The Celtics looked off-balance right from tipoff against the Heat. Their starters missed shots and gave up open looks on the other end. It was a sluggish open that saw the C’s down 19 points midway through the first quarter.
Jaylen Brown made an important admission as he struggled throughout the first half. The Celtics still pulled out the 119-114 victory over the Heat on Thursday, courtesy of their bench led by Anfernee Simons’ season-high 39 points. But it was a grinder of a game for the C’s to snap a two-game losing streak.
“Not my best game,” Brown told reporters, via CLNS Media. “Felt a little sluggish. Felt a little heavy on my shots. Just felt a step slow this game. But we found a way to pull it out, so that’s the most important.”
As Brown pointed out, there are 82 games over the course of a long regular season. It’s impossible to be at his best every single night. That’s why it was crucial for the Celtics to lean on their reserves when the starters didn’t have it.
Brown struggled out of the gates, putting up seven points and four turnovers on 3-for-9 shooting at the halftime break. The All-Star wing still finished with 27 points even though he waded through some tougher times in Thursday’s game.
“I’ve been on teams where you get down significantly and it’s just tough to get back into the game,” Brown said. “Especially here in Miami. They get the crowd behind it and they seem to have everything rolling. That just shows the poise of our team. We just stuck with it and just kept making plays. Chipped away.”
It was ultimately the Simons show throughout most of the night. He kept the Celtics in the game with his shot-making early. Then Simons caught fire with the season-high total in scoring. His 39 points were the fourth-most ever for a Celtic coming off the bench.
But it wasn’t just Simons contributing for the C’s and giving them some life. Luka Garza had solid stretches as he’s solidified the backup big man spot. Jordan Walsh crashing the glass, finishing with eight rebounds, continues to be a constant for Boston.
It was a tough scoring night for the starting C’s guards in Payton Pritchard (two points, 1-for-4 shooting) and Derrick White (eight points, 1-for-7 shooting). But the sign of a great squad is its ability to lean on its depth, and that’s exactly what the C’s did Thursday.
“It’s always been a team game,” Brown said. “It always will be. It’s a long season. There’s ups and downs. ... There’s going to be some nights where it’s not going to be great. That’s just a part of it. You don’t hang your head. Just get out and find ways to win and get ready for the next one.”