Locked On Celtics: Celtics CRUSH Pelicans, FINALLY Get First Win | Can They BUILD on This MOMENTUM?

Episode Date: October 28, 2025
Host: John Karalis

Episode Overview

On this episode of the Locked On Celtics podcast, host John Karalis recaps the Boston Celtics’ emphatic first win of the season—a 32-point blowout over the New Orleans Pelicans. He breaks down why, despite the big margin, this victory wasn’t that stylistically different from their earlier losses, highlights key performances from new contributors like Josh Minot and Namish Keta, and asks whether this win can serve as a foundation for real momentum. John delivers signature candid insights from a beat writer’s perspective, spotlighting the nuances between moral wins and true progress.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Importance of the First Win

• Emotional Boost: John emphasizes how important the win is for the players’ morale and team chemistry. The players needed, as he put it, “…to get on that damn bus and joke around with each other and not feel bad…” [09:40].
• Fan Connection: The victory gives fans a reason to reinvest emotionally after three straight opening losses.

2. Winning "The Margins"

• Notable Stats: The Celtics dominated categories they previously lost:
  • Turnovers: Forced 14, committed 12 (+9 in points off turnovers).
  • Offensive Rebounding: Won 23-16; only surrendered 11 offensive boards— a major improvement.
  • Defensive Rebounding Percentage: Hit 71%, right in the “sweet spot” for sustainable success [12:30].
  • Three-Point Shooting: Attempted 53, made 18 (won by +9 threes for +27 points).
  • Second Chance Points: Key reversal from previous games.

“The margins are where they won this game... That’s important.” – John Karalis [11:40]

• Caveat: Pelicans were less aggressive on the boards without Zion, allowing Boston to win in ways previous opponents didn’t allow.

3. Offensive Approach and Defensive Aggression

• The Celtics’ aggressive defensive schemes typically create risk/reward scenarios—more gambling for steals but also more fouls and open putbacks for opponents.
• While Boston fouled too much (gave up 28 FTs), the barrage of made threes and hustle plays offset this, for now.

4. Key Individual Performances

Josh Minot (First Career Start)

• Statline: 15 points, 9 rebounds, steal, block; +42 in plus/minus [19:50].
• Energy & Role: Did the “exact same things you want a guy in that position to do”—active, versatile, and physically assertive.
• Memorable Moment: Took a hard dunk fall, shrugged it off, and brought levity postgame.

Namish Keta (Starting Center)

• Breakout: Best game since EuroBasket and as a Celtic—active on both ends, with 7 offensive rebounds and 4 blocks.
• Growth Point: Joe Mazzulla postgame: “He has to do it all the time. He can’t just be good sometimes, he’s got to be good all the time.” [22:45]
• Challenge: Prove it against more athletic, bigger centers.

Anfernee Simons (Scoring Catalyst)

• Statline: 25 points (6-of-13 from 3), 12 points in the decisive fourth quarter [25:12].
• Narrative: Capitalized with Jaylen Brown on the bench due to foul trouble—“I get to be me, I get to do what I do.”
• Key Sequence: Block by Derrick White leads to a Simons transition three, sparking a 25–4 run to put the game away.

Other Contributions

• Derrick White: Poor shooting night (1-9), but solid defense and 7 assists.
• Peyton Pritchard: Pest-like energy, 18 points, 8 assists, 2 offensive boards.
• Luka Garza: Hit 3-of-4 threes but still learning defensively.
• Baylor Scheierman: Sacrificial cuts, rebounding, hit a big shot; doing “little things that earn you some minutes.” [33:10]

5. Rotations & Early-Season Experimentation

• The starting spot beside the main stars continues to rotate (e.g., Ugo Gonzalez one game, did-not-play the next, Minot gets a start).
• John believes Ugo Gonzalez would benefit from more consistent burn, possibly splitting time with the Maine Celtics to get full games under his belt [21:00].

6. Why This Game Wasn’t That Different

• Game Flow: Boston built an early lead, hit a lull in the 2nd, rebounded after halftime.
• Crunch Time: In previous games, missed shots and giving up boards doomed them. Here, they hit timely shots and limited second-chance points.
• Consistency Theme: “Stylistically, this was a very similar game as the other three... What they did was they hit a few shots, turned the other team over and didn’t give up a million offensive rebounds.” [35:50]
• Key question: Can Boston replicate this formula against better, more aggressive opponents?

7. Can They Build On This?

• John is clear-eyed: “Can you do this against Cleveland?... That’s going to be the important part. Can you do this against the better teams?” [37:40]
• Suggests that getting comfortable in these roles and consistently winning the margins is the real test if this win will generate momentum.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On team chemistry:

  “You need to win games so you can get on that damn bus and joke around with each other and not feel bad…”
  — John Karalis [09:40]

• On margin-winning:

  “The Celtics actually had more offensive rebounds… that is exactly where they need to be. They don’t need to be up at like, the mid to high 70s… 70 to 71% is exactly where the Celtics need to be to win games.”
  — John Karalis [12:30]

• Coach Joe Mazzulla’s challenge after DeAndre Jordan dunks:

  “You don’t get to pick and choose when you’re your best self. You always have to be your best… this dude was sitting on his couch two days ago and now he’s dunking all over you. You cannot let that happen.”
  — relayed by John Karalis [26:55]

• On Anfernee Simons’ role in the fourth:

  “When he gets hot, he gets scorching hot. And he carried the day in the fourth quarter. So amazing fourth quarter performance from him. It’s exactly what the Celtics needed.”
  — John Karalis [26:20]

• On expectations:

  “I don’t know if they’re going to be a 35-win team or if they’re going to be a 45-win team… This could be the impetus for putting certain things together…”
  — John Karalis [38:20]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Main Theme & Margins Discussion: 09:00–15:00
• Josh Minot & Rotations: 19:50–22:30
• Namish Keta’s Growth: 22:45–24:25
• Simons and Fourth Quarter Run: 25:10–27:50
• Role Player Highlights: 29:15–34:20
• Stylistic Comparison to Losses: 34:45–37:50
• Can They Build On It/Looking Ahead: 37:55–end

Takeaway

The Celtics' blowout win over the undermanned Pelicans feels good and provides much-needed relief, but John Karalis warns that the formula for success didn’t fundamentally change—Boston simply executed more consistently in the margins, rebounded better, and hit big shots at the right time. The real question: Can these habits stick against higher-caliber competition? Cleveland and others will soon provide the answer.

Episode in One Sentence:
A cathartic blowout and a showcase for new and young contributors—but the Celtics’ challenge remains: turn a one-night clinic on “the little things” into a regular habit against real playoff-level teams.