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DALLAS — With Celtics center Kristaps Porziņģis sidelined from these NBA Finals due to a rare leg injury, a torn medial retinaculum that ruled out the 7-foot-2 marksman from Game 3 and perhaps the rest of this series, Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla contemplated how to tweak his lineup for Wednesday night’s 106-99 win against Dallas. There, in his bullpen of bigs, waited Luke Kornet, himself a 7-footer who began his NBA career clipping 3-pointers for the New York Knicks. Mazzulla instead called upon 6-foot-8 Xavier Tillman Sr. as the Celtics’ first reserve to touch the American Airlines Center floor.
Tillman only joined Boston this past February, one day before the league’s annual trade deadline, by way of a deal with Memphis. Mazzulla recognized Tillman’s familiarity with Dallas from three years residing in the Western Conference while guarding Luka Dončić within the Grizzlies’ similar heavy-switching scheme. Sure enough, there was Tillman, staying in front of Dončić early in the second quarter, and then blocking his shot off the glass before securing the rebound. Two minutes later, he withstood Kyrie Irving charging at him at full speed, forcing the shifty ball-handler to change directions and botch a left-handed push shot. “He was moving his puppies,” said Mavericks center Dereck Lively II. “Got to tip your hat to that.” Late in the third quarter, Tillman then walled the paint from Dončić yet again, leaving the Mavericks’ All-NBA falling away from the basket and his layup short.
Celtics forward Xavier Tillman forces a miss against Mavs star Luka Dončić during the first half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
“He held his own, time and time again,” said Al Horford, Boston’s starting center. “He was just ready for the moment.”
The fact Tillman turned in 4 rebounds, 2 blocks and a critical third quarter 3-pointer, while netting a plus-9 in 11 minutes, is not the achievement. He’s showcased a well-rounded ability over four total seasons in the NBA since becoming a second-round pick in 2020, to the point over a dozen…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/2024-nba-finals-x-factor-bostons-xavier-tillman-sr-proving-valuable-in-place-of-kristaps-porzingis-190455242.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-06-13 19:04:55
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