Five Takeaways from Celtics vs Pelicans: Best Defense in the NBA Returns

Defense has rarely emerged as a story around these Celtics all year after their inconsistency on that end became an issue sporadically throughout the 2023 campaign until it defined their playoff woes. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum both set a tone entering this season by aspiring to reach all-defense status, while Joe Mazzulla intended to talk about defense more. That culminated in a No. 3 ranking on defense through Saturday that hasn’t wavered.

Yet performances like Saturday’s, a clinic in disruptiveness, versatility and one of the best stifling quarters you’ll ever see in a modern NBA game, showed a higher ceiling than the average night of Boston’s defense. The Celtics held the Pelicans to 92 points, the fourth-fewest they’ve allowed all year, in a comeback win they closed 76-35 across the final three quarters. That list is littered with Detroit, Memphis, Brooklyn and Toronto-caliber teams. New Orleans ranked as the fourth best one in the NBA according to net rating — 12th in offense.

1. An 11-point quarter on defense shattered Boston’s previous best this year

Prior to Saturday, the Celtics’ best defensive quarter came to start and finish games against the Nets, Grizzlies and Jazz by allowing 15 points. Only five teams boast defensive frames better than the 11 points Boston held New Orleans to after halftime in the win. The Pelicans shot 4-for-23 (17%) and 2-for-9 shooting from deep actually bolstered a 2-for-14 effort in the paint. The Celtics allowed only two free throws and forced three turnovers, while successfully defending three out of four second-chance opportunities. Kristaps Porzingis blocked two shots and recorded a steal. Jaylen Brown blocked another before Sam Hauser and Al Horford closed the quarter with steals. The aggressiveness of the defense stood out.

2. Jaylen Brown set a tone again with physicality, athleticism and embracing a matchup

Brown made the signature play of the win by blowing up a Pelicans set by stealing the ball from Zion Williamson at half court, stumbling into the backcourt to recover the loose ball and getting off a layup attempt that Derrick White put back. Brown tweaked his left hand on the play and said he’ll get it looked at back in Boston, casting some doubt on his status at Charlotte. Still, he played through multiple hard falls, a sore back and the hand ailment in a 17-point effort where he added seven rebounds and six assists. Pelicans players shot 2-for-14 on attempts guarded by Brown. Williamson fell to 2-for-8 with five points, three assists and five turnovers against Brown in two games this season. Brown couldn’t restart his streak of 14 straight games with 20 or more points after it ended on Thursday. Defense mattered most on Saturday.

3. Night two back together for the starters went well too

Jrue Holiday’s return to the lineup on Thursday reunited Boston’s regular starters for the first time in three weeks, picking up where they left off by outscoring the Hawks by 13.1 points per 100 possessions despite the loss. They built on that on Saturday by dominating the Pelicans in their minutes by 17.1 points per 100 possessions. They’re now posting a 121.8 offensive rating and 109.2 defensive rating for the season, while the Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis combination showed promise again with Horford back after missing Thursday’s loss. They held the Pelicans to 74.1 points per 100 in their 14 minutes together on Saturday, posting a +33.6 net rating that vaulted their partnership to +12.1 this year. Double big will remain part of the rotation into the playoffs. So who will play backup?

4. Another step for Xavier Tillman Sr.

Xavier Tillman Sr. logged the third center minutes while Horford and Porzingis shared the floor for a significant portion of the win. He only shot 1-for-3 on offense and didn’t attempt a three, splitting a pair of free throws, the Celtics won his minutes by seven points and the Pelicans shot 2-for-7 on attempts that Tillman guarded. Opponents have now shot 52.6% against Tillman since he joined the Celtics, a higher number than they’d hope for, but performances like Thursday’s show his ability to impact on defense against teams that try to pound the paint and pose less of a perimeter challenge.

Horford and Tillman have outscored opponents by 14.7 points per 100 in their minutes together, a hard number to ignore even across five games and 49 minutes together. Tillman told CLNS Media/CelticsBlog that he feels 75% acclimated to Boston on Thursday, and admitted he’ll have to manage knee swelling that forced him to miss Monday’s loss for the rest of the year. He also shrugged off his struggles from three (3-17), pointing out that he’s shooting one each night.

5. An important bounceback for Kristaps Porzingis

Porzingis stuffing Williamson on consecutive shots at the rim could fit every bit as the signature play of Saturday’s win as Brown’s backcourt steal. That he could dominate against New Orleans’ power came as a positive sign, blocking four shots after struggles competing physically and on the boards in the Atlanta mini-series. Porzingis combined for 37 points on 15-for-34 shooting, five defensive rebounds, including 0 in the first game, and -11 minutes (in +/-).

Rarely did his play draw scrutiny as the difference in losing this year, requiring that he bounced back after directly playing a role in those let-downs. Saturday saw him closer to the player he’s been for most of the season, posting 19 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals and four blocks while shooting 6-for-14. His 45.5% shooting (36.4% 3PT) and over two fewer free throw attempts per game from April are worth watching into April. He scored nearly three fewer points per game this month, where he missed five games with a hamstring injury that forced him to undergo imaging that revealed something significant enough to miss extended time. Porzingis said he’d probably play through those kinds of ailments in the playoffs. If he’s hurting, it’s worth wondering if his play diminishes just enough to impact game outcomes.