“I mean it’s just the typical, standing in the corner, you’re not necessarily shooting the ball and [they’re saying], ‘You’re not touching it,’ or if you touch it they’re like, ‘Hell no, you ain’t doing anything,’ ” Scheierman told the Globe. “As the quarter kind of went on and I continued to make shots, the more they kind of tipped their cap a little bit. But I’m sure they were probably still confused, probably asking, ‘Who is this guy?’ ”
Get Starting Point
Scheierman, emerging as a bench weapon with the postseason approaching, said he is enjoying his time on the floor and making those pivotal shots.
“As far as the celebrations, it’s an improv in the moment, I’m just playing with emotion,” he said. “I’m not thinking too much about it. I’m just having a lot of fun out there actually. I think that’s a big part of the game is having that enjoyment. It’s contagious when you’re out there. That’s how I’ve always been.”
The Celtics made some difficult decisions in the fourth quarter of their loss to the Knicks. They decided to allow Josh Hart to be an open shooter instead of letting Jalen Brunson, one of the league’s best clutch players, pick them apart.
The result was a 15-point fourth quarter from Hart on 6-for-7 shooting. He was 3 of 3 from the 3-point line, including two in the final minute.
In his previous four games, Hart averaged 6.7 points and was 2 for 10 from the 3-point line. The Celtics took an intelligent risk but got burned.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said he doesn’t regret the decision.
“I don’t think you can, in coaching, wait until the result and ask whether that was the best decision,” Mazzulla said. “You have to take the information given at that particular time and make the best decision that you can. And obviously the result is going to [prove] in hindsight whether it was good or not. So the hindsight answer is no. We have the result.
“But if you were to ask me that at the time out, I would say, yes, because of the information given, we did what we thought was best at that particular time on the defensive end.”
Offensively, the Celtics became stagnant in the fourth quarter but could have been saved by an open 3-point look from Derrick White with 1:04 left and Boston down, 106-104. Jayson Tatum was defended by Brunson and drove into the paint, drawing in Hart for a double team, leaving White open on the right wing. His 27-footer clanged off the right side of the rim.
“D White got a great shot that he’s hit in that arena in that exact same spot multiple times,” Mazzulla said. “But any time you always want to execute better and try to get as many good shots as you can.
“I thought that was a significant play in the game. I thought JT made a great read and Derrick had a great look but didn’t knock it down.”
The Pelicans don’t have incentive to tank because their first-round pick goes to the Hawks, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t rest a considerable number of players Friday at TD Garden.
Former No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson, Saddiq Bey, Herbert Jones, Trey Murphy, and Dejounte Murray were all out with injuries or rest. The Pelicans, under interim coach James Borrego, had won 10 of 14 games before an eight-game losing streak. They snapped that streak with a 156-137 win against the Jazz on Tuesday.
Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe.
