5 Takeaways: Boston Celtics receive help from unlikely heroes in win

For the second-straight game, the Boston Celtics found themselves asleep at the wheel in Orlando. Unlike Friday, the Cs were able to snap back into form and find a way to earn a win in the Happiest Place on Earth on Sunday afternoon. 

Here are five takeaways from the Celtics fifth win of the season… 

The Celtics were lacking in the scoring department early on Sunday afternoon, and Anfernee Simons provided the fix. The guard came off the bench and did exactly what Brad Stevens brought him to Boston for — score. If you’re familiar with the video game, NBA Jam, you’ll know that when a player gets hot the basketball will become engulfed in flames. 

Well that’s pretty much what happened with Simons. 

“Anfernee in the first half really got us going,” Mazzulla said. 

The 26-year-old provided an instant spark, scoring 23 points in just eight minutes and finishing the first half with 23. Simons was 8-for-11 from the field and hit five triples to build a double-digit Celtics lead. 

Simons made some Celtics history too, scoring the most points off the bench in the first half for a Celtic in the play-by-play era. 

While Simons was held scoreless in the second half, head coach Joe Mazzulla didn’t view that as a negative. Instead he believes it gives other guys opportunities to receive better looks. 

"He also made them change their pick-and-roll coverage, which was great,” Mazzulla said. “He constantly gave us a two-on-one in the second half in his minutes."

Luka Garza wasn’t involved much in the Celtics gameplan in the first half, scoring just two points in five minutes. 

That all changed in the second half. 

With Neemias Queta in foul trouble, the big man made an immediate impact off the bench. Garza made his presence felt down low, finishing with 16 points and eight boards. 

The Iowa product sparked a 13-0 fourth-quarter run, hitting all four of his attempts while also snagging three offensive rebounds. 

“That lineup in the fourth quarter gave us good stuff,” Mazzulla said. 

Boston was seeing its fourth quarter lead disappear.

Paolo Banchero finally started playing dominating offensive basketball after a passive three quarters, finishing with 14 points in the final frame, and the Magic were on the verge of taking the lead. 

But with less than 15 seconds remaining, Payton Pritchard flipped a pass to the corner, into the hands of Jordan Walsh, and he didn’t disappoint.  Walsh drilled his shot from the right corner, putting the Celtics up five and sealing the victory. 

Walsh played the entire fourth quarter, scoring six points. The forward also grabbed six boards, dished out four assists and knocked loose two steals. 

Mazzulla believes Walsh, who has struggled to earn playing time since being drafted, is playing at a more desperate level. 

“He’s turned it on and he’s had that sense of urgency as if he’s playing like his basketball life is on the line,” Mazzulla said. 

One of the main struggles for the Celtics all year has been the rebounding department, but that wasn’t the case this weekend in Orlando. Despite the Magic having some length in their front court with Wendell Carter Jr. and Paolo Banchero, Boston was able to keep pace on the glass. 

The Celtics finished with 41 rebounds while Orlando ended with 42. The two teams grabbed an even 44 boards a piece on Friday night. 

What makes this stat more surprising is the fact that the Celtics’ starters didn’t grab a single defensive rebound in the first half, but strong efforts from Garza and Walsh off the bench helped aid the starting rotation. 

While Simons’ hot start and Walsh coming up big down the stretch were big for the Celtics, you don’t have to look much farther than Orlando’s performance from beyond-the-arc to see the difference between Friday’s result and Sunday's. 

On Friday the Magic shot 17-for-47 from three, good for 47.2%. That good of a performance from three is tough to overcome, as most Celtics fans are probably well aware of after recent seasons. 

On Sunday that changed — drastically. 

Orlando was dreadful from deep, hitting triples at a 7-for-30 clip, which is good for 23.3%. While it’s not as simple as just the Magic made their shots on Friday and didn’t on Sunday, the Celtics gave them plenty of open looks in the first half which just didn’t fall. 

When asked if Boston changed anything on how it defended Orlando from three, Mazzulla claimed that nothing was different. 

“Sure didn’t,” Mazzulla said.