Final: Celtics 116, Clippers 100 - C's stars shine with big contribution from role players

Game 36: Celtics (-6.5) vs. LA Clippers, 7:30 p.m., TD Garden, NBCS Boston/NBA TV

Injuries: 

Boston: Danilo Gallinari, Malcolm Brogdon (questionable, non-COVID illness), Blake Griffin  (questionable, non-COVID illness) 

Clippers: None

Clippers projected starters: Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Marcus Morris, Reggie Jackson, Ivica Zubac

Refs: Scott Foster (#48), Brent Barnaky (#36), Matt Myers (#43)

Last time they played: The Celtics were still pretty messy to start this game, turning the ball over too much, missing a lot of shots they’ve made in the past, and allowing too many offensive rebounds. Still, they were able to keep it close until a Clippers run pushed the lead to 18 in the third. That lead grew to 24 in the fourth before settling at 20, the biggest loss of the season for Boston.

A little something about this game: The Clippers are coming in on a bit of a roll. They’ve won two straight, four of five, and seven of nine. They have put up 126, 114, 142 (in OT), and 124 in their last four games, so the ball is going through the hoop for them. They come in with the fourth-best offensive rating and third-best defensive rating over the last five games. Boston, though, has the best defense over that stretch and the second-best net rating (ahead of the Clippers and behind the Nets). 

How the Celtics win: The Clippers soft spot is the mid-range, and Boston just happens to be the fifth-best team in the NBA in that spot. The Clippers defend the rim and run teams off the 3-point line, so the Celtics can’t get 3-point happy and just jack contested shots. They should still attack, but understand that pulling up for a 15 footer with Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Malcolm Brogdon, and Derrick White is okay. Eventually, those will soften up the defense and runs to the rim will present themselves in the second half. It’s alright to hit a defense with mid-range jumpers from good shooters and use that to open up other things. 

Defensively, the Clippers bench has to be slowed down. Kawhi will do what he does and so will Paul George, but the key to beating the Clippers is to take away their help, especially someone like Norm Powell who can be explosive off the bench.

How the Clippers win: Switch, switch, switch, and watch Tatum or Brown try to hunt Reggie Jackson on defense. The classic defense against the Celtics now is to dangle the bad defender out there, bait the stars into chasing him into the paint, then shut down their drive and jump passing lanes. It’s all about giving them the mirage of something being there and then taking it away. The Clippers are happy to pile up some points in transition, and if they win that battle, they could win this game. 

Things I’m looking for:

- .5 basketball: Don’t take the bait, no matter how much you want to. This is where Tatum and Brown can level up even further. They need to see that third and fourth step ahead and not fall into these traps. Both guys are guilty of it, so both guys just need to make quick decisions and get off the ball quickly if they need to. If there's one lesson the recent win streak has taught everyone, it’s that there's plenty of time for these guys to pile up points, so they don’t need to go hunting them. 

- Bench production: The Clippers have a good bench. Boston has had a good bench as well, but they’ve tailed off a bit. Let’s see this second unit get back on track. Set some plays for Hauser to get going, maybe something with a back-cut to surprise a defense thinking he’s just going to set up for a 3. 

Looking to pass the time before the game? Here’s the latest Locked On Celtics podcast with me and Tom Westerholm discussing Robert Williams’ return and Joe Mazzulla’s comments about maybe keeping Williams on the bench long-term. 

Follow along below or in the comments during the game, chime in, and let’s have fun.