BSJ Game Report: Celtics 133, Knicks 123 - White's 30 helps C's overcome Jaylen Brown's questionable ejection

Everything you need to know about the Celtics win over the Knicks, with BSJ insight and analysis.

IN A NUTSHELL

The Celtics got 10 points apiece from Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White in the opening quarter, but they couldn't stop the Knicks at all. Porzingis kept his roll going all half, and Jayson Tatum joined in to fuel a late run to open up a nine point halftime lead. The lead ballooned to 20 thanks to 11 from White, but a late Knicks run cut it to 14. It got down to 10 and hung around there the rest of the way as things got ugly, and Jaylen Brown got tossed, but Boston held on. They are still perfect at home (10-0) and are the NBA's only remaining team without a home loss.

Box Score

HEADLINES

- Derrick White shines: A monster game and seemingly scored whenever the Celtics needed a bucket. I just wrote about Derrick White, now it looks like I’ll have to write about him again. 

- Porzingis big return: He hit his first seven shots on his way to a 19 point first half. Then he missed his next six shots. 

“It's OK. It evens out. In the long term, it all evens out,” Porzingis joked after the game. “My teammates are finding me wide open again. Like starting the game, pick-and-pops. Got some great looks early on. Felt great.”

Porzingis does add a great element to this team that makes them so much more dangerous. And then he doesn’t care at all if things don’t go his way. He’s just going with the flow.

- Brown tossed: “The ref told me that he gave him the first technical because Jaylen said, ‘Don’t call that weak-ass S-H-I-T,” Joe Mazzulla said after the game. “So he gave him a tech for that. I’ve been on the sidelines in the NBA for five years. I’ve seen players act and say things that are way more disrespectful than that.”

Oh have I got words about this coming up. 

TURNING POINT

I’ll go with the 27-16 start to the third quarter that pumped Boston’s lead up to 20. First of all, it was a good third quarter, which is unusual for them. Secondly, it gave them the pad they needed to withstand New York’s inevitable run later. 

THINGS I LIKED

- Jrue Holiday: He’s going to get overshadowed a bit but he had a couple of important stretches on his way to 16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. 

“I think the matchups change once Kristaps is out there, everyone slides down and it's a different matchup there, so he's able to take advantage of a smaller guard on him sometimes,” Mazzulla said. “We were organized much faster. When you do that, it’s easier for guys to kind of make plays, whether it's layups, he got some catch-and-shoot threes, and he was able to get to the spot a little bit. The faster we play, the more organized we are, the reads are easier for everyone to get more possessions and more opportunities.”

- That third quarter: Okay, their third quarter net rating at home is +14.5, fifth best in the league. The real third quarter issue is on the road, where it’s -16.2. But you have to start somewhere, and building up the confidence a bit at home is fine with me. 

- This shot by Al Horford

via GIPHY

This is yet another example of a clutch shot outside of the fourth quarter. The Knicks had just hit three 3-pointers in about 90 seconds to cut a 20 point lead to 11. That shot stopped the bleeding and pushed it back up to 14. 

Horford had another big answer to start the fourth and push it back up to 15. Execution and making shots are the way to stop runs. This easily could have been an 11-0 run or worse and then who knows how things go. 

- Turnovers: Only eight for Boston, leading to seven points. They have been turning it over a lot, so this was a very welcome return to valuing possessions. 

- This moment between Jayson Tatum and his son

C’mon. That's just so sweet.     

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE

- Fourth quarter swoon: Boston went 3-12 after Brown’s ejection, including 0-6 from 3. They did go 8-8 from the line and they also forced three turnovers, so they were able to avoid a big disaster. It’ll ultimately be forgotten, but it wasn’t the best close to the game. 

- Sam Hauser: Tough shooting night from him, though he did make some plays late in the game, including a blocked shot and a couple of big rebounds. 

HIGHLIGHTS

teamwork makes the dream work pic.twitter.com/QfkiDzLfSV

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 9, 2023

ONE TAKE KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

- Brown’s ejection was WEAK: 

Normally I’m pretty even-keeled when it comes to an ejection. Typically, the player has to earn getting tossed from a game. 

This time around, I’m fully behind Brown.

“I was on the bench, I’m talking from the sideline. He can’t even hear anything I’m saying. So he calls a tech from across the court,” Brown explained. “That for sure has to do with somebody having their emotions too involved in whatever else is going on. … I ain’t going to comment on officiating in general, but I am going to comment on this guy in particular tonight. I thought it was bulls--t.”

Crew Chief Mark Lindsay explained the second tech after the game, saying "the second technical foul was called for a wave off directed at the official, which under the respect of the game guidelines is considered an overt gesture and an unsportsmanlike act."

No. Way. 

This woiuld be the "wave off directed at the official" that got Brown his second tech pic.twitter.com/PZZCxegLLu

— John Karalis 🇬🇷🇺🇦 (@John_Karalis) December 9, 2023

I understand Jason Goldenberg was probably sick of watching Brown continue complaining about the call to another official. Brown didn’t exactly let it go right away, but it’s pretty obvious that Goldenberg was itching for a reason to toss Brown at that point. 

After the first technical foul, the camera panned to Goldenberg and he can be seen saying “yes it was” in response to Jayson Tatum. Presumably, Tatum said something the quality of what Brown said and whether it warranted a tech. 

Then, from my vantage point at the arena, I could see Goldenberg yelling “what?” towards Brown as Brown spoke to the other official. 

An official is supposed to be in control of his emotions. Goldenberg wasn’t. 

“After he called the first tech I wasn’t even talking to him,” Brown said. “I’m explaining to the ref and he calls a second tech from the other side of the court, which is a clear example of somebody exercising their power to try to get somebody thrown out the game. I thought it was bulls--t. It is what it is. We got the win.”

Mazzulla refused to go into detail about the second tech because he didn’t want to lose $25,000 in fine money, but you could see from everyone’s reactions that his explanation was weak. So was the official explanation after the game. 

I don’t understand how Draymond Green can exist in the NBA and not get ejected every other game under these standards. Mazzulla is right about guys getting away with much worse around the league. What happened to Brown in this game was ridiculous. 

Officiating in the NBA has been questionable this season. There have been egregious missed calls and a few weak ejections of star players. This can’t be what Adam Silver wants his league to be. Players need to keep themselves in check, for sure. But officials especially need to keep their emotions together. This ejection should never have happened.