It might take a little while, but a pod of killer whales will eventually find a seal to hunt.
The Celtics took their time Saturday night against the Lakers, but eventually they found their prey. When the Celtics found the way to get LeBron James out of the paint and Al Horford into the middle of the paint, literally getting a seal against a mismatch, the only question was when and where they were going to strike each possession.
“That was high-level execution by the guys and really team basketball,” Joe Mazzulla said after Boston’s win over the Lakers. “His ability to get seals and force switches and do that was important for us, especially in that third quarter to where we were able to get some stuff out of it playing through him.”
No matter what the Celtics went through this season, one fact always stood out: They own a mismatch against every team in the league. No amount of coasting on defense or taking lesser opponents lightly changed this unassailable truth.
When they are at their best, the killer whales can’t be stopped.
“I know when it’s time to go, we’ll be ready to go,” Horford said. “And now we’re just trying to get better as the season goes on. We understand there’s a lot of improvement in front of us, and we’re not full strength. Obviously we’re waiting for (Kristaps Porzingis) to be back, but I feel like we’re playing good basketball.”
They played some of their best against the Lakers, showing once again why they are in a class by themselves.
After the Lakers won the opening tip, Jayson Tatum picked up LeBron James and Jaylen Brown squared up to defend Luka Doncic. When the Celtics brought it up on their first possession, James was on Horford and Doncic was on Jrue Holiday.
Boston’s stars play defense. LeBron was trying to protect the basket, but the Lakers had to hide Doncic.
“I usually take the matchup with the best player on every team every night,” Brown said. “That's just what my team needs me to do. Obviously, we got a lot of talented guys on both ends, but I think my team looks for me to be able to set the tone defensively and take on those big matchups, night in and night out.”
Brown did what he set out to do against Doncic, getting three steals in that individual matchup. He made Doncic uncomfortable, especially in the first half, which kept the Celtics close as they figured out how to attack the Lakers defense. Doncic was held to 11 first-half points, but more importantly only two assists.
“It definitely builds our energy,” Holiday said of Brown’s defense. “I feel like our connectivity is there just in case something happens and he gets beat, we're all on high alert, but knowing that one of our best players is doing that means a lot.”
It wasn’t only one of their best players doing it, they also got a big defensive performance from their oldest player. Doncic and James each repeatedly targeted Horford, and Horford more than held his own.
“I think when people (target him), it motivates him,” Mazzulla said. “I got to watch five possessions of him defending at a high level, and at one point, I wasn’t coaching. I was just watching him, and I was like, ‘Man, this guy’s a future Hall of Famer. I get to watch this for free.’ And you have to be able to have that perspective. So I think he was motivated by that, and he’s just an innate competitor, and it inspires our team.”
You might think that's just coach speak, but Tatum is proof that Mazzulla wasn’t just saying things to say them.
“Al is one of a kind,” Tatum said. “He’s the anchor to our defense and the heart and soul of our team. He keeps us emotionally steady. The things that he’s able to provide in year 18 is remarkable. I don’t think that gets talked about enough … I’m the biggest Al Horford fan there is. I love that guy.”
The Celtics were winning games without a consistently good defense earlier this season. But now the Celtics are starting to show their full capabilities. They are starting to put together a better combination of offensive and defensive efforts, and because those are always intertwined, the whole game looks better.
“You have to play good offense to keep them out of transition,” Mazzulla explained. “They got a couple leak outs, but we were able to take that away. We kept them off the free-throw line, we took away their corner threes, and we were able to limit them to one shot. So playing against a great team like that, the margins and those things are very important.”
The Celtics got the job done because everyone did their job well. They showed just how good a defensive team they could be.
“It’s good for us and it’s good to play at this level of ball,” Horford said. “These guys have been playing really well, won eight straight I think it was. So yeah, I think these types of games are good for us.”
And they're a good reminder that if there's a weakness to exploit, the Celtics will find and exploit it. If there's a seal to hunt, they’ll go after it. They own mismatches everywhere, and the only question is how long will it take to pick it apart.