Before the Friday game against the Utah Jazz, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla did not consider his team elite. However, after a convincing 126-97 victory, it is evident that Boston now deserves recognition among the top-tier defensive teams in the NBA.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown established dominance early with consecutive explosive blocks. The Jazz struggled immensely, scoring only 15 points in the first quarter, making just 5 out of 27 field goal attempts (18.5%) and 1 out of 12 three-pointers (8.3%). Notably, this marks the third occasion since December 12 that all five Celtics starters blocked at least one shot in a game, a feat not seen since 1991, according to NBC Sports Boston statistician Dick Lipe.
Boston aggressively dictated the pace, pushing the Jazz into challenging shots. Despite having some open opportunities, Utah appeared lethargic and disorganized. The Celtics capitalized on the Jazz’s ball-handling issues, converting 18 turnovers into 26 fast break points. Particularly impressive was the defensive versatility of Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, seamlessly switching on screens along the perimeter and defending effectively in the post.
When it comes to Jrue Holiday, his skill in transitioning to defense and reading plays in the low post is truly impressive. Handling the defensive challenge of guarding someone as formidable as Collin Sexton is no small feat, and Holiday’s capability to strip him along the baseline demonstrates his heightened awareness on the court.
With a commanding 64-33 lead, Boston maintained their defensive intensity. Notably, even Jayson Tatum managed to impede Sexton, a highly agile and fast guard. The fact that Tatum could force Sexton out of bounds while staying in front of him with a thirty-point lead speaks volumes about the Celtics’ unwavering commitment to defensive excellence.
In the overall performance, the Jazz struggled, managing a disappointing 17.6 percent accuracy from beyond the arc and a 36.2 percent field goal success rate. The starting lineup for Utah collectively shot 20-50 from the field and 2-17 from three-point range.
Prior to the game, Jazz head coach Will Hardy accurately predicted the suffocating nature of Mazzulla’s defensive strategy. Boston, currently ranked third in defensive rating (110.9), leads the league in defensive rebounds per game with 36 and shares the top spot with the Indiana Pacers for the most blocks per game at 6.5.
Speaking to the media before the game, Hardy acknowledged the Celtics’ defensive prowess, stating, “They can play with a lot of variety on the defensive end because of the matchup. Their individual defense is probably as good as anybody in the league, top to bottom.”
Hardy has familiarity with the Celtics system, serving as an assistant during the 2021-2022 season. Mazzulla also an assistant at the time and both learned defensive schemes under former head coach Ime Udoka.
“The team had a system when Brad [Stevens] was here. It was a rules-based system. There was an answer for everything. You guard everything the exact same way,” Mazzulla said. “Very fortunate to see that system. When Will [Hardy] and Ime [Udoka] were here, it was a little bit more switching.”
Under the defensive principles set by Brad Stevens, Mazzulla’s been able to evolve these systems into his own.
“Because of that foundation, we were able to recreate with our switching,” said Mazzulla. “I still think we can grow and get better.”
The Celtics held their opponent to under 100 points for the sixth time this season. After last night’s performance, the Celtics defense is, in fact, ELITE.
