The Celtics pulled off arguably their best comeback of the season Friday night, as they rallied from a 22-point deficit to beat the Miami Heat 98-96 at TD Garden.
Boston, who connected on only 1-for-20 from 3-point range in the first half and trailed by 21 at the break, went on a 36-15 run in the third quarter to grab their first lead of the night. While Jaylen Brown, Payton Pritchard and Derrick White combined for 74 points, it was the play of newcomer Nikola Vučević that also made impact in the comeback victory.
In his Celtic debut, Vučević notched his 20th double-double of the season with 11 points and 12 rebounds in 28 minutes. It was the first time coming off the bench for the 15-year veteran since 2012.
"It was great," Vučević told reporters following his first game as a Celtic. "Obviously, very loud, one of the loudest places in the NBA. I know, even from playing against the Celtics before, but it's much nicer when the fans are behind you and supporting you. It was great. Boston fans really know the sport. They really know basketball. I could hear people cheer. It's fun to hear my name getting cheered, and especially the ovation I got when I first got subbed in. I really appreciate that. It means a lot as a player to get support from the fans."
The 35-year-old was acquired earlier this week by the Celtics as part of a deal that sent Anfernee Simons to the Chicago Bulls. C's team president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said the trade went down "in large part to balance out our positional needs," and also noted what Vučević brings to the table to an already deep roster.
"When Vooch walks into the room, it looks different," Stevens said at his Friday presser. "He's big and long and strong, and can be standing next to anybody in this league and not look small. Maybe there is a guy, but not very many guys. Those guys aren't just around all the time to just add to your team in late July or August."
Vučević, who was averaging 16.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists through 48 games this season with the Bulls, had no concerns about fitting in with the Celtics after meeting Joe Mazzulla and the coaching staff.
"I think with my skill set, I'm going to be able to fit in well with the way they want to play. The way we want to run or offense. A lot of it fits right within my skill set," Vučević said Friday afternoon. "Obviously, the talent is here. It's gonna help me as well and make my job a lot easier."
Against the Heat, the Celtics got a nice glimpse of what Vučević brings, as six of his 12 rebounds came on the offense glass to go along with four assist and two steals on the way to a plus/minus of +11.
"One, I thought he did a great job from the day he got to Boston, right up to tip-off preparing. Preparing for everything. Our language, our coverages, what we need to do. And I thought he put himself in the position to help us," Joe Mazzulla said in his postgame comments. "And then, I think credit to the guys, for having a quick understanding about why we acquired him and how he can make us better, and how we can help to make him better.
"I thought those two things were kind of on display tonight on both ends of the floor, and he impacted winning. So we've got to continue to get better in a bunch of areas, and it starts with that togetherness, that communication, and that execution."
Vučević won over the Garden faithful instantly, as the home crowd chanted "Vooooch" each time he touched the ball and got a standing ovation when he checked in for the first time.
The Celtics and Vučević will look to win six in a row when they host the New York Knicks Sunday afternoon, as ABC has the tip-off at 12:30 pm ET.
Joel Pavón
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