Once Kristaps Porzingis' package was made official, eyes turned to Joe Mazzulla and his staff. How were they going to compensate for the absence of the Latvian pivot? The Celtics had three options: Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman or Oshae Brissett. The choice of Tillman seemed obvious after his good minutes in the conference finals. Conversely, Kornet did not hold up in defense and Brissett has a smaller size.
Unsurprisingly, Mazzulla opted for the former Grizzlies player and he also justified this choice by the fact that his interior had played in the West for a long time. “He played three or four years in the Western Conference and he has experience playing against the Mavs. Memphis used a similar game plan against Dallas, so he was already familiar with what we do. Between this experience and being comfortable against this team, I thought he would be able to apply our strategy,” described the coach after his team's victory.
Interesting defensive mobility
Mazzulla was right. Xavier Tillman played 11 minutes last night to make Al Horford breathe. During his visits, the Celtics posted a differential of +9. In a meeting that was played to three possessions and while the absence of Porzingis was seen as a weakness that could revive Dallas, Tillman's contribution was decisive in the Celtics' victory.
As expected, the Mavs targeted him multiple times. The inside found himself on numerous occasions one-on-one against Luka Doncic and each time he managed to hold off. He forced the Slovenian to attack the rim while staying on his hip to avoid getting beat and forcing difficult shots. Twice, he even countered the Mavs star.
“Being able to switch to creators in defense, I think that’s one of my qualities. I am comfortable because I can move my supports quickly and I am strong enough to be able to 'bumper' my opponent and absorb the contact whereas if I am in a 'drop', I have to use my trigger and that is not not my strong point,” explained the person concerned. “To be able to come into a game like this and prove that I can help the team with this style of defense is awesome. »
Brad Stevens' nose
With the arrival of Kristaps Porzingis last summer, the Celtics strengthened but the physical fragility of the Latvian and Al Horford at 38 remained a question mark. This is the reason why Brad Stevens went to get Tillman from Memphis just before the transfer deadline in early February. Like Derrick White before him, like Kristaps Porzingis, and like Jrue Holiday, three players with an undeniable impact for Boston, the performance from the inside this night confirms Stevens' “scouting” talent for this team and for his coach.
Xavier Tillman had only played 20 games for the Celtics this season and only six in the playoffs before tonight. And yet, Mazzulla did not hesitate to call on him to offer him his first minutes in an NBA final. “I have confidence in everyone in this squad because everyone works hard, the players but also our staff who make sure they are ready for this kind of mission,” added the Boston coach.
“We needed someone off the bench and Xavier was incredible tonight. Defensively, he brought energy and did the job possession after possession,” a smiling Al Horford told us after the meeting. “He was ready and it’s not easy to be in that position. I'm really proud of him because he didn't have the opportunity to come on in the first two games, and he continued to work just in case. He responded this evening, and what's more, in a match that everyone will remember. »
Xavier Tillman, a career to repair
The former Grizzly had been waiting for this moment for a long time. After the meeting, he explained that this type of situation sums up his first four seasons in the league.
“My rookie season, I had the chance to play because my best friend, Jaren Jackson Jr. was injured so I started a lot of games. My second season, I wasn't in the rotation. My third season, Brandon Clarke and Steven Adams got injured and so I played again and responded,” he recalls. “So it’s a situation that is familiar to me: being ready and being able to respond when the coach calls on you. KP (Kristaps Porzingis) unsure, I was ready for this opportunity. »
Tillman didn't just defend well. He grabbed four rebounds, including an offensive one, and he also scored a 3-pointer in the corner in the third quarter to put the Mavs' lead under water. In a series where Dallas' second knives are in difficulty, the Celtics can count on solid contributions from their entire squad.Comments collected in Dallas.
