Coach not seeing enough stars
NEW YORK — Soon after the Celtics complete this home-and-home series with the Nets on Wednesday night, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will head to Indianapolis for All-Star Weekend, where both will play in Sunday’s game and Brown will take part in Saturday’s dunk contest.
Coach Joe Mazzulla had been hopeful that the Celtics’ high-scoring duo would be joined by center Kristaps Porzingis and guard Derrick White. But neither was selected by the Eastern Conference coaches to be an All-Star reserve, and then last week commissioner Adam Silver chose Hawks guard Trae Young and Raptors forward Scottie Barnes to replace injured AllStars Joel Embiid and Julius Randle.
When Mazzulla was asked before Tuesday night’s 118-110 win about his players being omitted, his frustration was obvious.
“Winning is not important, huh?” he said.
The Celtics entered Tuesday 41-12, 5½ games ahead of the second-place Cavaliers. They have the same number of Eastern Conference All-Stars as the Bucks (35-19), Knicks (33-21), and 76ers (32-21).
“How could you not put both of those guys in?” Mazzulla said of White and Porzingis. “So, it’s just, winning is not the most important thing in the league.”
Last week, Porzingis mostly shrugged off not being chosen, saying that it would have bothered him earlier in his career, but he has matured and his priorities have shifted. Also, he was looking forward to taking time off and resting at a warm beach somewhere as he prepared for the games that matter most.
Mazzulla said he did not need to have conversations with Porzingis or White about the situation.
“They’re two guys that get it,” he said. “At the end of the day they’re guys that have been around, just want to play the right way and be a part of winning, and winning is the most important thing to those two guys. At the end of the day that’s really all that matters when it comes to that.”
Season of giving
Entering Tuesday night, Tatum had registered at least seven assists in four consecutive games, his longest streak of the season. Mazzulla said the star forward continues to evolve in that area.
“I think just his playmaking vs. different coverages,” he said. “Kind of talked about that before, just having an understanding that every game is going to look different as to how he’s being guarded, whether he handles, whether he sets, whether it’s offball. So he’s just doing a really good job at being patient, manipulating the defense, taking what the defense gives him and making the right play. So he works at it every day and he’s grown there.”
Playing ot safe
Porzingis sat out Tuesday’s game because of a lower-back contusion suffered during the third quarter of Sunday’s win over the Heat. Porzingis returned for the fourth quarter of that game, but the Celtics have generally been cautious with the big man when they have games on back-toback nights.
Center Al Horford, who has not played on back-to-back nights since rejoining the Celtics last season, played Tuesday and will almost certainly sit out Wednesday’s rematch at TD Garden.