LOS ANGELES — The Celtics beat the Clippers in a 117-113 additional time thriller that most likely had no enterprise going into additional time. However, the primary story of the day wasn’t the late sport execution, nor the inconsistent defensive effort: it was Jaden Springer.
Sure, you heard that proper — the fourth-year guard who has solely performed double-digit minutes as soon as this whole season was the story on Wednesday night time at Intuit Dome, and dozens of reporters crowded round him as he held his first media availability within the locker room. Jayson Tatum heckled him within the background, yelling “Yeah, Spring!” and “Converse up, Spring!” as Jaden Springer fielded questions from an abnormally giant press corp.
Right here’s what stood out from a wild night time on the Intuit Dome.
Clippers, Celtics are each shorthanded — however “it’s the NBA”
If the Warriors have been thought of shorthanded on Monday, discovering the suitable phrase to explain the Clippers’ scenario on Saturday night time can be robust. The Clippers have been with out most of their traditional rotation — lacking Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Norman Powell, Ivica Zubac, Nicolas Batum, and Kris Dunn on the primary night time of a back-to-back. A part of the numerous harm report was the results of the Clippers being in the course of a 4-games-in-5-nights schedule that was a results of the NBA rescheduling video games that had been delayed as a result of California wildfires.
The fact is that enjoying such shorthanded groups will be tough; gamers have contemporary legs and function gamers are empowered and desperate to capitalize on their uncommon alternative. And, the Celtics weren’t at full power, both — Jrue Vacation (shoulder impingement), Kristaps Porzingis (sickness), and Al Horford (left massive toe sprain) all sat out.
Nonetheless, the Clippers’ efficiency was a powerful one; Derrick Jones Jr. exploded for 29 factors and Kevin Porter Jr. added 26 factors, each season highs. And, as soon as once more, the Celtics discovered themselves inside a couple of performs from a big letdown loss in opposition to an inferior opponent.
“It’s the NBA,” stated Jaylen Brown. “They performed effectively. They hit a number of photographs… I believed they performed rather well.”
Joe Mazzulla described the preparations for Wednesday’s sport as just like a typical NBA sport, regardless of the numerous personnel modifications.
“They’ll plug guys into the system with which they use their different guys,” he stated of the Clippers. “And so I feel it’s simply having a transparent understanding of [their] tendencies.”
Then, after the additional time victory, when pressed on why the sport was so shut after the sport regardless of the Clippers being down six gamers, Mazzulla emphasised that there was no expectation that the sport was going to be straightforward.
Joe Mazzulla requested concerning the Clippers being down 4 starters:
“I feel the primary query must be — why would we assume that it was going to be a simple sport? [That’s] discrediting a championship head coach and a bunch of men which might be actually, actually good.” pic.twitter.com/eBUAaTcX9l
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) January 23, 2025
“The sport went the best way it was speculated to go,” Mazzulla stated. “That’s a championship head coach, these guys are nice gamers — been within the league a very long time, a number of them, they usually’ve delivered.”
Celtics-Clippers was the unequivocal Jaden Springer sport
As soon as it grew to become obvious that the shorthanded Clippers have been going to place up a combat, the Celtics wanted somebody to step up on the defensive finish. Kevin Porter Jr. was getting no matter he wished offensively, and the standard match-ups the Celtics have been throwing at him weren’t efficient (after the sport, Jaylen Brown revealed he was restricted by an ankle sprain he suffered within the second quarter).
Enter Jaden Springer.
Springer has been used sparingly for the reason that Celtics traded for him final winter. However, with the sport prone to slipping away, and Porter Jr. dominating for the Clippers, Joe Mazzulla known as his title, and he delivered. He racked up 4 steals within the second half and was accountable for a couple of different Clippers’ turnovers, forcing an out-of-bounds violation and journey throughout his stint.
For Springer, the outcomes of his defensive efforts have been instantly evident.
“You may see it,” Springer stated. “They cease drawing the performs for him [Porter Jr.] a little bit bit… you’ll be able to learn the physique language. He’s annoyed.”
Nonetheless, his most surprising contribution may need been on the offensive finish. Springer — a 21.1% profession three-point shooter — hit two of six three-point makes an attempt, a efficiency that was punctuated by a clutch nook three with 34 seconds left in additional time that gave the Celtics a 5-point lead.
