Locked On Celtics - Podcast Summary

Episode Title: HISTORY: Celtics' Anfernee Simons RESCUES Boston in Miami—Why Jayson Tatum Needs to Pay Attention
Host: John Karalis (Boston Sports Journal)
Date: January 16, 2026

Episode Overview

John Karalis breaks down the Boston Celtics' 119-114 come-from-behind victory over the Miami Heat, focusing on a historic performance by Anfernee Simons, the team’s struggles and subsequent resilience, and why Jayson Tatum should be watching lessons from this game, especially concerning team dynamics in crunch time.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Ugly Start & The Miami Flu

• Celtics fell behind by 19 points in the first quarter as turnovers and poor shooting plagued the starters.

• Karalis jokes about the notorious "Miami flu," implying the team may not have been at their best physically or mentally after a night in Miami.
  “That first quarter was, I mean, just. I can't even begin to accurately describe it without violating a bunch of rules and making you probably swerve off the road.” (05:10)

• Jalen Brown looked sluggish:
  “Jaylen Brown looked like he was still asleep. It was awful.” (06:04)

2. Anfernee Simons’ Historic Night

• Simons scored 39 points off the bench, a franchise record for the Celtics.

• He also tallied 18 points in the fourth quarter alone, repeatedly rescuing the Celtics from double-digit deficits.

  • “It really was like, first quarter, he comes in. Celtics were down 19. Cut it eventually down to 11.” (06:20)
  • “At the end it's like, you know what? I'm done. This thing is due tomorrow. I'm going to put this thing together. We're just going to put your name on it. You're going to get an A. Thank you. Goodbye. That's kind of how, that's my analogy for this game. Anthony just did everything.” (07:04)

• Simons’ shooting:

  • 7/16 from 3, 13/28 overall, 6/6 FT, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
  • “The 39 points is the most scored by a Celtic off the bench in history.” (07:36)

• Joe Mazzulla’s comments: Always credits Simons’ defense and all-around effort, not just offense.

  • “Joe Missoula absolutely refuses to… praise Anthony Simons without mentioning the defense… he had a steal… rebounding was… in traffic and that was so good and blah, blah, blah…” (08:25)

3. Team Resilience & Second-Chance Points

• 31-7 edge in second-chance points was pivotal; much of Simons’ offense came on second opportunities.
  • “Celtics 31, seven in second chance points. And honestly I didn't go back and total them up, but a lot of Simon's shots were second chances.” (09:24)
• Contributions from role players like Jordan Walsh, Luca Garza, Ugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheiman—everyone but Simons grabbed at least one offensive board.
• The Celtics finished 41 of 91 from the floor; extra shots were crucial to overcoming Miami’s early momentum.

4. The “Gravity” of Simons & Miami’s Defensive Dilemma

• In the fourth quarter, Miami was forced to blitz Simons, opening up shots for other Celtics.
  • “So you're asking your defense to go into rotation and to have to now run around where Jayla Brown has the ball, Hauser has the ball open for a shot.” (14:28)
  • Example: Simons' gravity led to an assist sequence resulting in a Jalen Brown three.
• Karalis:
  • “At this point I'm leaning heavily towards the don't trade him camp… Do not trade Anthony Simons just to trade him. Do not dump him for salary… Let this guy cook.” (15:23)

Individual Performances

Jalen Brown

• Rough first half (4 turnovers), sluggish start.
  • “He said it after the game. I was a little sluggish, a step slow… But I will give him the credit of the third quarter. He was, he had 15 points, 4 of 10 shooting. Got to the line seven times. All seven. Made all seven free throws.” (16:29)
• Strong recovery in 3rd quarter, critical free throws.
• No turnovers in the 4th, which helped the Celtics close the gap.

Derrick White

• 8 points, no threes (streak of 77 games snapped), 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks
  • “Derrick White did not have the best game of his life as far as shooting… But he did enough of the other things that he ended up being a big positive.” (17:55)
• Key late-game block on Norm Powell; overall plus-12 impact despite quiet scoring.

Luca Garza

• Not flashy, but set screens, created chaos, cleaned up misses (“Kobe assist”), helped maximize second-chance opportunities.
  • “He is great at like navigating the chaos. And like, you know what, I'm just going to slide down here and somebody's going to take the shot and I'm just going to be here for the Tip in.” (19:06)
• “That's kind of like a little underrated impact that Garza has out there.” (20:10)

Peyton Pritchard

• Tough game: 8 assists but -20 plus/minus (team won by 5), sat the 4th quarter.
  • “But Joe did the right thing and sat him the whole fourth quarter. Simons had it going and he just said, you know what, Peyton, you're just, you're gonna have to sit this one out.” (18:45)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Simons’ night:
  • “Anthony Simons, he saved them. This was absolutely. Without Anthony Simons, this would have been, honestly, it might have been a 40 point loss.” (07:59)
• On Jalen Brown’s self-awareness:
  • “Jalen, he said it after the game. I was a little sluggish, a step slow. You know, there. You can't lie, can't hide it. He was, and I don't know why, he didn't say why…” (16:29)
• On team adaptability and lessons for Tatum:
  • “To do it when you are the number one option, this is what Jason should be watching. Because Jalen has earned plenty, plenty of opportunity to go cook in that situation. To be like, okay, this was Great, you've scored 30. I'm going to close this out. That's what superstars do. I'm going to close this out now. And for him to set the picks and to give up the matchup and to, you know… Jason's going to have to do that because I don't think he's. He's always been willing to do that.” (25:27)

Why Jayson Tatum Needs to Pay Attention (Important Segment: 25:00 – 29:30)

• Karalis underscores a key lesson for Tatum: when another Celtic (like Simons or sometimes Brown) is “hot” late, the star doesn’t need to force the offense or reclaim the moment for himself.

  • “I'm hoping that Jason looked at this situation, looked at how Jalen was handling the situation and when that comes up… I hope that Jason kind of is like, yeah, you know what? I am, I'm willing to. I'll go, I'll go set up in the corner… Letting Jalen be the primary guy more often now…” (27:00)

• Big Picture: The Celtics have more pathways to win—superstars must recognize and empower whoever is cooking, rather than defaulting to old habits.

Final Thoughts & Standings Update

• Celtics outscored Miami by 15 in the fourth.
• Now in second place in the conference at 25-15, four and a half games behind Detroit.
• Karalis teases upcoming road podcasts from Atlanta and Detroit:
  • “I will be in Atlanta on Saturday, so if you're in Atlanta, come say hi. But next podcast will be from Atlanta…” (32:40)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• 05:10 – Miami Flu, Celtics’ ugly start, Jalen Brown struggles
• 07:04 – Simons saves Celtics, historic performance detailed
• 09:24 – Second-chance points, team-wide effort
• 14:28 – Simons’ gravity, Miami’s defensive blitz, impact on offense
• 16:29 – Jalen Brown’s turnaround, clutch free throws
• 17:55 – Derrick White’s all-around impact
• 18:45 – Peyton Pritchard’s struggles, Missoula’s adjustment
• 19:06 – Luca Garza’s underrated impact
• 25:00–29:30 – Why Tatum needs to learn from this, team-first mentality in crunch time

Summary

This was a night about resilience and team gravity, Anfernee Simons’ historic offensive outburst, and the recognition that the Celtics’ path to success involves adaptability—not just stars taking over, but everyone, including Tatum and Brown, reading the moment and making the right play. Karalis emphasizes the importance of learning from games like this to build a team prepared for deep playoff runs and tough situations, where sharing the spotlight might be the smartest path forward.