BOSTON — Jordan Walsh made his presence felt in a meaningful fashion as the Celtics entered Friday night’s Eastern Conference finals rematch against the Indiana Pacers, fighting to avoid a third consecutive loss.
Walsh, a developmental piece on Boston’s roster, and second-round pick in the 2023 draft hadn’t logged many impactful performances across the team’s first 30 games. The Celtics scattered Walsh’s usage, inserting the 20-year-old in random first-quarter and garbage time stretches, none of which were as eye-grabbing as Friday night’s during Boston’s 142-105 blowout win at TD Garden.
“Coming off a loss and knowing that we should have played way harder and then won, it definitely added a sense of, like, ‘All right, we’ve got to completely dominate these guys and dominate this game,” Walsh said, per The Boston Herald’s Zack Cox.
Walsh played a career-high 21 minutes and scored nine points, knocking down two 3-pointers on three shot attempts, grabbing five rebounds, and recording two assists and one block. Those — also career-high — numbers don’t jump off the box score, however, the Celtics were more than thrilled to watch the Arkansas product getting involved all across the floor, especially on a night in which Boston was shorthanded — Jrue Holiday (right shoulder impingement) and Kristaps Porzingis (left ankle sprain) were ruled out before tip-off.
Boston needed a scrappy defensive uplift and Walsh delivered by showing what the Celtics could have on their hands in the near future.
It was hands down the best the Celtics, so far, have seen from Walsh in a Boston uniform and earned him a glowing postgame review from Mazzulla.
“He has really good physical defensive possessions that you don’t see. You really have to watch the possessions,” Mazzulla said. “He stands guys up, he doesn’t open up his hips on angles, he’s physical — he got two rebounds outside his area. He’s continuing to get better on like the small things that really matter.”
Mazzulla added: “The matchup plays a big part in (Walsh’s minutes increase).”
The Celtics didn’t have the leeway to give Walsh a chance to crack the team’s reserve unit last season, leaving him to average 14.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists across 16 games played for Boston’s G League affiliate in Maine. Now with a clean slate, and the bench cleared up with Oshae Brissett and Svi Mykhailiuk’s offseason departures, Walsh could have a picture-perfect opportunity ahead with the C’s.
Boston parted ways with Lonnie Walker IV due to luxury tax complications and 2024 draft selections Baylor Scheierman and Anton Watson remain in Walsh’s position from last year, leaving Mazzulla no choice but to get creative. It paid off, got the Celtics back on track and should leave the coaching staff considering the second-year wing’s usage moving forward as the season progresses.
