Celtics' balance and atonement makes for one of the greatest halves in team history
Posted November 24, 2025
Boston -- The Celtics enter intermission with an 80-57 lead over the Orlando Magic. That matches the fifth-most points they've scored in a half, per StatMuse.
Everyone on the team who has played has scored already except for Baylor Scheierman. That includes Neemias Queta, who departed after logging fewer than six minutes. Boston's starting center
The Celtics' offensive explosion comes two days after a lackluster effort in a 113-105 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on this same parquet.
"Come ready to play or don't come at all," declared Jaylen Brown after that defeat in an NBA Cup contest. "End of the day, we all got a job to do. We [are] all getting paid to do what we love to do. Come ready to play basketball, or you're doing a disservice. Everybody's got to come and be ready to do their job and have great energy, enthusiasm, and want to win."
Message received.
Sunday against Orlando, the hosts were active on defense, running the floor in transition, and manufactured a well-balanced offensive attack. Their energy, effort, and enthusiasm that Brown challenged them to deliver were palpable.
Boston's balanced offense by the numbers
The Celtics entered the break having produced 34 points in the paint. They shot a scorching 64.6 percent from the field. That includes knocking down nine of 17 three-point attempts. That translates to 52.9 percent shooting from behind the arc.
Assists don't always paint an accurate picture of the quality of a team's ball movement. However, it did in the first half on Sunday at TD Garden. Boston dished out 19 assists on 31 field goals. Whether it was in transition or out of a half-court set, they did an excellent job of creating two-on-one advantages and freeing up teammates for open looks. The hosts' outstanding offensive execution included limiting their giveaways to only two turnovers.
Their balanced attack resulted in four players entering halftime having scored in double figures.
Anfernee Simons again erupted in the first half against his hometown team. The veteran guard put 16 points on the board in 14:37 of floor time. He buried three of the five threes he hoisted and six of his eight field goal attempts.
Jaylen Brown paired 14 points with six assists. Payton Pritchard produced 13 points on six of 11 shooting. He also distributed eight assists. Josh Minott came off the bench with tremendous energy. His activity and shooting touch resulted in him registering 12 points and five rebounds in the opening 24 minutes.
Now, the key is for the Celtics to keep their foot off the gas and close out what would be a nice bounce-back win after a disappointing loss on Friday.
JJ Redick Sends Strong Message After Deandre Ayton Injury
After the Los Angeles Lakers squeaked out a 108-106 win over the Utah Jazz, coach JJ Redick delivered a strong message regarding
Deandre Ayton‘s injury. Ayton was ruled out of the second half due to a right knee contusion.
Speaking to the media in his postgame press conference, Redick was asked about an update on Ayton’s condition. The second-year coach didn’t want to speculate on his big man’s injury, but he wanted everyone to know that it’s next man up for his team.
“I mean, everybody’s got to be ready. I don’t want to speculate on DA, but you know, we feel confident that we have enough options,” Redick said.
Ayton was unable to practice on Saturday because of illness, but he was cleared to play against the
Jazz. However, he suffered a right knee contusion after colliding with Ace Bailey in the first quarter. He tried to play through the injury before getting ruled out of the second half.
“He had gotten hit on his leg in the first half and was kind of limping through it. And then couldn’t go in the second half,” Redick said, via ESPN
.
The former No. 1 pick finished with just two points, two rebounds and one steal in 13 minutes.
Redick’s Options if Ayton Gets Ruled Out
The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t released an update on
Deandre Ayton‘s injury. They are flying back home to Los Angeles, so Ayton is likely to be evaluated on Monday before an official diagnosis is announced. The Lakers are set to start a four-game homestand on November 25 against the
If Ayton gets ruled out, coach JJ Redick has solid options off the bench. Jaxson Hayes and Maxi Kleber split the minutes at center in the second half, as per
Bleacher Report. Hayes is more of a rim runner and prefers to be in the dunker’s spot, while Kleber stretches the floor with his 3-point shooting.
Ayton is having a solid start to his Lakers career, averaging 15.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. He signed a two-year, $16 million deal with the purple and gold franchise in free agency. He has a player option for next season, so he’s playing for a new contract.
Ayton Underappreciated This Season
After recording three consecutive 20-point, 10-rebound games, Deandre Ayton received a shoutout from NBA analyst MJ Acosta-Ruiz. The host of The Association on NBA TV praised Ayton’s performances for the Los Angeles Lakers this season, describing his contribution to the 12-win team as “underappreciated.”
“He has been going off; he has four 20 and 10 games already through the season, which is what he had all of last year. And he is anchoring this Lakers defense at the moment. I think he’s one of those guys…you can’t discount what he’s been doing thus far this season,” Acosta-Ruiz said, via
Ayton has looked comfortable alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. He’s expected to thrive with LeBron James as well, so he’s going to be a huge factor throughout the season for the Lakers. He might never live up to his potential as a former No. 1 pick, but he could carve out a perfect role in Hollywood.
