10 takeaways from the Celtics’ three-point avalanche

#1 – Magnet ball

Shooting in basketball carries a big share of variance and luck. Even the greatest shooter of all time, Stephen Curry, is below 50% from beyond the arc on wide-open attempts. This means you’d still have a better chance to win a coin-flip game than to see Curry knock down a three when he is open. Not that shooting threes is like tossing a coin, but I think there are some similarities.

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And yesterday, the Celtics kept benefiting from that coin flip.

It started with Derrick White, launching a 34-footer after receiving the ball with less than a second on the clock.

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Seeing how responsive the ball was to their shooting attempts, the Celtics kept firing. They ended up taking 59 threes, the highest total of the season — and they made 29 of them, tying the record from last season against the Knicks in the home opener.

What’s even crazier is that every Celtic who played more than 10 minutes attempted at least one triple. Yes, even Neemias Queta. And yes, he made it!

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Out of a Spain pick-and-roll action, Jordan Walsh swings it back to Nemi, and that’s a beauty.

#2 – Taking away the rim

While the offense was impressive, the defense also showed great discipline after a complicated night in NY. The threat that the New Orleans offense presented was heavy rim pressure, with 42% of their shots attempted within 4 feet (1st in the league).

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Yet, the Celtics were able to bring that number down to 22%, taking away the rim from the Pelicans, who were forced to rely much more on floaters and mid-range shots than layups.

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The play above is a great example of how well the Celtics protected the paint, with Queta anchoring the rim, Sam Hauser staying connected to the ball, Walsh helping at the top of the key, and White ready to help or close out on Derik Queen.

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The Celtics were helped by the lack of talent and spacing, but they remained disciplined all game long to make up for their previous defensive collapse. Looking forward to seeing that discipline when the playoffs start.

#3 – Jaylen rim pressure

On the other end, while the Pelicans couldn’t find a way…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/10-takeaways-celtics-three-point-140916239.html

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Publish date : 2026-04-11 14:09:00

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