Well, folks, I didn’t see this one coming. Thank God for Jaden Springer, because without him, we might be singing a different tune today. The Celtics managed to pull off a 117-113 overtime win against the Clippers, but boy, did they make it hard on themselves.
Let’s get this out of the way: the Clippers were without their big guns. We’re talking a starting lineup of Amir Coffey, Derrick Jones Jr., Mo Bamba, Terrence Mann, and Kevin Porter Jr. Not exactly their A-team. But credit where it’s due, these guys came to play.
For three quarters, the Clippers were shooting a ridiculous 60%. That’s not a typo. They were hitting everything, contested or not. It was like watching a video game with the difficulty set to “rookie.” Kevin Porter Jr. was cooking, Amir Coffey was carrying quarters, and Derrick Jones Jr. dropped 17 in the first quarter alone. I was starting to wonder if they’d keep this up all game.
Enter Jaden Springer
With 4:18 left in the third, Joe Mazzulla made a game-changing move by putting in Jaden Springer. The kid immediately flipped the script. The Clippers’ shooting percentage plummeted to 40%, and they coughed up 11 turnovers. Springer nabbed four steals in just 12 minutes. Talk about making an impact.
Now, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. The offense got a bit clunky with Springer on the floor, but his defensive energy was exactly what we needed. Mazzulla deserves props for recognizing this and sticking with him.
Clutch Woes Continue
Here’s where things get frustrating. We had this game in the bag, up 103-97 with just over a minute left. But once again, our late-game execution was... let’s say less than stellar. Two turnovers, two layups, and a dunk later, we’re headed to overtime.
There was a missed timeout call that should’ve been caught by the refs, but let’s be real – we shouldn’t have been in that position to begin with. We’ve got to stop being so passive in these situations. As Joe Mazzulla said post-game, “You can’t be passive. You have to be strong with the ball.”
Luckily, the Clippers ran out of gas in OT, and we managed to pull it out. But this late-game execution issue is becoming a pattern, and it’s one we need to break, fast.
For more insights and a deeper dive into the Celtics’ clutch struggles and individual performances, tune into the Locked On Celtics podcast for this and much more.
Other Topics in Today’s Locked On Celtics Podcast:
• Individual player breakdowns, including standout performances from Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum
• The impact of missing Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Jrue Holiday
• Looking ahead to the upcoming Lakers matchup
