Celtics
Jaylen Brown won the Larry Bird Trophy as series MVP after the Celtics won another close battle in Game 4.
Jayson Tatum and Joe Mazzulla celebrated the Celtics’ victory in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
The Celtics finished off the Pacers on Monday in another decisive victory, earning a 105-102 victory in Game 4 to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals.
Here are the points to remember.
1. The Celtics return to the finals.
Even if you expected the Celtics to be there — even if the sky-high net rating and dominant finish in the Eastern Conference standings and the rivals who fell early in the playoffs and the stars who were injured along the way road made you believe The Finals were inevitable – it’s a moment to savor if you’re a Celtics fan, and certainly if you’re a Celtics player.
“I don’t know if ‘celebrate’ is the right word, but we want to enjoy it,” Derrick White said. It’s tough, it’s not easy, but we’re going to enjoy it for a little bit and then we’re going to lock in and do what we need to do.
The work isn’t done and no one knows that better than the Celtics. Presenting a trophy in the conference finals seems a bit odd, as it both marks a major accomplishment while recognizing that that accomplishment is by no means the end goal. This Celtics team is too good and too deep to settle for a Finals appearance, as evidenced by a beaming Al Horford, who was asked after the game how hungry he was heading into the Finals.
“Hungry,” Horford said, without missing a beat.
Still, the great thing about a 10-day layoff is that you can both celebrate completing the final and refocus when it’s time to prepare for it. Al Horford can take a moment to process all his emotions and blow kisses to his wife. Jaylen Brown may be visibly emotional after winning the Eastern Conference Finals MVP. Sam Hauser can shotgun beers in the locker rooms.
There is still time for all this before getting back to work. Tuesday’s Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals could determine their opponent, and then they can delve into all the necessary film. They can (in all likelihood) begin the process of figuring out how to slow down Luka Doncic and how to attack Kyrie Irving. They can evaluate how the addition of PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford has changed the Mavericks since the trade deadline. They can look inward and try to figure out how to improve the problem areas that showed up against the Pacers.
But on Monday, the Celtics got a break. The NBA Finals begin June 6. The Celtics did their job, and they will be there. For tonight, someone please make sure Hauser continues to stay hydrated.
2. Brown’s reaction to winning the Eastern Conference Finals MVP was quite heartwarming.
“I didn’t expect it at all,” Brown said. “I never win (expletive). I’m just happy we won.
Brown may not get hardware (or 2024 All-NBA nominations) often, but he’s won plenty of basketball games, and Monday’s win marked another in a long list of impressive performances in the during the playoffs. Brown started slowly but heated up as the game progressed, and he was an integral part of four of the biggest plays in the final minutes. He scored on a tough pass against Obi Toppin to tie the game as the Celtics recovered from a six-point deficit. He turned away a layup from Andrew Nembhard that could have pushed the Pacers back into the lead. He beat Myles Turner off the rebound, drew several defenders and kicked Derrick White in the corner for the game-winning 3-pointer. And finally, with the Pacers desperately trying to foul someone in the final seconds, Brown completed a one-on-one pass at midcourt as time expired.
Brown finished the deciding Game 4 with 29 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals, adding to his resume that already included a huge 3-pointer in Game 1 and his 40-point explosion in Game 2.
MVP was a well-deserved honor.
“I think it’s even better because he didn’t expect it. It really means it didn’t matter to him,” Jrue Holiday said. “It was about winning and no matter how long it took, that was what was important. So I think when you have that mentality and that mindset and you see great people being rewarded for the things that they do, it just brings joy.
“I’m super excited for him. He was first team All-NBA all season and he would have loved to get it, but seeing him win this award is a big moment.
3. Jayson Tatum had a score that made perfect sense in the context of his playoff run, which is to say he had a huge impact, missed a bunch of 3-pointers, and made a little of everything: 26 points on 11 for- 26 shooting (3 for 11 from deep), 10 rebounds, eight assists and +6 in a three-point victory. He was ineffective but – along with Brown – helped wear down the Pacers’ defense.
“It is special. Even though we’ve been there before, most of us have, you don’t take it for granted,” Tatum said. “We were excited. They were a hell of a team we just played against, they made us win every game and we are extremely grateful to advance to the final.
4. In addition to the three wins, Derrick White finished with five steals and three blocked shots.
In a funny piece of playoff magic, the buzzer for White’s sixth game against the Heat last season was exactly a year ago Monday.
“It’s a pretty good day, I guess,” White said. “…Thank you to the team and the technical staff. They have been unreal, always there for me, always supporting me, through the ups and downs, they have always believed in me. So I love them and it really starts with them.
5. For his part, Joe Mazzulla is now the youngest head coach to reach the NBA Finals since Bill Russell in 1969.
Mazzulla said his first priority was finding his wife afterward.
“You get to know these guys as people and you start to see how much they really care about doing anything and everything it takes to win,” Mazzulla said. “And you see the impact it has on their families, their marriages, their wives, like all travel, everything we do. So just to see them vulnerable and open and just that feeling of joy, that’s kind of why you do what you do.
6. Hauser made his first 3-pointer of the series, but finished 1 of 6 from the field and 1 of 5 from three.
It would do the Celtics a lot of favors if Hauser can get his chance before the Finals.
7. Brown had two extracurricular moments. On the first, he pushed Myles Turner away from Derrick White after White took the charge. Turner objected and pushed Brown back. The two men were both whistled for technical reasons and appeared to catch up quickly.
“Emotions are strong. He feels like he’s at home. His family watches him. His girlfriend was probably watching, so he had to do something,” Brown said. “But Myles is a good boy. I’ve known Myles for a long time, we’re good friends. It’s all love. »
Brown was just as conciliatory about his second: Going for a rebound against TJ McConnell, Brown missed the ball and hit McConnell hard in the face. The Pacers guard crashed to the ground and appeared to be in pain, although he continued to play. Brown did not receive a flagrant foul.
“TJ is my man. I have nothing but respect for TJ McConnell,” Brown said. “We talk throughout the year. We talked even before this show, man. TJ is a guy. When I said some of these guys became Michael Jordan, I was talking about TJ McConnell. He was one of the most unstoppable players on this team. So I didn’t mean any harm. I hit him in the face a little bit, but I put a little dirt on it and hopefully everything will be okay.
8. Like all members of the Celtics who spoke after the game, we would like to quickly salute the Pacers for this impressive series. Every game was close, even after Tyrese Haliburton’s exit.
The series was a sweep, but the Pacers made the Celtics sweat in every victory and looked much better than either team the Celtics faced in the first two rounds.
9. There will be a lot of eyes here over the next 10 days.
Porzingis will officially have missed a month on Wednesday.
ten. And finally, another thank you to Wyc Grousbeck for his elegant dedication to the late Bill Walton, who passed away on Monday.
Rest in peace, Bill.
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