Xavier Tillman said he was about to take a nap around 12:30 p.m. Monday. But he got a call from Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla with some news: Tillman was going to start Monday’s game against the Grizzlies.
Not only was it Tillman’s first start this season, but it was also against his former team. The Grizzlies drafted Tillman at 35th overall in the 2020 draft out of Michigan State as he spent the first 3.5 years of his career in Memphis. Tillman got plenty of love from the Grizzlies fans, too, in what ended up becoming a homecoming for him.
“It was great,” Tillman told reporters in Memphis. “For me, the amount of history and effort and dedication I put this into this program, in this ball club. Me getting the opportunity to come back here and kind of just say thank you to the fans and thank you to my former teammates and stuff like that. That was pretty awesome.”
Tillman said he was surprised he got the start considering he’s fallen out of the rotation this season. The big man has dealt with knee issues recently that kept him out of games. Tillman finished with two points, three rebounds and a steal in his eight minutes, shooting 0-for-5 from the field.
Al Horford said not only did the C’s want to go 6-0 on the road, which they succeeded after another double-digit victory, but they also wanted to win for Tillman. The C’s acquired Tillman ahead of last year’s deadline as the big ended up playing key minutes on the way to the 2024 NBA championship.
“When you have moments to validate your entire roster and we just appreciate X and the entire roster is important,” Mazzulla said. “X can still impact winning. He was 0-for-5, but he got two big rebounds. He got (Zach) Edey two fouls to start the game, which affected their rim protection. ... He can still impact winning. I just appreciate who he is as a person.”
There were some other highlights from Monday’s game, too. Tillman matched up against Jaren Jackson Jr. for a few possessions, joking that was the first time they played against each other since Tillman was 16. The two big men go way back, dating back to being in the same recruiting class at Michigan State. They were reunited in Memphis for a few years until Tillman was traded to the Celtics.
Tillman said he was thankful Mazzulla gave him the start. It’s been a trying season as Tillman has fallen out of the rotation even though he was an important piece last year. Those knee issues have seemingly slowed him down. But on the flip side, the big man detailed how it’s been a learning season for him.
“This season for me has been an opportunity to turn into more of a pro,” Tillman said. “How do you stay ready and be prepared for every opportunity that’s called. I’ve also dealt with a lot of knee stuff, too, so I had to fix that the last couple weeks and stuff like that. That’s what it’s about at this point in time in my career. Can you be ready when your opportunity is called? For me, I just don’t dwell on anything.”
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