BSJ Game Report: Celtics 104, Nets 96 - Porzingis, Scheierman, have big nights

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

IN A NUTSHELL

Kristaps Porzingis started out hot, taking advantage of mismatches, but the rest of the C’s were cold while the Nets made half their shots and took a five-point lead. The Celtics got sloppy in the second but played the Nets even. Derrick White scored 13 points in the third and Baylor Scheierman hit a buzzer-beater to give Boston a one-point lead heading into the fourth. He kept that roll going into the fourth, going on a heater to get some separation and the win. 

Box Score

HEADLINES

- Another career night for Scheierman: He set his career-high at 15 earlier this month and he topped it with 20 in this game. He was perfect in the fourth, scoring 12 points on four 3-pointers. The Nets only hit three in the quarter. 

- Another big Porzingis game: Lost in the madness of the rookie’s big night is that Porzingis dropped a cool 25 points and 13 rebounds in his second game back from illness. 

“Feeling alright. Feeling little bit better each day,” Porzingis said afterward. “Energy is going back up. But still, for sure, working my way back into the best shape.”

- 50 wins: That's the magic number for a good season. It’s the 37th time the Celtics have won 50 games in a season. With 13 games left and a .725 winning percentage, there's an outside shot at 60, not that it matters much. 

TURNING POINT 

Scheierman hit three 3-pointers in an 11-2 Celtics run that took them from down two to up seven, giving them control of the game. 

THINGS I LIKED

- Scheierman’s confidence: The kid was pulling with no hesitation. Side-steps, fakes, and a heat check that got one of the better shooter’s bounces you’ll see. 

“He was just rolling and his confidence was sky-high,” Porzingis said. “Those kind of moments are always special to watch, especially to have a game like that at home, in front of our crowd. This kind of game I think will stay in his memory for his whole career.”

- Kristaps Porzingis: He was taking advantage of mismatches every time down the floor early in the game. It’s a good reminder of what he can do against smaller players, especially in some of these games where teams are trying to take away driving lanes. He has such a unique ability to score in those situations that he makes the Celtics tough to defend.

He also collected his 900th career block. 

- Derrick White: A tough shooting night (31.6% shooting) but I liked the shots he got. I thought his offensive process was good, and if he gets those same 19 shots every night, he’ll have more 30-point games than 18-point games. 

I also love that he rewarded Porzingis for making the defensive play here:

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE

- Neemias Queta: People are going to think I have a personal vendetta against this guy, but I just think he’s been bad lately. I don’t think he has a strong base, which why he keeps falling and why can’t just rise up and dunk on people when he gets the ball down low. 

- Torrey Craig: He only got eight minutes and he didn’t do a lot with those. I’m really hoping he can get more time on this road trip to play through tough stretches. 

- Bad turnovers: The Celtics only had 13 turnovers in the game, but nine of them were Brooklyn steals, and I don’t think the Nets had to work very hard for most of them. Some of the passes these guys threw in this game were just plain awful.

HIGHLIGHTS

TWO TAKES KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

- You don’t get the Scheierman game without sitting Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. 

I think I’ve made this point in the past, but I’ll just say it again. 

Yes, I understand people pay for tickets hoping to see the stars. However, every fan in here got to see something special. If Scheierman works out and becomes a long-term contributor, fans can say they saw him hit four 3-pointers in a fourth quarter to help the Celtics win a game. 

The point is that there are opportunities for players who don’t get much run in games like this, and there's a chance they will take advantage of it. Tatum and Brown could have played and half-assed it in a loss. Would that have been better? 

You never know what’s going to happen in a game. I think this was a much more memorable night for everyone. 

- This might actually work out well for Porzingis

The Celtics are going to get the second seed, which is fine. Considering how Cleveland has played this season, a fully healthy Porzingis might not have changed anything seeding-wise. 

So now we’re here, with 13 games left to play and Porzingis once again trying to get into playoff shape. But the timing of his return could actually be working out in his favor. 

“I want to definitely play. I need to get in the best shape,” he said of his approach to the rest of the season. “Somehow the schedule is kind of working out for me right now, because we had one game, two days in between a game, and now again we have two days, which is nice. This doesn’t happen often, and it’s actually perfect timing for me. So just working my way back to the best shape and look forward to having my best shape now going into the postseason.”

As I keep saying, the Celtics probably only need 14 games of peak Porzingis: The Eastern Conference Finals and the NBA Finals. And if he’s at his peak, it probably won’t even be 14. 

If he thinks the schedule is helping him recover and it puts him on a path to be at his best in May and June, then everything he’s gone through will end up being worth it. 

Next up: The Celtics start their longest road trip of the season Friday night in Utah.