Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla rolled out some noticeably unusual rotations as Boston found its footing against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, winning 115-93 to end a three-game slide.
The most obvious changeup was forward Grant Williams’ subdued playing time. He spent three quarters riding the pine for either what one may assume is matchup-related reasoning or penance for his “I’ll make ‘em both” blunder in the Celtics’ loss to Cleveland only 48 hours prior, as he was fully absent from the injury list. He played the entire fourth quarter, but only after Boston had a 22-point advantage over Portland.
Veteran Blake Griffin saw early minutes instead, quickly recording a steal noticed by Mazzulla.
“Blake is just a professional, brings a lot of experience. He helps us force turnovers with his hand activity and his ability to take charges,” Mazzulla said postgame.
Griffin only attempted one shot – a missed 3 – but played substantial minutes after his entry halfway through the first quarter. He joined Al Horford, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon on the floor – a lineup that had only played one minute together in regular-season games before Wednesday. About two minutes later, Sam Hauser subbed in for Horford, making for another lineup that had only spent one minute on the floor together this season.
The mixing-and-matching continued throughout the victory, and Mazzulla said he expects Griffin, in particular, to contribute going forward.
“As we come down the stretch, it’s important to rely on his experience,” he said, and added, “He’s someone we’re going to need.”
Mazzulla also kept midseason addition Mike Muscala off the floor for most of the game – he played just two-and-a-half minutes after playing 35 minutes against Cleveland Monday. Payton Pritchard and Robert Williams III both had the night off with injuries.
The Trail Blazers presented an ideal chance for the Celtics to get their groove back after three overtimes in two games and a trifecta of nasty losses.
When asked about the atypical lineups and their relation to Grant Williams, Horford stayed positive:
“Grant has been very professional and very positive. When he’s getting these opportunities, he’s making the most of them,” Horford said.
Using more winnable matchups like Portland to test-run different big rotations can’t hurt the Celtics while Robert Williams sits out. Horford is a wonderful complement and sometimes replacement for Williams, but between his age – ahem, only advanced for the basketball world – and Williams’ injury history, it’s wise to experiment with alternatives. Guard Derrick White extolled the virtues of any and every big on the team – from Luke Kornet to Muscala.
“They each bring a different aspect to the game. Every time they’re out there we’re confident in them,” White said.