Celtics
Jayson Tatum used to be ejected, Grant Williams’ shoe exploded, and extra.
The Celtics dropped their 2nd time beyond regulation loss in their preseason slate to the Raptors on Friday, falling 137-134.
Here are the takeaways.
1. Before the sport, Joe Mazzulla informed newshounds he anticipated Friday’s contest to in large part replicate the rotation and substitution patterns he’s going to put in force all over the common season.
Two issues felt particularly noteworthy in that gentle. First, Payton Pritchard didn’t input the sport till past due within the 3rd quarter. Pritchard seemed forged in his stints all over the preseason, however he stays in large part a 3-point shooter with facet servings of playmaking and aggressive (however undersized) protection. There merely isn’t a lot room for him within the rotation with each Malcolm Brogdon and Derrick White at the roster.
Second, White began rather than Robert Williams for the fourth consecutive recreation, and he had his best possible efficiency of the preseason. White informed newshounds he spent numerous the summer time operating on his 3-point shot, and the consequences have been obvious Friday — he shot 5-for-6 from 3-point vary, and made all of his first 5 makes an attempt. If White’s stepped forward jumper is sustainable, it’s an enormous addition for the Celtics.
2. Nothing used to be introduced after the sport, however it felt noteworthy within the fight for the general roster spots that Noah Vonleh and Justin Jackson each performed whilst Jake Layman remained glued to the bench. Don’t be shocked — in gentle of Adam Himmelsbach’s file (*5*)in The Boston Globe — if Jackson and Vonleh are the general two gamers who make the Celtics’ roster.
3. The recreation itself were given testy. Jayson Tatum picked up a couple of technicals and used to be ejected. Grant Williams then picked up a technical of his personal for telling an legit, in his personal phrases, to “referee the game, not your emotions.”
“JT got a tech for I guess slamming the ball,” Williams stated. “He said that’s BS or something simple — something that you normally don’t get a tech for. Then, that was a tech. … I guess JT waved him off, got ejected.”
More relating to for Tatum than a few novelty technicals used to be his 3-for-10 efficiency from 3-point vary. In 4 preseason video games, he’s but to glance constant from at the back of the arc.
The Celtics can most likely live to tell the tale a chilly get started from Tatum if he follows his standard trajectory (lackluster within the first part, a top-5 participant league-wide in the second one), however in a season with such a lot of forged Eastern Conference groups, staying afloat early could be end up vital.
4. Grant Williams broke his shoe like Zion Williamson, which could be the primary and closing time Grant Williams is when compared to Zion Williamson.
We can giggle about it now, however the play seemed a bit horrifying in real-time. Thankfully, Williams used to be tremendous.
Williams had a chilly night time as smartly — 3-for-12 from the ground with 11 issues.
5. Malcolm Brogdon sat out the second one part with “a sore right leg,” in accordance to the Celtics. That might be relating to, for the reason that Brogdon performed simply 36 video games closing season and not crowned 56 within the closing 3, however Joe Mazzulla informed newshounds Brogdon used to be held out for precautionary measures. Luke Kornet additionally gained a shocking DNP regardless of being able to play after improving from a sprained ankle.
And that, people, used to be your 2022-23 Celtics preseason. The genuine factor begins Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in opposition to the 76ers.
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