Celtics-Spurs notebook: locker room March Madness, Luke Kornet domination, everyone’s playing through injury, plus some Maine Celtics notes

SAN ANTONIO — The Celtics continued their six-game Western Convention highway journey with a win over the San Antonio Spurs — their eighth straight victory and fifteenth win in 16 video games on the highway.

That improves the Celtics document to 55-19 on the yr, simply 4 video games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for first place within the Japanese Convention. The Cavs have misplaced 5 of their final 8 video games and the Celtics have an opportunity to shut the hole — with 8 video games left — albeit an unlikely one.

Right here’s what stood out from on the bottom in San Antonio.

Luke Kornet has a monster recreation

Kristaps Porzingis handled foul bother on this one, however Luke Kornet had a monster recreation, ending with 15 factors, 16 rebounds, and 4 assists in 31 minutes. He was additionally a game-high +21 within the win.

It’s no secret that Kornet has advanced his recreation from a three-point taking pictures massive in school to a way more bodily one which embraces contact. He stated postgame that a part of the transition concerned merely hitting the load room and changing into stronger. He additionally credited present Celtic assistant coach Amile Jefferson and former assistant Charles Lee for aiding in his improvement.

“Quite a lot of it for me was only a transition when it comes to, I used to positively see the sport a sure method, and now type of identical to taking a look at it by means of completely different lens,” he stated. “One, simply all the time bodily bringing the vitality, looking for the contact and initiating contact.”

Kornet was additionally requested about whether or not it’s arduous for him to be “imply” on the ground when he’s such a pleasant man off it, which led Sam Hauser to cease in his tracks in the midst of the locker room and sarcastically quip, “a pleasant man???” a number of time earlier than he headed to the showers.

Extra significantly, Kornet defined that a part of his evolution towards being more durable.

“I believe an enormous half — actually, simply having the ability to watch our crew for a few years, and also you see JT, JB and stuff, and the physicality that they play with — and the benefits that it creates,” Kornet stated. “And I believe over time, you simply type of see — particularly on the excessive ranges — that’s what it takes to play.”

Jrue Vacation finds offensive rhythm as he performs by means of a mallet finger

On the two-year anniversary of his career-high 50 factors, Jrue Vacation posted 21 factors (8-12 FG, 5-7 from three), his third-highest scoring recreation of the Celtics season. He additionally tallied 6 rebounds and 4 assists.

That standout efficiency got here simply two nights after he scored 16 factors on 6-10 taking pictures vs the Phoenix Suns; he’s now scored in double-figures in 5 of the final eight video games.

The 34-year-old guard remains to be taking part in with a black solid on his pinky finger as a result of an harm he suffered on Feb. 26.

“It’s what it’s,” Vacation stated of the mallet finger harm. “It’s type of bizarre. It’s simply type of like you might have 4 fingers on one hand.”

Vacation stated he hasn’t been extra deliberately aggressive than standard.

“I’m nonetheless taking the photographs which can be given to me,” he stated. “I believe I’m making an attempt to be as aggressive as doable, and I believe I’ve been making an attempt to do this. Photographs are falling — that all the time feels good.”

Jayson Tatum returns from ankle harm, flirts with triple-double

Jayson Tatum ended up lacking a complete of 1 recreation after struggling what gave the impression to be a scary ankle harm on Monday towards the Sacramento Kings.

Whereas issues appeared good when he went by means of a full shootaround on Wednesday in Phoenix, any issues about how Tatum is perhaps impacted by the harm within the long-term had been utterly put to relaxation on Saturday, when he returned to the lineup and completed with a near-triple-double: 29 factors (10-22 FG), 10 rebounds, 8 assists, and 1 block.

“[I’ve] been bored, however I’m glad that it recovered and healed in a great way, and I used to be in a position to come again out right here and rejoin the crew,” Tatum stated.

Tatum stated that he was initially afraid the harm was severe however realized shortly after that he was in higher form than he thought.

