All Jordan Walsh has done is stack promising games together, and it was no different Thursday against the Bucks. The Celtics weren’t good enough in their 116-101 loss as they couldn’t make enough shots in the second half.
But Walsh was again a bright spot, finishing with 20 points on 8-for-10 shooting in his 32 minutes. Bucks veteran and fellow Arkansas product Bobby Portis praised Walsh after the game, saying he wanted to trade jerseys with Walsh at one of their future matchups later in the season.
“It’s kind of cool to see his career trajectory,” Portis told reporters after the game. “First couple years, didn’t really play, was in the G League. And then got an opportunity this year to go out there and show what he can do. Jump shot’s looking better. Obviously on the defensive side, he’s top tier. I think he’s going to be a great 3-and-D prospect for them, especially when (Jayson) Tatum comes back and he’s going to be in the mix with them in that rotation.”
Portis played for the Razorbacks from 2013-15, earning SEC Player of the Year honors after his sophomore campaign. He was then picked 22nd overall in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Bulls. Walsh was a one-and-done Hogs product, suiting up for the 2022-23 season. He was picked 38th overall by the Celtics in 2023.
Walsh has enjoyed a breakout season, sparking the Celtics’ recent success when he was inserted into the starting lineup. His defensive prowess has been on full display as he’s made life difficult for stars across the association. Walsh added eight rebounds and three steals to his stat line Thursday, showing how he’s done it all for the C’s.
But the Celtics just couldn’t make shots Thursday. They entered the game with the second-best offensive rating in the league, but they were ice cold in the second half. The C’s missed 16 straight 3-pointers to open the second half. On the other side, Portis and the Bucks made their looks as they buried the Celtics.
It was a disappointing loss considering the C’s were flying high before this extended break in the schedule. Thursday’s setback snapped a five-game winning streak, though Boston still has a 15-10 record on the season. Next up are the East-best Pistons at home next Monday as the C’s look to regroup following the loss.
“I don’t feel like defense was our issue,” Walsh said. “I feel like we were guarding. I feel like we needed to rebound some more. ... Missing that many 3s in the third quarter, going cold for that long against a team that just caught fire. It’s hard to maintain that level of competition when you’re just kind of down that much.”