Tie game, still 24 minutes of basketball to play. The Celtics are a loss away from elimination, and they decided to take matters into their own hands. Luke Kornet starts instead of Kristaps Porzingis, and the script is about to change.
In the third quarter, the Celtics only concede 17 points in 12 minutes. That’s 74 points per 100 possessions—an absolute defensive masterclass that made offense easier because they played off misses. But how was it made possible?
Because of Luke Kornet.
The Celtics used Kornet as a goalkeeper or a safety, depending on which sport you’re more familiar with.