November 6, 2024
Watch: Derrick White lobs to Luke Kornet for two-handed slam

Celtics

Kornet is not a flashy participant, however he obtained quite a lot of consideration for this spotlight play.

Luke Kornet completed with seven factors and 10 rebounds on Friday. (Picture by Sarah Stier/Getty Photographs)

Issues had been simply clicking for the Celtics on Friday night time.

Within the third quarter in opposition to the Brooklyn Nets, Derrick White noticed Luke Kornet chopping to the rim, and tossed an ideal lob that Kornet slammed down for a easy alley-oop bucket.

His teammates couldn’t consider what they had been seeing.

Kornet made one other spotlight reel play within the fourth quarter when he dished a no-look dime to Payton Pritchard beneath the basket for a simple layup. His efficient night time drew reward from Richard Jefferson and the ESPN broadcast crew.

“He’s a helpful man, and he’s exhibiting it tonight,” Jefferson mentioned on the ESPN broadcast.

Kornet is a depth large backing up Boston’s two-headed monster of Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford. With Horford out of the lineup on Friday, Kornet turned the second middle possibility for the Celtics.

Kornet is averaging 3.0 factors and a couple of.0 rebounds per sport this season, however completed with seven factors and 10 rebounds in 18 minutes on Friday.

Although Kornet hasn’t averaged greater than 4.4 factors in a Celtics uniform, he’s making the correct performs — and even thrilling ones at instances — this season. And, though groups appear to get pleasure from driving on Kornet at any time when they really feel they’ve a good matchup, the Boston large is quietly averaging 0.5 steals per sport in simply 9.7 minutes per sport. That’s practically even with Porzingis (0.6) and Horford (0.7), who’ve a major minutes benefit.

Friday offered a uncommon flashy second for Kornet, however flash or not, he’s been a gradual hand deep in Boston’s rotation.