Jaden Springer heckled by Jayson Tatum who yelled “communicate up!” throughout his locker room media availability — with about 30 reporters crowded round him as he talks about how he is aware of when he’s impacting the opponents pic.twitter.com/4XvoiDptL5
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) January 23, 2025
Springer credited Jayson Tatum for trusting him.
“We practice for this every single day,” Springer stated. “We received an excellent employees, we’re engaged on it every single day, sport conditions. We do the perfect we will to organize for moments like this — staying prepared.”
Springer stated that hitting the three in entrance of James Harden — a former teammate of his on the Philadelphia 76ers — made the second much more rewarding.
“That’s my dawg.”
Jaylen Brown deemed the victory ‘an ideal Jaden Springer sport.’
“It’s only a testomony to him and his work ethic,” Brown stated. “He received his title known as, defensively we weren’t at our greatest… Jaden got here in, hawked the ball, gave us some power on protection, and helped us get a win.”
Sam Hauser begins (and shines) as Jrue Vacation sits
Hauser began rather than Jrue Vacation, who missed Wednesday’s sport with a proper shoulder impingement — and, he capitalized on the elevated alternative, hitting his first 3 three-pointers and ending the sport with 15 factors on 5 of seven three-point capturing.
At shootaround Wednesday, Hauser was requested about whether or not he looks like his variety of shot makes an attempt is an efficient indicator of how good the Celtics’ ball motion is that night time and famous it’s not simply his makes an attempt which might be indicative of the group’s passing.
“When the ball is transferring, everybody’s getting photographs, everybody’s getting attractiveness,” Hauser stated. “That’s after we’re at our greatest as a result of everybody has been contributing in several methods to this group. When the ball is transferring, all people is ready to showcase what they carry to the desk and the way they may also help our group.”
Properly, Wednesday night time positive was one other good ball motion sport for the Celtics — they racked up 33 assists, and it simply so occurred to be that Hauser recorded his finest three-point capturing sport of the season.
Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh earn first-quarter minutes
Recent off of a really productive rubbish time stint in opposition to the Warriors, Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman each earned uncommon first-quarter minutes in opposition to the Clippers.
Walsh had a couple of spotlight performs within the first half. He hit a nook three-pointer — his solely try of the night time — and grabbed an offensive rebound that led to a Payton Pritchard three. However, Mazzulla subbed him out in favor of Jaden Springer within the second half.
Intuit Enviornment is shiny and progressive — however doesn’t in the end ship its supposed imaginative and prescient
From the second one enters Intuit Enviornment, it’s evident that it’s vastly totally different from the common NBA enviornment. The newly constructed enviornment boasts a well-known “wall” of Clippers followers in entrance of the baseline and depends on progressive expertise and sound results. There have been a few enjoyable wrinkles like no strains for the toilet, T-shirt tosses that reached the balcony, and indoor fireworks in the course of the nationwide anthem.
However, in the end, Intuit Enviornment was one of many emptiest arenas I’ve visited this season, and the vast majority of the followers within the constructing donned Celtics inexperienced. No quantity of cool options, sound results, and cutting-edge expertise could make up for the sheer lack of genuine followers current contained in the gymnasium.
Jaylen Brown alluded to the sector being empty when requested concerning the Intuit Dome expertise after the sport.
“It was loud — the best way they constructed it, the construction of it, it’s extra on high of you, and I feel that has loads to do with the sound engineering,” he stated. “As a result of there wasn’t that many individuals in there — nevertheless it appeared like there was.”
Credit score to Clippers proprietor Steve Ballmer for attempting his finest to revive a considerably anemic fandom, and for doing so in artistic vogue. However it’s most likely going to take some prolonged stretches of profitable for the Clippers fanbase to have an actual presence right here, particularly in opposition to a group with a fanbase that travels in addition to the Celtics. By the tip of the night time, the sector sounded extra like a Celtics dwelling sport than an away sport.
Subsequent Up: Celtics-Lakers
The Celtics at the moment are 2-0 on their Western Convention street journey — and are again in motion 10 pm ET in opposition to the Lakers. Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis ought to each be again within the lineup on the second night time of a back-to-back; whether or not Jrue Vacation is again within the lineup stays to be seen. After LA, the Celtics will shut out the street journey in opposition to the Mavericks on Saturday night time earlier than returning dwelling to Boston.
