nine years:
The win was the fifth straight for Boston overall, but it finished off a 4-0 road swing out West. That undefeated trip marked the first time since 2009 that the Celtics have won all four games on a road trip. Wednesday's win was undoubtedly the biggest challenge against a Jazz team that was playing for its playoff lives. Still, nearly everyone who saw playing time had their moments from Brown's game-winner all the way down to Abdel Nader (six points in 16 minutes). Boston's magic number to clinch the No. 2 seed in the East is down to one and they remain just three games behind the Raptors for the No. 1 seed with two head-to-head games looming.
TURNING POINT
Brad Stevens
TWO UP
Brown:
The 21-year-old played his best game of the road trip since returning from a concussion last week. He was a perfect 3-of-3 from 3-point range, 6-of-10 from the field, and managed to get to the free throw line a game-high eight times. On a night when the Celtics needed scoring against one of the best defenses in the NBA, Brown played far beyond his years. His 21-point performance tied his top output for the month of March.
Shane Larkin:
TWO DOWN
Terry Rozier over first three quarters:
Greg Monroe over first three quarters:
Like Rozier, Monroe was miserable early on, failing to get any kind of rhythm going against the formidable duo of Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors. Monroe missed seven of his first eight shots, nearly all of which came within the restricted area, as he failed to gain much separation against Utah's length. Still Monroe got the call during crunch time and delivered some big rebounds for the Celtics in the midst of their comeback late.
TOP PLAY
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
Brad Stevens may have found a defense they can hide Greg Monroe with:
The 2-3 zone is not a common sight in the NBA, but Stevens deployed it heavily with Monroe manning the middle of it against Utah. It's not without its flaws (the Jazz missed a lot of open jumpers) but it does protect a big man from getting abused in the pick-and-roll too much (as was the case with Monroe). The Celtics are going to need Monroe's rebounding and scoring in spurts throughout the postseason, while also getting away with his lackluster defense. Stevens will be sure not to use the 2-3 zone too much, but it could be a nice fallback for him when Monroe has trouble protecting the paint.
This road trip provided valuable crunch time reps:
