The one thing this flawed but entertaining team can’t be accused of is not playing hard. They mixed fortitude with execution down the stretch in a 123-117 victory that could prove valuable in the long run.
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Late-game execution has been an issue with the Celtics for years, even in their title season. In that disastrous series against the Knicks, the Celtics blew their chance to take control by falling apart in Games 1 and 2. Of course, this is a different team, especially without Jayson Tatum, while the Knicks are essentially the same club that holds championship aspirations.
But it appears the Celtics learned something from that series, even those players who did not play a significant role last postseason. Jordan Walsh continued his ascension with a stellar stretch, scoring 6 points with four rebounds in six minutes.
Bridges nailed another triple to slice the deficit to 3 with just over two minutes left. There was plenty of time left for the Knicks to take the lead and even take control. But Walsh sparked a 6-0 run with a driving layup after the Knicks decided to double Jaylen Brown and Brown made the right pass.
The Celtics never relinquished the lead. Obviously scarred from last year’s playoff series, they ignored the trash talk, fought off their insecurities, and made winning plays. The Knicks gave the Celtics their best shot, and this time it wasn’t enough.
“They’re a good team and they know it and there’s nothing wrong with that, having an understanding of that,” Mazzulla said of the Knicks. “I didn’t pay too much mind to [the trash talk]. There was too much crap going in the fourth quarter to warrant that. I thought we did a great job getting to the point of we were winning the game and being in the position to win. It’s just building a mindset of what type of team we are.
“I don’t mind that [trash talk], it’s part of the game. It keeps me going and I thought the guys handled it well.”
Meanwhile, it’s reached a point where teams are going to prevent Brown from takeovers down the stretch and he’s got two choices: force the action and try to get to the free throw line, or trust his teammates to make plays. He chose the latter and it paid off.
He is a different player than last postseason. He has responded beyond expectation to being the No. 1 option. In Game 6 last May in New York, Brown tried to do too much with Tatum out, playing perhaps the worst postseason game of his career with seven turnovers and a minus-30 in that 38-point loss.
This time he was prepared for the moment, unstoppable in the pivotal second period that allowed the Celtics to seize control. The game is slowing down and he’s making the right decisions, resisting the temptation to be the hero.
“That’s the right basketball play no matter what time of the game it is and I trust my teammates,” Brown said. “This year I have more responsibility. My responsibility hasn’t been the same in the past. This year I’m in a new position and I’m still figuring it out. Learning when to be aggressive; learning when to get off the ball. It’s all stuff that I’m still getting better at every game.”
In this rigorous stretch that included games against Orlando, Detroit, Minnesota, Cleveland and the Knicks, the Celtics are 4-1. This new iteration is learning on the fly, improving by day, undaunted by the opponent, resilient as they rallied Tuesday after falling behind 14-2.
Mazzulla said prior to the game that he had not watched any replays of that series loss, choosing to move on. But the Celtics needed a confidence boost in the rematch. We’re barely 25 percent into the season but this game seems more important, perhaps the late start or the national television hype, but the atmosphere was different.
These are two teams that aren’t fond of each other and the Knicks want what the Celtics had. So the victory was satisfying, especially how it was executed: taking New York’s best shot, avoiding the meltdown, and relying on their depth and experience. The victory could carry long-term repercussions.
“We deserved to win tonight,” Brown said. “We were the harder-playing team. When they were on their run, we just needed to settle ourselves down and we’ll be fine. We did and we made plays, big-time win. That was a great win. I’ll take every one we can get. Obviously a team that knocks you out in the playoffs, it’s even sweeter to come back. But it’s just one game.”
Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at gary.washburn@globe.com. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe.