First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read this a very happy Thanksgiving! I wish you all a wonderful day and that you enjoy your time with whoever you want to spend it with! Eat some nice cuisine, unwind, and make some memories!

Let’s get started…

The Boston Celtics improved to 12-3 on the season with their victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. The Celtics jumped out to a comfortable lead in a fast-paced game with some hot shooting streaks, only for the Bucks to fight their way back into the game.

It was never going to be easy to face Milwaukee. This season, they pose the greatest threat to Boston’s chances of reaching the NBA Finals. We saw the Giannis Antetokounmpo-Damian Lillard tandem for the first time, as well as how Khris Middleton is a high-level release valve with his scoring threat.

Joe Mazzulla came in with a game plan, and it mostly worked. He will, however, require some counters for the next time these two lineups clash.

#1 Jaylen Brown’s big night

Let us begin with Jaylen Brown. He’s had a string of bad nights in recent weeks. Against Milwaukee, however, he showed the world what he is capable of. Brown was still used as the primary scorer, but he sought methods to incorporate those around him.

The movement in the above clip is aimed to have Brown approaching the rim with a curl on an elbow pin. He makes the correct read as the defense rotates over and finds the dump-off ball to Kristaps Porzingis, who has cut baseline as his guy turns to provide low helpline defense.

Brown has recently displayed tunnel vision when attacking the rim. In the above clip, he could easily have dropped his shoulder and relied on his strength and athleticism to push the rim. Instead, Brown keeps his head up, reads the floor, and finds Hauser for an open slam with a great transition lob ball. Brown can generate assists in this type of role, where he is entrusted with scoring first and creating second, by leaning on gravity and keeping his head up while running the floor.

Brown’s playmaking in this game was encouraging and might be interpreted as a sign of progress.

Brown scored on 10-of-16 shooting from the field and 3-of-6 from deep. That’s a nice scoring line for one of the team’s better rim threats. Five of his ten made buckets came from the restricted area, three from the perimeter, and two from the mid-range.

This was my favorite Brown bucket, as I’m sure it was for many of the fans. The Celtics employ a “zoom” strategy. The defender reads it correctly, and Porzingis denies the pass. Brown exploits the action to break free with a backdoor cut and finishes the play with a windmill slam that erupts the crowd.

I can’t think of a better start to the season from Brown. The fact that the performance occurred against the Bucks makes it even sweeter.

#2 Al Horford is a fine wine

Another player who took his time getting started. Horford’s two greatest games this season have come against the 76ers and the Bucks. I’m fine with him saving his best for when he faces the best.

Horford’s imprint is all over the Celtics’ victory. On defense, he alternated between being a drop defender and being a part of a switch-everything strategy. Off the bench, he guarded numerous positions and provided energy on the defensive end.

The preceding play exemplifies what Horford offers to Boston’s backcourt in terms of effort, hustle, and understanding of how to cut off angles. First and foremost, he returns to transition and cuts off the middle of the court, putting Giannis into a difficult angle. Giannis is taken off the ball by a wrap-around pass to Brook Lopez, so Horford enters the game and generates a theft (some could call it a block) to set up a Celtics counterattack.

Horford was a steady release valve on offense, spacing the floor and getting some interior work done. This post-up bucket appealed to me.

Horford is a valuable addition off the bench. He’s still a starting-caliber big man in the NBA, and his new role brings balance to the rotation. I also enjoy how Mazzulla is at ease switching between double-bigs and single-bigs as the game progresses, which is very useful against teams with size and length.

#3 Jrue’s offensive struggles continue

Jrue Holiday has gone four games without scoring. He’s shooting 13-of-30 from the field and 5-of-15 from deep in those four games. He shot 1-of-8 against Milwaukee but had 8 rebounds and was the primary defender on Giannis for long stretches.

When a player like Holiday is failing from the floor, he still has an impact on winning. He’s a superb defender, one of the league’s finest rebounders, and can control the flow of a game as a ball-handler.

Do I want to watch his shots start falling? Without a doubt. And they will, eventually. Until then, he’ll continue to have an impact on games in various ways. It’s definitely too early to write off the former NBA champion, especially since he’s still giving his all in every game. Slumps happen; they’re a normal aspect of the game, especially thus early in the season.

#4 Mazzulla sticks to smalls on bigs

In terms of Jrue’s defense, Mazzulla has consistently asked Holiday to guard opposing big men or forwards. The premise is simple: when teams flow into screening actions, Holiday will turn off the huge, and a big will take Holiday’s place. It’s also wise because Holiday has a strong base and can sneak beneath a bigger opponent’s hips, making him a terrible matchup.

As an example, consider the video above. Holiday broadens his base and lowers his center of gravity, allowing him to absorb touch without being displaced. Holiday’s defense forces Giannis to miss a jumper, demonstrating why the veteran guard can be relied on to defend bigger players and switch onto guards or wings when necessary.

#5 Gettin’ Nerdy with it: Twirl

Last season, this was one of Mazzulla’s favorite plays. It can function in one of two ways. The first method is similar to what we saw last season: a stagger screen is set, the first screen receiver cuts, and the screens for the first screener, who then uses the second screen to get open.

Against the Bucks, however, Boston went with the second form of a twirl set. This is where the first screener coils through the space between the stagger screen (also known as thru) before using the second screen to open.

This type of play is an excellent method to get a featured scorer on the ball with a mismatch to attack. They’re also effective at creating defensive mistakes, which may lead to easy buckets for the curler.

The Bucks do a terrific job of taking away Brown’s drive in the above clip, thanks to some nail-help defense. So Brown tosses it out to the perimeter, where Derrick White sinks a three-pointer.

#6 Extra pass offense

When players are willing to make the additional pass, it is a sign of a well-functioning offense. When looking at the larger picture, we’ve seen the Celtics commit to this style of play at times, but consistency has been absent. However, seeing Boston commit to finding the best shot when facing the East’s top danger should be a positive indicator. It shows that everyone on the team is pulling in the same direction and that winning is more essential than increasing their season averages.

On Wednesday night, we witnessed a lot of possessions like the one above. For the majority of the season, we’ve also seen the Celtics commit to finding the open guy. May it endure indefinitely.

#7 The Porzingis & Brown connection on display

The pairing of Brown and Porzingis has been one of the more entertaining storylines to emerge from the club so far this season. They get along great. Porzingis’ floor spacing complements Brown’s athletic skills perfectly.

Brown has found Porzingis for 21 assists and 47 points this season. Porzingis has connected with Brown eight times for a total of 18 points. In half-court situations, their two-man game is becoming a solid weapon for the Celtics offense.

Brown and Porzingis combined for three remarkable plays against the Bucks, one of which we’ll examine at later and one of which we can look at right now.

Brown can be seen above coming off a screen from White and flowing into a DHO with Porzingis. Brown slows his dribble, puts his man in jail, and waits for his big-man partner to get into position before releasing the lob pass.

Brown’s use of the pick-and-roll to choreograph play is a nice addition. Brown did an excellent job of creating an opening for his colleague once again. The fact that the play found Porzingis is just another illustration of their promising collaboration.

#8 Gettin’ Nerdy with it part 2: Blind Pig

The Blind Pig is one of the Celtics’ most entertaining plays. It usually happens with a huge man on the elbow. In this case, however, the Celtics used it as a counter. Once again, the link between Brown and Porzingis is what set up the play.

The defense of Milwaukee had done a fantastic job of defending Brown’s screen for Payton Pritchard. As a result, the Celtics responded with a blind pig action that appears to have happened on the fly. The player who gets the pass from the big man is usually already in motion (a stampede cut), but Brown is still above the break. Rather than driving into traffic, Brown and Porzingis connect on a lob play to take advantage of a nice read-and-react counter.

#9 Letting go of the reigns

Some habits go more quickly than others. The Celtics’ proclivity for squandering leads appears to be a habit that will take some time to break. The Celtics led by 20 points with 11:10 left in the fourth quarter. Nonetheless, the Bucks battled their way back into the contest. Milwaukee improved their effort levels and produced a more consistent kind of attack. The other was the Celtics letting up on the gas.

Milwaukee had reduced the game to 10 points with 3:31 left in the fourth. It was then “Dame Time.” Milwaukee pushed the Celtics hard and rallied from 20 points down to three (courtesy of a game-ending bucket) to give Boston a difficult finish to a game they controlled from the start.

When the Celtics approach the fourth quarter with a lead, they must tighten up. Closing out games should not be this difficult on a consistent basis. This appears to be the final metamorphosis we’ll see in the following months. Take care of business during crunch time and don’t let up until the final siren sounds.

#10 Depth on display

To clarify, I’m not referring to numerical depth or a deep rotation. Rather, I’m referring to the talent found in Boston’s top-8 rotation. Pritchard has emerged from his funk. Hauser is establishing himself as a reliable three-and-d wing with one of the league’s top outside threats.

Horford, Hauser, and Pritchard combined for 31 points, 8 assists, and 12 rebounds off the bench. There are some unproven prospects deeper in the rotation who could earn some time in the future, but for now, the top-8 is a lock for the postseason and will all play important roles.

I was concerned about the lack of depth behind Hauser and Pritchard before into the season, and that hasn’t improved much. However, Boston’s top eight is now demonstrating capable of becoming an outstanding squad at the highest level, and that’s all we can ask for.

Looking forward

The Celtics play early on Friday (which this UK-based writer appreciates!). At 2:30 p.m. ET, they will play the Orlando Magic in an in-season tournament game. Orlando has been a solid defensive squad to start the season, currently ranking third in the NBA in defensive rating.

The Celtics have struggled in early games in recent years; last season, they struggled against the Magic. I’m hoping that the squad can resolve both difficulties in a single game. I’m an eternal optimist.

That’s all for now! I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!