BOSTON – Svi Mykhailiuk knew that signing with the Boston Celtics this past summer would result in a reduced role compared to what he experienced in previous seasons. But he also knew that he’d have scattered opportunities to contribute to a contending team’s winning formula, and one of those chances arrived Sunday afternoon while facing off against the Washington Wizards.
In resting their top six players for the regular-season finale, the Celtics called on an entirely new starting rotation. Among them was Mykhailiuk, who seized the moment by putting forth one of the best performances of his life.
The sixth-year wing poured in a career-high-tying 26 points on 10-of-13 shooting, including a career-best 6-of-8 effort from 3-point range. He also dished out a season-high five assists, tied a season-best with five rebounds, and was plus-21 in 37 minutes of a 132-122 Celtics win – their 64th of the season.
“I just took what the game gave me,” Mykhailliuk said. “I took some more shots, open shots, made some shots early. I feel like that gave me a little more confidence.”
Mykhailiuk opened the game with 12 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting, making him the only Celtic this season with a 12-point quarter on at least five attempts without a miss. The majority of his makes came from beyond the arc, but the most impressive one came in a magnificent display of athleticism during the first quarter when he went from a full-court sprint into an alley-oop dunk off of a dish from Payton Pritchard.
Pritchard was also among those who benefitted from an elevated role, as he logged a career-high 38 points to go with 12 assists, and nine rebounds, making him just the third Celtic to hit those marks along with Larry Bird and John Havlicek. He also shot 15-of-21 from the field, making him just the fifth player in NBA history to reach the aforementioned marks on at least 70 percent shooting, joining Bird, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Wilt Chamberlain, and Clyde Drexler.
Neemias Queta had a fantastic showing off the bench with career highs of 19 points and six blocks, as well as nine rebounds. He became just the fifth Celtic to reach those marks along with Dave Cowens, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and Kristaps Porzingis.
“We knew we were gonna have the opportunity to play a lot of minutes,” Mykhailiuk said. “Everybody came prepared, everybody was excited to get on the court and (have more) playing time, and everybody wanted to win and finish the regular season on the right note and start preparing for the playoffs.”
Most of the role players will see their minutes drop back down in the playoffs, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be any opportunities for them to step in during certain situations. That’s why they call the reserve unit the “Stay Ready Crew,” and head coach Joe Mazzulla knows that Mykhailiuk is one of the guys who will always be ready.
“When we asked Svi to come here, one of the things I told him was, ‘It’s going to be inconsistent at times. But because of how we play, we’re going to rely on you guys to win us games, so the things you do daily are important.’ And he bought into that, and that was great … He’s done a lot of great things for us. I love his work ethic on a daily basis, and he helped us win games this year.”
Mykhailiuk says that the conversation he had with Mazzulla recurred throughout the campaign. It made him feel better prepared for any chance he was given.
“[Mazzulla] mentioned that during the season a lot and it makes you cautious and makes you understand that you actually have to be prepared at any time for whatever happens,” Mykhailiuk said. “We understand that we are one of the best teams in the league and we have really big goals, so for me personally to help the team win, you’ve just always got to be prepared.”