Celtics rookie Baylor Scheierman scored a career-high 20 points against the Nets on Tuesday, giving the Celtics their 50th win. As Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe notes, 17 of Scheierman’s 20 came in the second half and he only missed one garbage-time shot.
“Obviously it’s a lot of fun when [the game] slows down and it feels like you’re just out there playing free, playing loose,” Scheierman said. “Coach [Joe Mazzulla] has got a lot of confidence in you, players have got a lot of confidence in you. That’s what the game is all about, and that’s how I enjoy playing.”
Scheierman hasn’t played much at the NBA level this year, but he’s contributed to a pair of wins in the past couple weeks. The 2024 No. 30 overall pick is getting more comfortable by the day.
“Confidence is kind of an overused term,” Mazzulla said. “I think in reality, it’s like, this kid just got here. He’s been here for three months. Like, what do you expect him to look like 10 games in playing sporadically? He’s always had that confidence. I think a lot of it is a matter of timing. A lot of it’s a matter of opportunity. And a lot of it is the moments that you get, you’ve got to deliver and you’ve got to impact winning.”
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said Jalen Brunson was out of his walking boot and has progressed to doing “light shooting,” according to Newsday’s Steve Popper (Twitter link). New York is hoping to get him into some game action before the playoffs begin. He hasn’t played since March 6 due to an ankle injury.
- New York wing Josh Hart ripped the Knicks after they lost to the 18-win Hornets on Thursday, according to the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy. “The way we’re losing games is embarrassing,” Hart said, “… It’s extra effort, and we’re not doing that, and that’s what’s embarrassing, especially for this team, especially for a Thibs-coached team, a New York-based team. That’s not what we should be doing. That’s not what we’re supposed to be built on.” New York is 3-4 without Brunson during this stretch.
- Sixers guard Lonnie Walker IV hasn’t played since March 12 after suffering a concussion. He’s probable for Friday’s game against the Spurs, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Walker is averaging 8.2 points and 3.3 rebounds this season.
Thibs is a solid coach that makes bad teams competitive but his coaching style just can’t get teams over the top. The Knicks need to move on to a fresh mind before they waste the core they have assembled.
Seems we may have reached that point. Unless he pulls a rabbit out of a hat and gets us past the second round, it’ll be time to say “mama, there goes that man”
Always nice when a shyer man shows confidence. Baylor is coming out of his shell!
Was great to see Baylor Scheierman hit those threes! In the few times he gotten in for the Celts he seemed gun shy and missed his threes. So it’s also good to hear Coach Joe say Baylor’s always had confidence and toughness. Celts could use a new confident and tough young guy with substantial upside as we see from Baylor when he’s on the court. Also as the 30th pick he’ll also burnish President Brad Stevens eye for talent.
I thought Brunson sprained his ankle?
He did. A walking boot for an ankle sprain is quite common nowadays.
Yes, it’s an ankle, not a knee. Fixed that earlier today (just catching up on comments now).
Knicks haven’t handled Brunson absence well. From coaching to players. Their bench and perimeter D still an issue. And this is The End. The End my Friend…… few things I still don’t get. It’s too late now. You go with what you got. Brunson should be back strong for playoffs. Mitch should make an impact in playoffs. Still waiting on TJ.
Have a home stretch coming. We need to take advantage of. Next month the games get much tougher. NYK
Brunson being out might be a good reason for the offense being out of sync. They really don’t have another PG that can be a primary facilitator. Payne and McBride are average facilitators. Kolek isn’t ready.
But Brunson’s absence is not a good reason for the defense still being this bad this often. If anything, the group should be locked in on the defensive end to compensate for the offense not being what it was. Instead, they’re moping on that end, arguing with the officials about the last offensive possession. I would never have believed that a Thibs’ coached team could play this poorly on the defensive end for an entire season. But it’s a few weeks away from happening.