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On February 23, the Boston Celtics defeated the Indiana Pacers courtesy of a gritty overtime performance.
When speaking to the media following the game, the Pacers’ head coach, Rick Carlisle, noted how he thought Boston’s superstars were able to put pressure on his team and the referees in order to consistently get to the free-throw line.
“Boston’s a tough team to play because of their size, strength, they switch extremely well, they junk up the matchups to put you in some quandaries…They kept getting to the free-throw line, and I don’t wanna talk about the free-throw discrepancy and whistles. We gotta foul a little less. Their superstars put a lot of pressure on you, and they were effective getting the whistle to blow,” Carlisle said.
The Celtics took 26 free throws through the contest against Indiana, converting 22 of them. Interestingly, the Pacers had 22 attempts from the charity stripe, which shows that contrary to Carlisle’s claims, there was little difference in the amount of time each squad spent at the line.
Jayson Tatum Discusses Aaron Nesmith’s Growth
During his tenure with the Celtics, Aaron Nesmith struggled to see the floor, as he continually found himself playing behind All-Star-level talent on the Celtics’ depth chart. However, this past summer, Nesmith was part of the trade that sent Malcolm Brogdon to Boston, and since then, he has been developing into an important cog in the Pacers’ rotation.
When speaking to the media following the game, Tatum discussed Nesmith’s growth and why he struggled to earn a significant role while with the Celtics.
“I played with him for three years I think. Two or three years. The talent was always there. Just a tough situation, you know? Behind Gordon, me, and JB, there wasn’t a lot of room for opportunity, just being honest. Super super hard worker, a really good guy, and really just getting an opportunity to play with freedom and add value to a team. It shows that he’s very important to this team,” Tatum said.
Nesmith has participated in 54 games for the Pacers this season, averaging 9.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists while shooting 41.8% from the field and 35.2% from three-point range.
Celtics Could Regret Trading For Mike Muscala
While the trade for Brogdon has worked out well for both the Celtics and Nesmith, it would appear that not everyone is convinced Mike Muscala’s trade to Boston will have the same level of success.
According to Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley, the Celtics could find themselves regretting not going all-in on a deal for a center with more experience as a starter, especially if either Robert Williams or Al Horford is forced to miss time due to injury.
“He’ll be helpful to have for this stretch run. He can handle a handful of minutes every night, and he shouldn’t look over his skis if needed for a spot start…Adding Muscala was a low-cost way of adding depth, but given Williams’ ongoing struggles with staying upright, the Celtics might wish they pushed harder for a center and found someone they’d be comfortable starting in a playoff series,” Buckley wrote
The Celtics did miss out on Jakob Poeltl before the February 9 trade deadline, yet since Muscala joined Boston, he has looked like the perfect fit for Joe Mazzulla’s system and should have no problem stepping into a larger role if needed.
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