BSJ Game Report: Celtics 104, Pelicans 92 - Defense clamps down on Zion Williamson, Pelicans to snap two-game skid

NEW ORLEANS -- Everything you need to know about the Celtics win over the Pelicans, with BSJ insight and analysis ...

IN A NUTSHELL

The defense was lacking in the first quarter, where the Celtics allowed 37 points, 12 each to CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson. Boston’s shots started to fall in the second and they ramped up their defense on Williamson thanks to Jaylen Brown taking the physical challenge. Derrick White’s buzzer-beater gave them a halftime lead they extended early in the third. The suffocating defense held the Pels to 11 third-quarter points and Boston’s lead grew to 15. It got as high as 22 in the fourth before the Pels made a little run, but the Celtics held them off for the double-digit win.

Box Score

HEADLINES

- Welcome back, elite defense: The Celtics' defense has been subpar starting with the win in Chicago and continuing through the first quarter of this game … with a brief appearance early in the first Hawks game. 

- Porzingis steps up: He struggled with his shooting early in the game, but he shook that off to be the best player on the floor for stretches. Most impressively, he blocked four shots as part of the stifling C’s defense and turned superstar Zion into a mere mortal after the first quarter. 

- Fourth-quarter execution: We’re used to seeing heavy doses of Jayson Tatum handling the ball late in fourth quarters, but in this game, they put the ball in White’s hands and ran a ton of pick-and-roll with Porzingis. 

“They played small and they were switching more,” Joe Mazzulla said. “And we wanted to attack that match up … we got really good frequency out of that four or five times, and then we changed it and got a wide open three there. So to me, it's just the trust that the guys have in each other to go to different combinations, depending upon how teams are guarding us and how they're trying to defend us.” 

TURNING POINT

White’s buzzer-beater gave Boston their first lead of the game heading into the half, and then they came out on a mission in the third quarter, outscoring New Orleans 24-11. After the game, Mazzulla said he thought the Celtics could have held them under 10. 

THINGS I LIKED

- The response after the first quarter: The Celtics had been struggling with their defense for a little while now, so it’s good to see them have some pride and want to defend this way. That was the kind of defense we’re used to from them. Aside from a short stretch where they fouled too much in the fourth, it was amazing to watch.

- Jaylen Brown: He took the challenge of defending Williamson and handled it very well. Williamson wasn’t getting to his spots as easily, and he went from finishing everything to missing everything. He was 5-6 in the first quarter, but 4-11 the rest of the way.

- Kristaps Porzingis: This game shows how he should be used late in games. Even though he missed all four shots in the fourth, he hit a couple of free throws and had two assists. The offense flowed through him and it worked. 

- Jayson Tatum: He didn't force the issue late in the game. All he did was mostly make the right play, leading to a 23-point night on 10-17 shooting. He also had nine rebounds and four assists, and only one turnover after halftime. 

- Jrue Holiday: He had a quietly great night with 13 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. Defensively he had two steals and a block. 

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE

- The slow start: I would have liked to see the defense start out great instead of having to wake up, but I’ll take three great quarters of it because that’ll usually be enough. 

“I think sometimes you need to get punched in the mouth,” Holiday said. “A game like this with a team like that where early, they can get it going, hard to stop in transition, high flyers, a lot of 3-point shooting. They could have gotten out of control but I'm glad we got it under control.”

- Tatum’s tech: He needs to understand that the wave is something that gets him a tech every time, but at the same time it’s ridiculous what other guys can get away with and not get a tech. It's ridiculous. 

- Jaylen Brown getting beat up: He wasn’t exactly moving great as he walked into the postgame press conference. He said he was having some back tightness, his knee was sore from hitting the ground, and his left hand was bothering him enough that he said he was going to get it checked when they get back to Boston. I’m betting he sits out the Charlotte game.

HIGHLIGHTS

ONE TAKE KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

- This was a friendly reminder of how good their defense can be

I’ll get more into all of this separately, but after a tough week where it’s clear Boston is not only trying new things with certain lineups, they're also fighting the malaise of having clinched the East and only being a couple of wins away from the top overall seed. 

But it was clear early on that this wasn’t going to be an experimentation game from Mazzulla. They wanted this game, and the way they responded in the final three quarters showed that. 

I’ll keep saying it no matter how much people don’t want to hear it. They're not always going to be up for these games to wind down the schedule. Who knows how things will go in Charlotte. 

But these games where they want to step up and be themselves are where we see their true capabilities. Hang your hats on that, not losing to the Hawks. 

Next up: The Celtics wrap up their road trip Monday night in Charlotte