Hugo González’s large night time leads Celtics over 76ers: Takeaways
Boston Celtics
For the third straight recreation, the Celtics performed a hyper-aggressive type of protection.
Hugo González and the Celtics’ second unit pulled collectively a formidable exhibiting in opposition to the 76ers, rallying late to say a 125-120 win in time beyond regulation.
Listed below are the takeaways.
Hugo González confirmed his monumental potential
González got here off the bench on Friday— momentary head coach Sam Cassell, who crammed in admirably for Joe Mazzulla, put out a beginning lineup through which solely rookie Chris Cenac will enter the common season with a completely assured contract.
As is so typically the case with González, there was loads to love. Defensively, he and Jordan Walsh mixed to pressure a number of turnovers — one participant or the opposite would get up a Sixers opponent defensively, and the opposite snuck in to pressure the turnover. Collectively, they mixed for 3 steals.
A kind of turnovers led to maybe essentially the most lowlight-adjacent spotlight of González’s profession to this point — a dunk in transition that required roughly seven stutter steps, which in some way went uncalled by the officers.
Setting apart his prolonged dribble-free journey down the ground, González scored 21 factors in just below 20 minutes of recreation time to go along with 4 rebounds and three assists.
Most notably, he has seemed actually comfy from 3-point vary within the preseason, and that continued along with his 3-for-7 efficiency in opposition to the Sixers. He completed 11-for-20 within the Celtics’ 4 exhibition video games, and his work within the offseason was evident — his shot seems much more compact and much faster out of his palms than final 12 months, and he hit them in a wide range of settings.
Capturing is, in fact, González’s swing talent: If he doesn’t enhance a lot as a 3-point shooter, he ought to nonetheless have an honest NBA profession given how onerous he performs, how nicely he defends, how nicely he slashes to the rim, and the way versatile he’s with the ball in his palms.
If he can develop a dependable 3-point shot, nevertheless, his ceiling is troublesome to identify.
The Celtics swarmed for the third straight recreation
For the third straight recreation, the Celtics performed a hyper-aggressive type of protection.
After recording 16 steals in every of the final two video games, Friday’s lineups have been much more prepared to threat all the things to pressure a turnover, and whereas the Sixers discovered a rhythm finally and constructed a double-digit lead, they seemed uncomfortable going through a complete staff of G-League-bound Belgian Malinois chomping on the ball and making an attempt to hurry them up.
The Celtics have been equally sloppy (the Sixers completed with 14 steals to Boston’s 13), however the swarming prolonged to the offensive glass, the place the Celtics outrebounded the Sixers 18-5. The Celtics received in no small half as a result of even a staff with LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey may have a troublesome time successful when the opposite staff takes 18 extra field-goal makes an attempt.
We should always notice, in fact, that the Celtics really received as a result of the Sixers didn’t play their stars down the stretch — with James, Embiid and Maxey sidelined, the Celtics bought the sport shut, and when Brown exited, they lastly pulled away.
Nonetheless, the second unit gamers stayed hooked up simply lengthy sufficient to present themselves an opportunity late. No one expects Hayden Grey to have the ability to cease Tyrese Maxey, however that the Celtics have been nonetheless inside putting distance when the celebrities started to trickle out of the sport spoke volumes about how onerous gamers like Grey and Milos Uzan performed.
Chris Cenac performed a traditional large position
Cenac fouled out in fewer than 20 minutes, which is a ceremony of passage for a younger large making an attempt for the primary time to protect Joel Embiid — each of the league’s largest people and one of many league’s most prolific foul baiters.
Nonetheless, in these halcyon 19-and-a-half minutes, Cenac as soon as once more confirmed numerous promise. In earlier video games, he has impressed along with his perimeter potential — most notably an eye-opening proclivity for dealing with the ball — however in opposition to the Sixers, he confirmed extra indicators of a traditional large man with eight rebounds and a blocked shot (which prompted NBC Sports activities Boston’s Drew Carter to supply an impressed “Cenac that!” name to the cadence of Akon’s hit track “Smack That”).
