Who would have thought the Celtics would need help slowing down Kevin Porter Jr. against the Clippers’ bench? And who could have seen Jaden Springer as the Celtics’ savior? Well, not me.

Yet, despite facing a Clippers team missing Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Ivica Zubac, Norman Powell, Kris Dunn, and Nicolas Batum, the Celtics made things tougher than expected. Thankfully, the team is resourceful and deployed one of their defensive jokers: Jaden Springer.

The guard stepped up and played the final 17 minutes of the game. His mission was simple: do what none of the Celtics had been able to accomplish—stop Kevin Porter Jr. from scoring. Jaden Springer took pride in the assignment and stuck to Porter Jr. like glue.

Springer didn’t lose him off-ball and refused to switch when the Clippers set screens. Thanks to his defensive abilities and focus, Springer stole the ball four times in 20 minutes and contested Kevin Porter Jr.’s shot attempts as much as possible.

With the Celtics struggling offensively (111 offensive rating against the Clippers last night), they needed Springer’s defensive energy to stop the bleeding. His boost from the bench helped the team close out and win what could have been a trap game.

#2 – Jayson Tatum’s pick-and-roll

Jayson Tatum’s pick-and-roll game has been a bright spot recently, and the Celtics started the game by leaning into it. With a couple of step-up screens from Luke Kornet, the Celtics generated two open threes:

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By involving a third player like Sam Hauser, they found another way to punish the Clippers’ drop coverage:

Here’s another example, where Payton Pritchard faked the screen and moved to the dunker spot instead, dragging the weak-side defender. This opened the corner again, thanks to another Jayson Tatum pick-and-roll:

Tatum also used his driving ability when the defense switched or brought a player to the level of the screen:

Overall, this was a great display of Tatum’s evolution as a pick-and-roll creator. He keeps improving, and the Celtics might want to lean on this approach more in crunch time.

#3 – Struggles against the Clippers’ aggressive defense

The Celtics couldn’t get their offense into a consistent rhythm. Despite a solid shooting night (57.4% eFG, 40% from three), the Clippers’ defense—mixing zone, man-to-man, and drop—disrupted Boston’s flow.

The Celtics struggled to respond to the Clippers’ physicality, and the stats reflect it. With only eight offensive rebounds and 16 made free throws, the team couldn’t match the Clippers’ energy and determination off the bench.

#4 – Couldn’t hold on to the lead in the clutch

The Celtics also struggled to hold their lead. In the final 60 seconds of regulation, they watched their six-point cushion disappear. Of course, bad luck played a part, and perhaps Joe Mazzulla should have called timeout before Jaylen Brown’s turnover. Still, it’s worth noting that the Celtics have a 118 defensive rating in the clutch this season—26th out of 30 teams.

Could this mean the Celtics need to step up their defense in the final moments of close games?

#5 – Jump shots in overtime sealed the win

On the offensive side, the Celtics found success in overtime—thanks to their jump shooting. They started the period by taking a quick six-point lead with two triples, holding on just long enough to secure the win.

Of their 10 shot attempts in overtime, nine were jump shots. After the early triples, the Celtics made only one of their next five attempts, allowing the Clippers to crawl back into the game.

Ultimately, Jaden Springer, the hero of the night, knocked down a crucial jumper from the corner when the Clippers left him open.

#6 – Kornet on DJJ didn’t work out

To exploit the Clippers’ lack of shooting, Joe Mazzulla and his staff assigned Luke Kornet to Derrick Jones Jr.—a bold move. However, Jones Jr. isn’t afraid to shoot threes and can attack the rim effectively.

The Celtics have tried this approach before, putting Kornet on T.J. McConnell (Pacers) or Aaron Wiggins (OKC). While this strategy can help with rim protection, it often leaves too much space for the player Kornet is guarding. Last night, Jones Jr. took full advantage of the mismatch.

Jones Jr. finished with a career high, capitalizing on the Celtics’ decision to stick with this approach despite its early struggles.

#7 – Clippers on fire from mid-range

The Clippers had one of their best long mid-range performances of the season—a zone the Celtics are usually content to leave open.

The Clippers took 16% of their shots from the long mid-range (96th percentile) and made an incredible 71% of them. This efficiency from the least valuable zone on the court was remarkable.

#8 – Jaylen and Jayson’s turnover troubles

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 10 turnovers last night, and the Clippers made the most of them, converting 82% of the turnovers into shot attempts.

Eight of these turnovers came in the second half, giving the Clippers the opportunities they needed to stay in the game. The Clippers’ defense knew which buttons to press, using hard stunts on Tatum’s drives:

And double-teaming Brown in the post:

These turnovers nearly cost the Celtics a much-needed win.

#9 – Is Jaylen Brown’s defense slipping?

A troubling trend has reappeared—Jaylen Brown’s defensive lapses. While his on-ball defense peaked last season, particularly in the Finals against Luka Dončić, his off-ball defense remains an issue. Last night was a perfect example.

Brown continues to lose track of his defensive assignments on baseline cuts and weak-side actions. Normally, his strong on-ball defense compensates for these lapses, but last night, even his on-ball defense was below par:

This decline might be linked to his physical condition, something worth monitoring. For now, Brown’s defense isn’t at last season’s level.

#10 – Second night in LA with Horford and Porziņģis?

The Celtics face the Lakers tonight, hopefully with more focus and with Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis back in the lineup. A back-to-back sweep in LA would be a boost for the team and the fans.