Baylor Scheierman didn’t need a big scoring night to leave his mark on the Celtics’ 125-124 overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night.
That’s the point Boston keeps coming back to with the third-year wing from Creighton. He finished with just one basket and only five shots, but the shot mattered: a corner 3 that helped fuel a 16-5 Celtics run over the final six minutes of the third quarter. For a team that drafted him partly for his shooting, Scheierman is also showing he can swing a game in a bunch of other ways.
His offensive value stretches well beyond the jumper. He can bring the ball up, connect actions, create off the catch or off the dribble, and find teammates.
On the other end, he’s taken on tough assignments and, after changing his physique, has shown he can handle the opponent’s top scorer. He also helps Boston on the boards, creating extra chances on one end and fighting to limit them on the other.
Against Brooklyn, though, the biggest signs of his value came in the little things. Scheierman and Sam Hauser helped wake up TD Garden when they both hit the floor for a loose ball after Chaney Johnson lost control of the dribble, then accidentally kicked it into the backcourt. Hauser followed with a 3 that cut Boston’s deficit to two late in the period, and with both teams stuck without a bucket for nearly 2:30, the sequence became a clear turning point.
Boston was scrambling for any kind of jolt as turnovers piled up and the perimeter shots refused to fall. Scheierman, Hauser, and Luka Garza provided it.
Their hustle changed the temperature of the game. Hauser kept hitting shots, Garza drew a charge from Julius Randle, and Scheierman brought steady defense on a night when Jayson Tatum delivered a 40-point masterpiece.
Scheierman’s work against Michael Porter Jr. stood out most. The 6-foot-6 wing helped make life uncomfortable for Brooklyn’s sharpshooter, who finished with 27 points on 50 percent shooting.
But while Scheierman was the primary defender, Porter managed just three points and one field-goal attempt against him. NBA.com’s matchup numbers aren’t perfect, but in this case they lined up with what the eye test said: Scheierman did a strong job denying him off the ball.
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The numbers behind the wins have pointed to a team still sorting out new rotations and shifting roles, particularly in the areas that once separated Boston from most of the league. Shot volume, perimeter efficiency and work on the glass have all been uneven, and while the sample is still small, those are the kinds of warning signs that can linger long after the early standings stop mattering. [Read more 🡒]