The Pelicans had a stellar showing from Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum. The former notched 25 points, nine rebounds, and four assists, while the former Portland Trail Blazers star tallied 24 points, five assists, and two steals. Herbert Jones also helped by making 18 points on 44 percent shooting from beyond the arc, and five rebounds.

The Celtics have the ability to stay cautious with their top talent during the home stretch of the regular season thanks to their position in the standings. Jaylen Brown looks like a candidate for that treatment after the Celtics 103-92 win over the Pelicans on Saturday night.

The All-Star forward played well throughout the victory, posting 17 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in a terrific all-around performance as Boston pulled away in the second half. However, Brown looked to be in pain numerous times throughout the contest with various ailments across his body. He favored his knee on one possession after a slip and fall. A short time later, he was seen flexing his left hand following a turnover. Beyond those issues, Brown revealed that he’s still dealing with back pain, something that popped up on the injury report for him earlier this month.

The Boston Celtics cannot afford to lose any of their stars at this point in the season.

We’re less than ten games away from the playoffs, and any injury could end up being a major catastrophe.

That’s why some people were worried about Jaylen Brown and his availability after watching him get so banged up in the win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

However, following the win, the highest-paid player in NBA history shut down all concerns, stating that other than some stiffness in his back, he’s actually doing very well (Via Celtics on NBC Sports Boston).

Of course, everybody’s banged up at this point in the season.

The Celtics have seen most of their starters miss a game or two lately to preserve their health, with Brown, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porzingis all being regular names popping up on the injury report.

Joe Mazzulla’s team has already secured a homecourt advantage through the playoffs.

Then again, you want to be sharp and at your best when the playoffs start, especially considering the fact that the Celtics could square off against the Atlanta Hawks in the first round.

This team is made for the playoffs and anything short of a trip to the NBA Finals should be considered a major failure for Mazzulla and Brad Stevens, so they need to go the extra mile to make sure their stars are safe and sound in the postseason.

Defense has rarely emerged as a story around these Celtics all year after their inconsistency on that end became an issue sporadically throughout the 2023 campaign until it defined their playoff woes. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum both set a tone entering this season by aspiring to reach all-defense status, while Joe Mazzulla intended to talk about defense more. That culminated in a No. 3 ranking on defense through Saturday that hasn’t wavered.

Yet performances like Saturday’s, a clinic in disruptiveness, versatility and one of the best stifling quarters you’ll ever see in a modern NBA game, showed a higher ceiling than the average night of Boston’s defense. The Celtics held the Pelicans to 92 points, the fourth-fewest they’ve allowed all year, in a comeback win they closed 76-35 across the final three quarters. That list is littered with Detroit, Memphis, Brooklyn and Toronto-caliber teams. New Orleans ranked as the fourth best one in the NBA according to net rating — 12th in offense.

Prior to Saturday, the Celtics’ best defensive quarter came to start and finish games against the Nets, Grizzlies and Jazz by allowing 15 points. Only five teams boast defensive frames better than the 11 points Boston held New Orleans to after halftime in the win. The Pelicans shot 4-for-23 (17%) and 2-for-9 shooting from deep actually bolstered a 2-for-14 effort in the paint. The Celtics allowed only two free throws and forced three turnovers, while successfully defending three out of four second-chance opportunities. Kristaps Porzingis blocked two shots and recorded a steal. Jaylen Brown blocked another before Sam Hauser and Al Horford closed the quarter with steals. The aggressiveness of the defense stood out.

Brown made the signature play of the win by blowing up a Pelicans set by stealing the ball from Zion Williamson at half court, stumbling into the backcourt to recover the loose ball and getting off a layup attempt that Derrick White put back. Brown tweaked his left hand on the play and said he’ll get it looked at back in Boston, casting some doubt on his status at Charlotte. Still, he played through multiple hard falls, a sore back and the hand ailment in a 17-point effort where he added seven rebounds and six assists. Pelicans players shot 2-for-14 on attempts guarded by Brown. Williamson fell to 2-for-8 with five points, three assists and five turnovers against Brown in two games this season. Brown couldn’t restart his streak of 14 straight games with 20 or more points after it ended on Thursday. Defense mattered most on Saturday.

Jrue Holiday’s return to the lineup on Thursday reunited Boston’s regular starters for the first time in three weeks, picking up where they left off by outscoring the Hawks by 13.1 points per 100 possessions despite the loss. They built on that on Saturday by dominating the Pelicans in their minutes by 17.1 points per 100 possessions. They’re now posting a 121.8 offensive rating and 109.2 defensive rating for the season, while the Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis combination showed promise again with Horford back after missing Thursday’s loss. They held the Pelicans to 74.1 points per 100 in their 14 minutes together on Saturday, posting a +33.6 net rating that vaulted their partnership to +12.1 this year. Double big will remain part of the rotation into the playoffs. So who will play backup.