Celtics bounce again with blowout win over Magic

Coming off considered one of their worst losses of the season, Boston actually wanted this win.

Jayson Tatum completed the evening with 30 factors. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Employees

Jayson Tatum and the Celtics wanted an enormous win in an enormous means, they usually acquired one in opposition to the Magic on Friday, claiming a 121-94 victory.

Listed here are the takeaways.

Jayson Tatum propelled the Celtics into management.

Tatum has had extra dominant video games and way more noteworthy scorelines, however his 30-point, six-rebound, four-assist night on Friday undersells the impression he had on the sport, significantly within the second quarter when the Celtics appeared to be hinting at a blowout.

Tatum scored back-to-back layups with just below 9 minutes remaining within the second quarter, which pushed him as much as 9 factors. The layups themselves have been comparatively unremarkable, aside from that they helped Tatum develop his standing as maybe the league’s greatest isolation participant this season (1.15 factors per possession).

However the back-to-back layups felt like one thing of a press release from the Celtics star, they usually sparked him the remainder of the best way to halftime – Tatum completed the second quarter with 15 of his 30 factors. His offense appeared to come back to him nearly casually and completely throughout the circulate of the sport, which was useful on a night when the Celtics wanted everybody to get on observe.

Maybe notably, Tatum’s massive evening began with a 3-pointer, however he caught a rhythm when he began by going to the basket. After he acquired to the rim a number of instances, he began constructing his shot out to the 3-point line once more, which appeared to work properly – he completed 4-for-9 from behind the arc.

The Celtics actually wanted that one.

The Magic didn’t look good on Friday. Their protection was porous, their offense was uninspired, their 3-point efficiency was the eighth-worst by any staff this season (5-for-32, 15.6 p.c) and the high-energy short-handed group that beat the Celtics improbably a few weeks in the past seemed prefer it anticipated Paolo Banchero to do the whole lot for them.

However the Celtics gained’t care. Coming off considered one of their worst losses of the season – which was instantly preceded by considered one of their worst wins of the 12 months, which was instantly preceded by considered one of their different worst losses of the season – they actually wanted a win like this.

They wanted to see pictures go down (45.9 p.c from 3-point vary). They wanted their star gamers to seek out their rhythm (Tatum scored 30 whereas Jaylen Brown added 20 and went 9-for-9 on the free-throw line), they usually wanted their star-in-their-role gamers to appear like stars of their roles. They wanted to see the ball whip across the perimeter just a few instances prefer it did early within the 12 months, even when they didn’t make the shot each time because of this.

“I feel it was wholesome for us to get an unsightly loss,” Kristaps Porzingis stated. “It’s somewhat bit like a wakeup name. We’ve been type of up and down these days and getting a loss like that I feel actually, actually stung – the best way it must sting. And tonight we have been a distinct staff.”

The Celtics have numerous video games developing, which suggests they’ve numerous alternatives to show that Friday’s outcome wasn’t an oasis in the midst of the desert. It’s actually attainable they revert and battle once more.

However bouncing again from a loss to the Raptors in dominant vogue with a win over a playoff staff that contained hints of their early-season success was an amazing place to begin.

“It undoubtedly felt good to hit some pictures, however I simply favored how bodily we have been from the start,” Tatum stated. “Starters haven’t essentially began the sport in addition to we’d like just lately. However I feel tonight, we matched their depth from the start, and the fellows that got here off the bench did a superb job of pushing it ahead.”

Kristaps Porzingis was extremely environment friendly.

Porzingis was the lone Celtic who represented himself pretty effectively in opposition to the Raptors, and he continued to knock down pictures on Friday, going 7-for-10 from the sector and 3-for-5 from deep. When the Celtics have been in a position to get the ball inside, Porzingis dominated within the submit. He’s been nearly as good within the submit this 12 months as Tatum has been in isolation (1.15 factors per possession, 81st percentile), and when he begins scoring each pick-and-pops and within the paint, the Celtics as a complete grow to be actually exhausting to cease.

“I feel right this moment was for positive a step in the appropriate course,” Porzingis stated. “We performed some good basketball.”

Porzingis did give everybody at TD Backyard a coronary heart assault on this quick break when he landed awkwardly.

He additionally inadvertently swiped Banchero’s eye within the third quarter, which prompted a prolonged delay as Banchero tried to shake off the harm and get to the free-throw line to keep away from having to take a seat out (he did).

Porzingis stated that the Celtics’ franchise and followers are somewhat spoiled (not in a destructive means) by success.

