There is something to be said about winning ugly. And in the case of the Celtics’ 108-104 overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets, ugly may be putting it nicely.
Brooklyn controlled the game for 42 minutes, while the Celtics struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 26.4% of their 53 three-point attempts—a season-low.
As for the margins head coach Joe Mazzulla constantly emphasizes? They weren’t pretty either. The Celtics gave up 12 offensive rebounds and 16 second-chance points, committed 13 turnovers, were outrebounded 51-39, and were outshot 100-90.
The result was a season-low 104 points, even with an extra period.
For much of the game, things did not go Boston’s way. The Nets punched first, starting the game with a quick 12-0 run in the first three minutes, leaving the Celtics in an early hole they were chipping away at for most of the night. From there, it took the Celtics awhile to adjust to Brooklyn's physicality.
“We have to make sure that we continue to come out more focused,” Al Horford said after the game. “I feel like we’ve eased into the past couple of games, and you can’t do that. You simply can’t.”
It’s a game the Celtics should have lost. Instead, it resulted in a testament to their character and their belief in the system. They didn’t shy away from their process; they kept doing what they do, trusting in a system that has proven successful—evidenced by their NBA-best 129-45 record and an NBA championship over the last three seasons.
“You’ve got to live by principle, not by feeling,” Mazzulla said after the game.
” I mean, that’s like, principles of life. You’ve got to be the same person when things are going great and when things aren’t,” Jayson Tatum added. “[Joe] always talks about how it’s not always going to go how we expect… He always says: expect it to go unexpected.”
It’s an 82-game season. Not every game is going to be a blowout. Teams like the pesky Brooklyn Nets are going to make them uncomfortable, but when Boston stays true to their process and trusts one another, they will usually find a way to win.
That was clear late in the fourth quarter when Tatum drove to the basket, looking to tie the game. As the Nets’ defense collapsed around him, Tatum kicked it out to Sam Hauser—who had struggled all night, shooting just 1-of-9 from three. But when it mattered most, Hauser drained the clutch three to put Boston ahead.
When asked if he had any hesitation about making that pass, Tatum was quick to respond.
“Never, ever. If Sam’s open, if he’s not open, we always want him to be a threat,” he said. “We have so much confidence in Sam that we were mad at him when he missed it, and he was mad at himself. Al was yelling at him on the bench like, ‘Yo, don’t ever put your head down. The next one.’ We always believe the next one is going in because he’s such a proven shooters, works really hard at his craft. So no, I’m never like, ‘Oh, s—, Sam just missed his last two shots, I’m not about to pass it to him.’ No, I would never think that.”
That belief in the roster goes a long way, especially for a team navigating injuries to two All-NBA caliber players in Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis, as well as a reliable reserve Luke Kornet. From top to bottom, everybody believes in each other and their process – perhaps a reflection of the continuity from last year’s championship run – and that goes a long way in eking these ugly, shorthanded victories.
“One of the reasons why we were really good last year is because these are the type of games that you win,” said Mazzulla. “When you’re down three rotation players, you have to find ways to win. No one cares that we have guys out. It just doesn’t matter. Everyone in the locker room has to know that we have an expectation to win regardless of who’s on the floor. If s— not going your way, you’ve just gotta figure it out. I like that mentality of them. We had about 18 of those last year, and this was one tonight where we just have to figure it out from everybody. And I think that’s important.”
Being able to win ugly is crucial, especially when shorthanded. It’s widely known that the Celtics are nearly unstoppable when healthy and everything is going their way. However, grinding out these challenging games brings a unique confidence to the locker room.
“It’s big,” Horford said when asked what winning games like Friday night’s does for the team’s confidence. “We’re trying to find a way to grind it out. Things are not going our way. Things are not ideal. But I think for our confidence, it’s very important. This type of game, to find a way to win. Brooklyn came in and played well tonight; they played really hard. And despite all that, we were in a position where — things got shaky there at the end – and we just found a way. I feel like this is good for your group.”
It’s an essential trait for any championship team, and the Celtics have shown they’re capable of winning these types of games. They stick to the formula that works, no matter who’s on the court or how rough things might look on any given night. They play their game and don’t let pesky opponents throw them off course. That’s the sign of a confident and mature team, one that will face plenty more nights like this on their quest to repeat as NBA champions.
“I think that’s a testament to the team because you have to find ways to win ugly,” Mazzulla said. “That’s just kind of how it is over the course of a long year.”
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