If you’re just scanning the box score from Boston’s 117-115 win in Cleveland, you might think the Celtics are still stuck in neutral when it comes to pace. The teams played at a 96.5 pace - right in line with Boston’s season average of 96.48 possessions per game.
But that number doesn’t tell the whole story. Not even close.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla came into the season preaching a faster tempo, and while Boston isn’t exactly flying up and down the floor - they rank 25th in transition scoring and generate turnovers at a league-average rate - they’ve found another way to wear teams down: precision in the halfcourt.
This isn’t about speed. It’s about control.
The Celtics currently boast the fourth-most efficient offense in the league, and they’re doing it by making every possession count. They’re not racing to the rim - they’re grinding opponents down, stretching defensive rotations and forcing teams to defend for longer stretches of the shot clock. Think of it like a chess match at full speed: deliberate, calculated, and relentless.
Per Second Spectrum tracking data, Boston takes 21.4% of its field goal attempts with seven seconds or less remaining on the shot clock. That’s one of the highest marks in the league, trailing only teams like the Rockets and Clippers - squads with elite late-clock creators.
But Boston’s approach is different. They’re not relying on one guy to save the possession.
They’re trusting the system.
It starts with playmakers like Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and Jaylen Brown initiating the offense. But once the ball starts moving, it becomes a read-and-react symphony.
Everyone’s involved. Everyone’s scanning.
And the goal is simple: turn a good shot into a great one.
That unselfishness and discipline have paid off. Boston leads the league in generating open and wide-open looks - whether it’s a clean catch-and-shoot three or a backdoor cut for a layup. They’re not just running plays; they’re playing basketball the right way, with purpose and poise.
Now, here’s where things get interesting. Despite having one of the most efficient offenses in the NBA - scoring 119.1 points per 100 possessions - they’re only averaging just under 115 points per game.
That’s because of their slower pace. Fewer possessions, fewer total points.
But don’t let that fool you. This is a team that knows exactly how it wants to play.
Take the Cleveland game as a case study. The Cavs prefer a faster pace, averaging 102.4 possessions per game.
But Boston dictated the tempo from the jump, slowing things down to a crawl when needed. The pace by quarter?
94 in the first, 98 in the second, 94 in the third, and 100 in the fourth. That’s a masterclass in tempo control, especially on the road.
And when it came time to close, Boston didn’t panic. They leaned into their strengths - working the clock, getting into their sets, and targeting mismatches. Darius Garland found himself on the wrong end of a few of those late possessions, as the Celtics hunted him in isolation, a nod to last season’s “killer whale” strategy where they zeroed in on the smallest fish in the water.
Earlier this season, Mazzulla was tracking how many minutes of “perfect Celtics basketball” his team could string together. Early on, that number hovered around 24 to 36 minutes a night. But after a 7-3 stretch that includes wins over playoff-caliber teams like Orlando, Detroit, and Cleveland, it’s starting to feel like Boston is inching closer to a full 48.
They’re not sprinting to the finish line. They’re walking you down, one possession at a time. And right now, that might be even more dangerous.