“You don’t know the way it’s to be on an under-.500 staff or actually struggling, not with the ability to get wins,” he stated. “And naturally the expectations will not be the identical, however nonetheless, as a participant you simply chunk your enamel and also you go to work the following day.

“However right here in a means it’s an unbelievable privilege that we’re alleged to win each recreation. We go into each recreation nearly as a favourite, if not each recreation. So in fact it’s a weight that we’ve got to hold or somewhat little bit of stress that we’ve got to hold, however that’s anticipated with this.”

The starters have been good.

The struggles of the beginning lineup have been effectively documented, however that group was +15 on Friday, and Mazzulla went again to them collectively within the second quarter in a transfer that felt somewhat bit like a chance for them to proceed to cook dinner up some chemistry, even when Mazzulla denied it.

“That was simply type of how the sample went tonight,” he stated. “I assumed they acquired off to a very good begin. That they had their nice rhythm, and that was type of the sample that went there, and I assumed they did a very good job actually getting off to a very good begin and enjoying persistently all through.”

Tatum famous that “outcomes can fluctuate” with plus/minus stats.

“I feel [I liked] simply how linked we have been on each ends of the ground, particularly on protection,” he stated. “Everyone was on the identical web page, we have been linked, serving to one another out.

“So whatever the plus/minus, the best way we went about it was quite a bit higher right this moment.”

Jrue Vacation and Al Horford knocked down threes.

It was encouraging for the Celtics as a complete to see 3-pointers go down, however Jrue Vacation going 3-for-6 may need been one of many extra intriguing stat strains of the night. Vacation’s precipitous fall from 42.9 p.c from three to 33.7 this 12 months has been somewhat mystifying, and the Celtics would profit drastically if he begins ticking upward.

Horford, in the meantime, went 2-for-3. He has been much less off over the previous few weeks than of his teammates, however his presence gives an important outlet for the Celtics’ drive-and-kick offense, and when he’s making pictures, the protection is pressured to shut out tougher, which helps the ball swing across the perimeter far more easily.

Every part is considerably simpler for the Celtics when they’re capturing effectively.

“I extra favored the best way they acquired their pictures,” Mazzulla stated. “Al acquired some nice kick-out threes from simply penetration from each Jaylen and Jayson. Jrue acquired two catch-and-shoot seems within the nook. He acquired two off the dribble threes in pick-and-roll going to his left hand.

“So I extra identical to the varieties of pictures that they’re getting. And to me, after we can get these guys attractiveness inside our offense due to the best way we’re executing, that simply makes us higher.”

The Celtics have some scorching takes.

And, as is form of the purpose with scorching takes, you in all probability gained’t like them.

As an example, Jrue Vacation thinks espresso is overrated. Payton Pritchard doesn’t like cannolis (and whoever produces the Celtics’ in-house leisure … won’t know how you can spell “cannoli”?).

Sam Hauser drew the most important response for as soon as once more professing his help for Aaron Rodgers as a top-three NFL quarterback of all time (he didn’t even diss Tom Brady this time).

Luke Kornet, nonetheless, steered that each NBA recreation begins at 11 a.m. Followers, in fact, would hate that, however Kornet is assured to curry favor with sportswriters with that individual scorching take.

Jaylen Brown was extra targeted on protection.

Brown took simply 5 pictures within the first half, and he completed with simply 12 pictures total (5-for-12).

However Brown was removed from disengaged – he recorded three steals, and at one level, he drew enthusiastic applause from Mazzulla for his defensive hustle.

“I favored how he was totally intense, and I feel it’s essential for us,” Mazzulla stated. “He brings a distinct stage of a mentality to us at instances, and I assumed tonight, he introduced an amazing stage of depth. He had 20 factors on 12 pictures, and he has the flexibility to impression the sport with out capturing. I assumed he simply impacted it in many various methods.”

Jaylen Brown’s shoe popped off Jordan Walsh’s foot.

Celtics gamers who put on Brown’s 741 Efficiency Rover shoe swear by it, however within the curiosity of journalistic integrity, we must always be aware that it did come proper off Jordan Walsh’s foot when Cole Anthony stepped on him within the fourth quarter. Walsh grabbed the shoe and stamped it again on, so we must also be aware that it goes again on simply as simply because it comes off.

The street forward.

The Celtics will tackle the Hawks on Saturday at 7 p.m. earlier than they hit the street once more, touring to the West Coast to tackle the Warriors on Monday.

We can have extra takeaways later this night.