The Celtics hit the practice floor Wednesday morning looking to shake some of the cobwebs after a week off from basketball.
“You saw some fresh legs out there,” Ime Udoka said afterward. “There obviously is going to be some rust that you have to knock off and that's why we got up and down a little bit -- quite a bit -- today. And you know, scrimmaged a little bit … overall, guys look fresh and lively, and you could tell the break was good for guys physically and mentally.”
Jayson Tatum watched this one, getting an extra day off after having played in the All-Star game, but Marcus Smart and Robert Williams both took part. Smart turned his ankle against the Philadelphia 76ers and Williams missed the last two games with calf tightness.
“They both practiced today, looked good today,” Udoka said. “(We) expect them to play (tomorrow).”
Williams said he was anxious to get back on the floor after the two-game absence, which included a disappointing loss to the Detroit Pistons. After time to rest his sore calf, Williams is ready to get back at it.
“We could’ve won that last game, but we didn’t. But thankfully it came around the time that it did,” he said. “I was just anxious to get back, man. Anxious to get out there and run today. The trainers asking am I all right and I’m telling them I’m ready to go. So, just ready to get that feeling back, a winning feeling.”
That starts with a game tomorrow against the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets will still be without Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, and Kyrie Irving. They did just sign Goran Dragic, which gives them a new wrinkle, but the Celtics still draw them at an advantageous time.
For Boston, though, the focus remains on themselves, and doing what they do the right way.
“Build on the things we did well, we've done well going into the break. Keep that momentum up,” Udoka said. “So today was more of a mini training camp just to kind of refresh our minds on the things that we're doing well, get up and down, and bang bodies a little bit as far as that. But the focus will be, obviously, game-specific starting with Brooklyn.”
The Celtics begin this home stretch at 34-26, 4.5 games out of first and just a half game ahead of seventh-seeded Toronto. Their earlier mediocrity gives them a slim margin for error if they're going to make any run for home court in the first round of the playoffs (or beyond).
“The last piece that we talked about was 22 games left, 60 down, and how fast this is going to go,” Udoka said. “Wo we want to continue to play the right way, the way we have going into the break, other than this Detroit game. But for the most part build on that and get ready for the stretch.”
COMPETITIVE PRACTICE
Grant Williams was spotted with an ice pack on his face after practice. Robert Williams was asked if someone hit Grant, and he told the following story:
“He tried to dunk on Aaron (Nesmith). He said he didn’t try to dunk on Aaron. Aaron just fouled him. He tried to dunk on him. But Aaron not going for it, but that’s the competitiveness you love with our team.”
KYRIE CLEARED SOON
Irving will still be barred from playing Thursday due to New York’s COVID vaccine mandate. But Mayor Eric Adams announced today that the city will begin rolling that restriction back in the coming weeks.
That paves the way for Irving to be a full-time player for the Nets, potentially by the end of the regular season.
That makes tomorrow’s game a very important one for Boston, which is currently 2.5 games ahead of the Nets. Any added space the Celtics can put between themselves and the Nets before they reach full strength will be welcome, and a win can be huge when it comes to the tiebreaker.
A win tomorrow guarantees at least a split between these teams. A Boston win on March 6 would give them the tiebreaker outright. However, if the Nets are closer to full strength by then, a win isn’t as likely, which could push the teams deeper into the tiebreaker.
The next tiebreaker goes to the division winner, but neither of these teams is likely passing Philadelphia. After that, the best division winning percentage breaks the tie.
The Celtics are currently 7-6 in-division and Brooklyn is 7-2. A win tomorrow goes a long way to evening that up. Six of Brooklyn’s next nine opponents are in-division, a crucial stretch at a time where they're still not fully healthy. Boston only has three division games left on the schedule, so the schedule luck, in this case, is on the Celtics’ side.
This can all be simplified by beating Brooklyn twice, but which Nets team takes the floor is a bit fluid. They could keep freefalling and then suddenly become the most dangerous team in the league. Keeping the Nets as far down in the standings as possible can make the Nets someone else’s problem for a round or two in the playoffs.
TATUM’S HUMBLING ALL-STAR EXPERIENCE
This was Tatum’s third All-Star appearance, but it was his first surrounded by the greatest legends to ever grace the NBA hardwood.
The league celebrated its 75th Anniversary team at halftime, bringing together the best of the best of the best, including many former Celtics.
Surrounded by ☘️ legends…lol I’m lucky they let me in the picture pic.twitter.com/vt68RX3qXJ
— Jayson Tatum (@jaytatum0) February 21, 2022
“That was incredible,” Tatum said. “I kind of felt like I didn't even belong in that picture. With all that they accomplished and what they mean to the game and especially to the Celtics. That was my first time meeting (Robert) Parish. Being in that picture with them, that was special. Something I'm going to frame and always remember.”
DEUCE TATUM, MAYBE AS BIG A STAR AS HIS DAD
Jayson Tatum, Jr., better known to you as “Deuce” can often be found close to his father in settings like the All-Star game. He’s a regular at Celtics games, sitting courtside with Tatum’s mother, Brandy, chomping on popcorn or doodling on a tablet, and standing next to dad during the anthem.
Sometimes, it’s hard for Jayson to tell who the cheers are for.
“I definitely did not expect it, but I guess it's cool and he enjoys it,” Tatum said. “Every time he comes to a home game, people cheer when they see him, they scream his name and when he comes to games on the road and here at All-Star. He has his own personality.”
Part of that personality was staring and making faces into the camera during daddy’s All-Star postgame session.
Deuce with the perfect Twitter reaction gif pic.twitter.com/BYtpRtX6US
— John Karalis 🇬🇷 (@John_Karalis) February 21, 2022
“He likes looking at himself,” a chuckling Tatum said. Deuce is just on the edge of being able to remember some of what he’s seeing long-term. The vague memories of a toddler may mash together whenever Deuce is able to tell his story of growing up sharing his father’s spotlight, but soon those flash-bulb moments will turn more substantive. As the younger Tatum becomes more cognizant of his situation, he’ll begin to have a deeper appreciation of everything.
“I think that's the plus of having a kid at 19,” the elder Tatum said “We're growing up together. And I think it's cool that he's going to be able to see me as my career goes and be able to, as he's getting older now, remember certain things and interact and things like that. So yeah, it's definitely a plus.”