Cenac additionally posted 12 factors — he seemed good as a curler within the pick-and-roll, however he additionally displayed nice timing chopping from the nook for one two-handed slam, and he deftly labored his approach into the paint off the dribble in opposition to Jabari Walker within the fourth quarter.
Cenac is nearly actually headed to Maine for a lot of the 12 months, and he’s nonetheless uncooked sufficient that it appears like if he will get main minutes in Boston, one thing may have gone very flawed.
Nevertheless, he confirmed greater than sufficient within the preseason to make one surprise what Celtics College may do for a younger large along with his potential.
Ron Harper Jr. hit some large photographs
After a really temporary stint in opposition to the Hornets on Wednesday, Ron Harper Jr. performed 35 minutes in opposition to the Sixers and ran the present down the stretch because the Celtics tried to shut the door.
Harper bought somewhat shot glad, going 7-for-20 from the sphere and 1-for-9 from deep, however he was requested to bail the Celtics out of some powerful conditions when their half-court offense bought slowed down.
Extra importantly, he made two enormous photographs within the closing minutes — one aggressive left-handed end on the rim to even the rating at 113 with simply over two minutes remaining, and a spinning fadeaway jumper with below a minute remaining to tie the rating at 115.
Baylor Scheierman had a troublesome night time
Scheierman has had higher evenings — he went 1-for-11 with seven factors and a pair of turnovers, capturing simply 1-for-6 from deep. Within the Celtics’ opener in opposition to the Cavaliers, he was glorious in a high-usage position, however Friday’s contest was considerably much less enticing (though he did dish out 5 assists).
Gabe McGlothan performed an impressed recreation
McGlothan is nearly actually headed again to the G-League (or someplace abroad), however the 27-year-old ahead completed Friday’s preseason finale with a staggering 13 rebounds, 5 of which have been offensive, which instantly resulted in seven factors for the Celtics.
McGlothan was simply 2-for-7 from the sphere — all 3-point makes an attempt — however the seven second-chance factors generated by his hustle in a recreation that ended regulation tied have been clearly a successful issue, and one has to think about that he left an important impression on the Celtics on his approach out the door.
Dillon Mitchell hit an enormous 3-pointer
With 3:10 left in time beyond regulation, the Celtics took the lead when (who else?) McGlothan picked Labaron Philon’s pocket as he tried to drive by, and McGlothan then launched a move forward to rookie Dillon Mitchell, who slammed it down.
Neither staff scored for greater than a minute and a half, which meant that at 1:33 when Mitchell navigated round a display from Harper, each possession was beginning to really feel like a win-or-lose second.
On the time, there have been 17 seconds left on the shot clock, which meant that Mitchell didn’t must shoot. Nevertheless, he confidently stepped into the shot and pulled a smooth-looking triple from above the break, which he canned to present the Celtics a five-point lead that — contemplating the dearth of offensive expertise on the ground for the Sixers on the time — was insurmountable.
Mitchell has proven his freak athletic powers a number of instances in the course of the preseason, however he took simply 15 3-pointers final 12 months and made simply one in every of them.
That Mitchell has the boldness to shoot that shot in that scenario is a promising signal.
Jaylen Brown performed in opposition to the Celtics
The Celtics bought their first have a look at Jaylen Brown in a Sixers uniform, and it seemed … basically how one would anticipate. Brown completed with 20 factors, eight rebounds and three assists, and he hit some powerful photographs.
Afterward, Brown greeted the teammates current warmly, though — as Harper revealed — he did inform all of them that they’re “nonetheless ugly.”
“That simply means he misses us,” Harper advised NBC Sports activities Boston with an enormous smile.
Whether or not the nice emotions will proceed to the primary assembly between Brown and the Celtics within the common season stays to be seen.
What’s subsequent
What’s subsequent? The common season, ultimately! The Celtics open the NBA’s regular-season slate with a weird 3 p.m. tipoff on Tuesday in opposition to the Pistons earlier than internet hosting the Knicks of their TD Backyard opener on Friday.
Get the newest Boston sports activities information
Obtain updates in your favourite Boston groups, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.
