When he got his opportunity, Celtics guard Jaden Springer delivered and then some
"My teammates trusted me all night. They were cheering me on. So, shoutout to them for having my back the whole time."
With the Celtics in major need of a defensive jolt Wednesday night against the Clippers, head coach Joe Mazzulla turned to rarely used reserve Jaden Springer.
Springer, who had only logged double-digit minutes once all season coming in, shifted the complexion of the game entirely over 20 outstanding minutes. He helped steer the Celtics to a 117-113 overtime win and avoid losing another heartbreaker following yet another epic collapse.
“Go in there and make a difference,” Springer told NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin of his approach. “Go out there and play defense. Play hard. That’s what they told me to do. My teammates trusted me all night. They were cheering me on. So, shoutout to them for having my back the whole time.”
Defensively, Springer helped stymie Kevin Porter Jr., who was roasting the Celtics with anyone else on him but nearly invisible with Springer on him. Springer, who pressures the ball better than the vast majority of players in the league, had four steals that altered the momentum on that end.
“He’s just got an innate skill to impact him with his physicality,” Mazzulla told reporters. “I thought that’s what the game needed at the time.”
He was then rewarded offensively, hitting a timely 3 from the corner in the fourth and another from almost the same spot in overtime. The 3 in overtime came with 34.1 seconds left and extended the lead to five. He gave James Harden (who was out for Wednesday’s game) and the rest of the Clippers bench a smirk for good measure.
“Everybody went crazy, man,” Springer told Chin. “It’s a great feeling.”
The Celtics almost managed to unravel again, but they found a way this time. Springer, who added two free throws earlier, finished with a season-high eight points. As NBC Sports Boston’s Brian Scalabrine noted, the reality is that the Celtics may not have won the game without him.
While Celtics fans shouldn’t expect Springer to log 20 minutes every night, it’s possible this could signal a more sizable role moving forward. In the way that Payton Pritchard provides instant energy off the bench on offense, Springer has a similar effect on defense.
The Celtics sometimes forget they’re an elite defensive team, and his intensity can help bring them out of unnecessary and problematic lulls.
Mazzulla has a unique style, where sometimes a player won’t see the court for weeks and then will play significant minutes based on what the game needs.
Springer deserved credit for capitalizing on his opportunity.
It was easy to see afterward how much it meant to Springer and his teammates. Luke Kornet, for instance, mobbed him when it was over.
“It’s one of the best thing you do in this league is to just deliver when your name is called,” Mazzulla said.
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