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Here's What Stood Out from Celtics' 112-103 Win Over Hornets
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On a night where many of the Celtics' veterans rested, Jaylen Brown suited up and led Boston in scoring for the third-straight preseason game. Noah Vonleh and Justin Jackson shined in the second half, making their case to the Celtics and the rest of the league that they belong in the NBA.
Derrick White's aggressive approach also stood out, and as detailed below, there were bright spots and some concerns regarding Blake Griffin's debut in green.
Now, for a more comprehensive breakdown of Boston's 112-103 win over the Hornets.
Blake Griffin Rusty in First Shift; LaMelo Ball Paces Hornets to Early Lead
The Celtics used Friday night as an opportunity to get most of their veterans some well-deserved rest. Interestingly enough, one of the exceptions was Jaylen Brown, who produced seven points in 11 minutes.
Another rotation regular that played and started was Derrick White. He was aggressive from the opening tip, consistently getting deep into the paint, generating three layups and a trip to the free-throw line, where he went 2/2. White registered eight points on 3/4 shooting in the first frame.
Debuting in green, Blake Griffin first entered the game at the 4:30 mark. He looked rusty and uptight initially, including hesitating on an open three. He ultimately let it fly, but he badly bricked it.
Before that, on his first offensive possession, White couldn't connect with him in an attempt to get him a layup out of a pick-and-roll. Then came his worst offense, giving up a rebound when he didn't box out Nik Richards. The other mistakes were understandable, it's his first game since the playoffs, and he signed with Boston a week ago. But effort will go a long way towards maximizing his minutes and keeping him on the court.
With many of the team's veterans getting the night off, Brodric Thomas, Jake Layman, and Justin Jackson got playing time in the first quarter, and Noah Vonleh started.
However, none of them made much of an impact, and Sam Hauser, who started, only got one shot off, missing a three from the right wing, and the Celtics scored only 22 points in the first frame, entering the second trailing 35-22. LaMelo Ball had 15 points while shooting 3/6 from beyond the arc.
Derrick White Helps Celtics Work Past 16-Point Turnover-Related Deficit
Sloppy play and struggles taking care of the ball put Boston in a 16-point hole in the second quarter. The Celtics' 14 first-half giveaways led to 16 points for the Hornets. That also helped Charlotte produce 30 points in the paint and 15 on the fast break.
But as the quarter progressed, the Celtics found their rhythm, ripping off a 13-2 run and briefly taking the lead before a Kelly Oubre three and Mason Plumlee tip-in at the buzzer gave the Hornets a 62-57 advantage entering halftime.
White had the best first half of anyone on the visitors, registering 15 points on 5/8 shooting, attacking the basket, getting to the free-throw line, where he went 4/5, and distributing a team-high five assists and only one turnover.
Brown had 14 points and four rebounds in the first two quarters. He also worked a productive pick-and-roll with Griffin, where the threat of Brown driving freed Griffin up for an open three, which he drilled.
Griffin entered the break with seven points, four of which came at the free-throw line. He looked a bit slow, but he played better and made more of an impact in his second shift.
Playing in his home state, Grant Williams was relatively quiet in the first half, but he caught this author's attention with an on-target cross-court hook pass off the dribble to Brown. However, Brown couldn't get the left-wing three to go down.
Williams made some nice plays off the dribble during the playoffs. Much like his evolution into a reliable three-point shooter, his growth in this area speaks to him developing into a more dynamic player, capable of contributing more to a team with championship aspirations.
Celtics Outscore Hornets 36-22 in the Game's Most-Lopsided Quarter
Griffin started the second half and continued looking more comfortable. He grabbed five rebounds and dished out two assists in the third quarter. He also had a shot blocked by Plumlee, committed an offensive foul, and got called for a three-second violation that sent the Hornets to the free-throw line, serving as a reminder that he's not regular-season ready yet.
Grant Williams scored seven points in the third quarter, continuing to make plays off the dribble. He got to the cup for a pair of layups and created two more points from deep in the paint. Williams had nine points and six rebounds entering the final frame.
One would like to see Noah Vonleh make more of an impact defensively and beyond the arc after focusing on three-point shooting in the offseason; Vonleh did not attempt a three in the first three quarters. However, the former top-10 pick set solid screens and showed a nice touch around the rim, producing ten points on 5/6 shooting, all around the basket, six rebounds, and two assists.
Starting at the 2:45 mark, Justin Jackson drilled three-straight threes and swatted a Mark Williams dunk attempt, staring down the rookie afterward. That helped Boston take a 93-84 lead into the fourth quarter.
This Time, the Celtics Hold onto Double-Digit Lead in Final Frame
In the final frame, Vonleh showed good recognition defensively, breaking up an alley-oop attempt. He also had a steal and did well fighting on the offensive glass for a rebound that led to LaMelo Ball fouling out and Vonleh going to the free-throw line, where he went 2/2 to put the Celtics ahead 99-88 with 9:29 remaining.
From there, Boston held firm, extending its lead to 13 and finishing with a 112-103 win.
In the victory, Brown had 19 points, giving him a team-high for the third-straight game. He did so on 6/14 shooting, including going 5/8 from beyond the arc. Brown also grabbed five rebounds.
Derrick White had 18 on 6/10 shooting, doing most of his damage around the rim and in the paint. White also had six assists, four rebounds, two blocks, and on a night where the Celtics had 19 turnovers, he only had two of them.
Griffin finished with seven points, nine rebounds, and two assists. As stated earlier, there's clearly some rust to shake off, and one hopes he looks more fluid and explosive as he gets more practice and game reps.
Payton Pritchard, fighting for regular season minutes, registered 15 points on 6/15 shooting, including 3/8 from long range. Pritchard created for himself off the dribble a few times and dished out a team-high seven assists.
Noah Vonleh and Justin Jackson, two players trying to earn NBA jobs, should be very happy about how they played in this game. They started slow, but Vonleh ended with 14 points, showing deft touch around the rim, a game-high 13 rebounds, and had some nice hustle plays, as referenced earlier.
After heating up in the third quarter, Jackson finished with 16 points, drilling 4/8 threes, and he looked comfortable when forced to put the ball on the deck. He also had that transition block on Mark Williams.
Up Next
The Celtics face the Raptors in a preseason rematch on Friday, Oct. 14. The game's in Montreal and tips off at 7:00 pm EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game coming out before, during, and after. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.
Further Reading
[Film Room] The Common Themes of Malcolm Brogdon's Playmaking
The Top 5 Plays from the Celtics-Raptors Overtime Tilt
Here's What Stood Out from Raptors' Overtime Win Over Celtics: Boston's Regulars Sharp at Both Ends
Top 5 Plays from Celtics Win vs. Hornets in Preseason Opener
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' 134-93 Drubbing of Hornets in Preseason Opener
Marcus Smart Discusses Blake Griffin Signing, His Role as a Team Leader, and His Offseason Focus
Celtics Showing Interest in Multiple Former Head Coaches (Report)
