The Celtics got a huge lift from backup center Luka Garza on Friday as they pulled out a close game in Memphis, writes Souichi Terada of Mass Live. Garza has fallen out of the rotation a couple of times this season, but an injury to Nikola Vucevic has him playing regular minutes again. Against the Grizzlies, he delivered his best game since signing with Boston last summer, contributing 22 points and seven rebounds in 27 minutes.
“When you get into kind of a rhythm like that and get to the glass and make little plays, it’s a lot of fun,” Garza said. “But every night, we have a lot of guys who do that. … Guys have always stepped up. In my position, just try to make the little plays and help us win. So it’s definitely fun when you’re the guy doing that.”
Vucevic is hoping to return from a fractured finger before the regular season ends, and it’s not clear how the front court minutes will be divided up if that happens. Garza said even if his playing time is cut again, he’ll be ready for whatever opportunity he’s given.
“I love being a part of this team,” he added. “We play hard every single night no matter what, and I think when you do that, you put yourself in a good position. Especially in a situation like tonight where we obviously had the talent advantage. You play hard long enough, you finally get that rhythm.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- Even with the win, Boston suffered a setback on Friday in its bid to hold off New York for the No. 2 seed in the East, according to Brian Robb of MassLive. The Knicks‘ one-point victory at Brooklyn ensured that they’ll have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Celtics based on their better record against Atlantic Division teams.
- Jordan Walsh was an effective defensive force earlier in the season, but Boston’s abundance of wings has pushed him out of the rotation, Robb states in a mailbag column. Ron Harper Jr. is likely to see an expanded role in anticipation of having his two-way deal converted to a standard contract, so Walsh may have to settle for limited minutes going forward. Robb also addresses the possibility of an extension for Payton Pritchard, who will become eligible for a new deal this summer.
- Jayson Tatum has been getting help from his teammates, particularly Jaylen Brown, as he tries to rediscover his game after a long absence, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe notes in a subscriber-only piece. “Sometimes things are not going your way or you miss some shots early, you need an easy one,” Brown said. “I’ve been there. I know what that feels like. So sometimes, you overthink a little bit too. It’s his first couple of games back, so I think just trying to find him in a rhythm and help him as much as I can is something when I’m on the floor, I’m looking for.”