The Boston Celtics bounced back from their Feb. 25 loss to the Denver Nuggets with a blowout win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, Feb. 27. Joe Mazzulla’s team was red hot from all three scoring levels, ending the night with an impressive 66.7% field goal percentage.
Despite some high-quality performances throughout the rotation, recently-acquired big man Nikola Vucevic was among the most impactful Celtics on the floor. He came off the bench to score 28 points, grab 11 rebounds and dish out 4 assists, all while hitting 9-of-13 on his shot attempts.
When speaking with the media after the game, head coach Joe Mazzulla praised his team’s offensive output. However, the fourth-year head coach ensured he detailed how impressive Vucevic was throughout the night.
“I thought we just did a great job reading the game,” Mazzulla said, via CLNS Media. “They’re good defensively and they have some different coverages, whether they’re switching, whether they’re blitzing, or whether they’re just going to drop. So I thought we just made the right reads throughout most of the entire game. I thought tonight Vooch (Nikola Vucevic) looked really comfortable in his offensive reads and his offensive screening, and he unlocked a lot of stuff for us, and so he’s got to keep getting better at those, just reading different matchups, making the right play.”
Vucevic’s Celtics career is still in its infancy, with the floor-spacing center having suited up for eight games. However, his presence has already been felt in multiple games. If he continues to thrive as Boston’s backup big man, it’s likely the front office will look to re-sign him in the summer.
Story continues below advertisement
Nevertheless, all eyes will be on Boston and Vucevic heading into Sunday, March 1, when they face the Philadelphia 76ers. After all, the Celtics must continue stringing wins together if they want to cement themselves as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
More Celtics: Celtics’ Nikola Vucevic Makes Honest Confession After Win Over Nets
Story continues below advertisement
Featured image via Usa Today
