Boston’s ‘Stay-Ready Group’ Lives Up to Its Name in B2B Wins

Closing out a long road trip on a back-to-back gave the Boston Celtics reason to rest some of their core guys, while also giving some of their second-unit studs an opportunity to step up.

The “Stay-Ready Group” lived up to its name, as several role players helped to fill some major voids both during Monday’s 121-99 win over the Portland Trail Blazers and Tuesday’s 123-107 victory over the Utah Jazz.

In the first game, the C’s were without Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, so Al Horford and Payton Pritchard stepped into the starting lineup while Oshae Brissett, Sam Hauser, and Luke Kornet earned extended minutes off the bench.

Horford, who’s used to filling in for spot starts, shot a perfect 3-for-3 from deep in the first quarter and finished with 11 points, four rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. Pritchard, earning his first start of the season, came close to a triple-double with 11 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists in his Portland homecoming.

Off the bench, Hauser scored a season-high 22 points on 6-of-10 shooting from deep, Brissett corralled seven rebounds, including four on the offensive end, and Kornet had a solid six-point, five-rebound, two-assist, two-block effort.

For the second game, Jaylen Brown, Horford, and Porzingis all sat, paving the way for Kornet and Hauser to earn spot starts.  Hauser knocked down four more 3-pointers in a 14-point, five rebound, two-assist, two-block effort, while Kornet logged 12 points, nine rebounds, and a career-high-tying six assists.

After not playing in Portland, Xavier Tillman earned a bench-high 27 minutes in Salt Lake City, where he tallied seven points and eight rebounds, including four on the offensive glass. Pritchard scored 10 points in 25 minutes, and Brissett grabbed five rebounds during his 17 minutes of action.

Having those types of contributions across the board is just what Joe Mazzulla wants to see from this group at this time of year.

“The last couple of games, everybody’s stepping up,” the head coach said following Tuesday’s game. “It’s just kind of what we’re trying to build where we have an environment, a locker room, a culture of like, it doesn’t matter who’s in; guys are ready to play at all times. And the work that the player development team does getting guys ready, the professionalism that those guys have, they’re just constantly ready and I have no hesitancy putting any one of those guys in because of the work they do.”

In particular, Mazzulla was impressed by Kornet and Tillman’s impact against the Jazz. This was the first game of the season in which both Horford and Porzingis were out, creating a frontcourt void they had not yet dealt with. Yet, Kornet and Tillman had no trouble filling it despite never playing together prior to this game.

“Their ability to be flexible – Luke and X had never played together, but they are able to find ways to connect offensively and defensively,” Mazzulla said. “And when you have your role players being able to do that, it really helps us.”

The play of each of those guys helped the Celtics completely shift the momentum of their five-game road trip, as they went from an 0-2 start to a 3-0 finish. They stayed ready – like they always do – and now they’re ready to come back home.