“The preliminary response is it’s an ankle I’ve twisted a handful of instances, and also you heard one thing pop. It was painful however type of a shock issue,” he stated. “However as soon as I bought up and was in a position to put weight on it and walked off the courtroom, I didn’t assume it could be too lengthy of an absence.”

Tatum’s playmaking leap has been on show in latest weeks. He’s averaging a career-high 6 assists this season and has now recorded 8 or extra assists in 5 of his final 7 video games.

“[He’s] taking what the protection provides him,” Mazzulla stated. “Being proactive. He’s doing an important job taking part in with tempo, studying the two-on-ones, understanding when to bait the two-on-one, when to not. Simply doing an important job studying the sport.”

March Insanity looms within the background

Al Horford, a Florida alum (and two-time NCAA champion), was locked into Florida’s Elite 8 matchup towards Texas Tech, although he was already on the Celtics bench watching his teammates play by the point the sport was in crunch time.

Tatum, who attended Duke College for one season earlier than being drafted by the Celtics, was equally glued to a TV display within the locker room postgame as he watched Duke beat Alabama to advance to the Last 4.

Tatum gifted each the lads’s and ladies’s applications his Tatum model sneakers forward of the event, and stated he was having fun with watching each groups advance by means of the NCAA tournaments.

“Wanting ahead to hopefully having each groups make it to the Last 4,” he stated.

Jaylen Brown’s knee and different Celtics harm notes

Payton Pritchard (left hip flexor tightness) and Al Horford (left massive toe sprain) each missed Saturday’s contest, whereas Jayson Tatum returned from a one-game absence as a result of an ankle sprain suffered Monday.

Jaylen Brown, who’s been battling a proper knee harm the Celtics formally recognized as a bone bruise with posterior impingement, wasn’t on the harm for the second straight recreation after a three-game absence.

Brown stated on Wednesday after the Phoenix Suns recreation that he was anticipating to must handle the harm by means of the playoffs, and that he hadn’t handled knee accidents earlier than.

“My physique doesn’t really feel 100%,” he stated.

Joe Mazzulla was requested concerning the strategy of Brown taking part in by means of this knee harm.

“You belief him,” Mazzulla stated. “You belief the sports activities science crew. You belief the trainers. He takes care of his physique, and he’s doing the whole lot he can to be obtainable. He takes satisfaction in that.”

Xavier Tillman, who has been out with a left knee joint sprain since March twentieth, was energetic for his first time this highway journey, however didn’t see the courtroom.

Two-way participant Miles Norris is with the Celtics for his first NBA highway journey

Norris, who signed a two-way contract with the Celtics earlier this month, attended his first Celtic highway journey recreation on Saturday. He flew from New York to Phoenix to fulfill up with the Celtics on their off day, after which travelled with them to San Antonio.

“Enterprise is enterprise,” Norris informed CelticsBlog of his first highway journey with the crew. “Identical mindset, identical mentality wherever — residence or away.”

Norris has appeared in 8 video games with the Maine Celtics, and is averaging 14.5 factors on 44.7% taking pictures, together with 39.3% from three.

JD Davison and Drew Peterson, the Celtics’ two different two-way gamers, had been with the guardian membership for the primary three video games of the highway journey however have since returned to be with the G-League affiliate. Maine’s single-elimination playoffs start on Tuesday night time in Portland.

“It’s type of like March [Madness],” Norris stated. “Simply win the sport.”

San Antonio is a extremely cute metropolis

Not a basketball notice, however I simply needed to editorialize a bit. San Antonio was a beautiful metropolis to go to for a few days! I hadn’t heard nice issues, however the river stroll space is beautiful, the meals is wonderful, and total, this was certainly one of my favourite cities I’ve seen this yr.

Additionally, shoutout to the San Antonio followers. The Spurs noticed their two high gamers endure season-ending accidents (Victor Wembenyama was recognized with an surprising blood clot in his shoulder, whereas De’Aaron Fox had a season-ending left pinkie surgical procedure). And, they trailed by double-digits for many of this one.

Nonetheless, this was one of many extra vigorous highway arenas I’ve been to in latest months — with a big swath of Celtics followers, however a passionate Spurs fanbase, too.